Local Anaesthetic

Local anaesthetic is the medication injected around the treatment site to produce complete numbness in a specific area. All implant procedures at Pure Implant Health are performed under local anaesthetic — you remain fully conscious but the treatment area is numb.

Types of injection

• Infiltration: Injection near the tooth or implant site — the anaesthetic diffuses through surrounding bone and tissue. Used for upper jaw and some lower procedures.
• Nerve block: Injection near the main nerve trunk supplying a whole region. The inferior alveolar nerve block numbs one half of the lower jaw entirely, including the lip and chin.

What to expect

The injection is the most uncomfortable part for most patients — a brief sting, particularly on the palate. Once numb (2–5 minutes), you will feel pressure, vibration, and movement but no sharp pain. If you feel pain during treatment, always tell your clinician — more anaesthetic can be given.

After treatment

Numbness typically lasts 2–4 hours after treatment. Be careful eating and drinking during this time — you can bite or burn numb tissue without realising. Do not be alarmed if the numbness seems to last longer — this is normal and resolves completely.

Topical anaesthetic

A numbing gel applied to the gum before the injection significantly reduces the sting of the needle — a simple but effective step that most experienced implant clinicians use as standard.