OraVerse: Reverse Numbness after Dental Procedures

The lingering numbness that can last anywhere from three to five hours after a routine dental procedure is often an unnecessary, inconvenient hassle. You may find that your ability to speak, smile, eat and drink is impaired, and you even may have uncontrollable drooling.

Thanks to a ground-breaking product recently introduced by Novalar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the effects of local dental anesthetics can now be reversed, enabling you to continue on with your day without limitations. That’s because OraVerse, an anesthetic reversal agent, can return you to normal sensation and function in about half the time.

OraVerse is a safe and effective form of phentolamine mesylate, a vasodilator that has been used in several other medical applications since 1952. OraVerse Injection – the first and only proven safe and effective product of its kind – can quickly reverse the effects of local dental anesthetics, so you can carry on without impairment to you how talk, smile and drink after dental procedures.

How OraVerse Works

OraVerse can be used by your dentist to reverse local anesthesia of the lip and tongue, as well as the associated functional deficits that occur after you’ve had an intraoral injection of a local anesthetic that contains a vasoconstrictor. The local anesthetic effect is produced by an injection of a drug to eliminate pain in a specific area in the mouth. The effects of local anesthetics linger in order to ensure that you are comfortable and pain-free for the duration of your dental procedure.

OraVerse is administered by your dentist immediately after your dental procedure. Based on clinical trials, patients experience minimal sensation when receiving an OraVerse injection, since the tissues are still anesthetized from the original injection of local anesthetic. Because you’ll still be numb from the local dental anesthetic, it is highly unlikely that you’ll feel the injection.

Who Can Benefit from OraVerse?

A consultation with your dentist is essential to determine if you are a candidate for OraVerse.

OraVerse can be given to adults and children ages six years and older who weigh 33 pounds or more. Therefore, parents will benefit from knowing that their children will recover from unwanted numbness and return to normal quicker if OraVerse is administered after their dental procedures.

For example, a great benefit that children (and their parents) will experience with OraVerse is that their tendency to chew their tongue, cheeks and/or lips when those areas are numb is greatly reduced, and there is less likely to be a problem because the anesthetized area is more quickly returned to normal.

Adults benefit by realizing an ability to get on with their day without limitations to their talking, smiling, eating or drinking capabilities.

It is strongly recommended that OraVerse not be used in pediatric patients under six years of age or weighing less than 33 pounds.

Is OraVerse Safe?

OraVerse is FDA approved and has been proven safe and effective for reversing the effectives of local dental anesthetics. Studies also have shown that there are no known drug interactions and no evident toxicity or contraindications for using OraVerse. There are no serious side effects associated with an OraVerse injection.

However, to date, there are no sufficient and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Therefore, OraVerse should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit justifies the potential risks involved to the fetus. Your dentist will advise you about what is best for you and your dental treatment if you are pregnant.

It also remains unknown whether OraVerse is excreted in human milk. Since so many drugs are excreted in human milk, it is strongly advised to use extreme caution when considering OraVerse if you are nursing. The unknown risks of partial infant exposure to phentolamine through breast milk after a single maternal dose should be weighed against the known benefits of breastfeeding. Your dentist will advise you about what is best for you and your dental treatment if you are nursing.

OraVerse Side Effects

Following injection or IV administration of phentolamine at doses between five to 15 times higher than the recommended dose of OraVerse, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular spasm and occlusion have been noted, usually in association with marked hypotensive episodes producing shock-like states. Although such effects are uncommon with OraVerse, you should tell your dentist about any cardiac conditions you have (such as cardiac arrhythmias) and any history of cardiovascular disease.

Conclusion

OraVerse represents a break-though in dentistry that can free you from the unwanted and unnecessary numb sensation typically experienced after routine dental procedures. The first and only local anesthesia reversal agent to speed up your return to normal sensation and function, OraVerse can help you get on with your normal activities after restorative and periodontal maintenance procedures.

Because OraVerse still may be considered an optional treatment, dental insurance may not cover its cost. Therefore, be sure to ask your dentist about cost prior to receiving treatment.