How Long Does Numbness Last After a Filling?

Upper teeth typically wear off faster:

For fillings on upper teeth, expect numbness to last roughly 1-2 hours. The injection for upper teeth usually numbs a smaller area—often just the tooth itself and immediately surrounding tissue. Because the anesthetic is more localized, your body clears it from the area relatively quickly.

Lower teeth often stay numb longer:

Fillings on lower teeth usually result in numbness lasting 2-4 hours, and sometimes up to 5 hours. There's a good anatomical reason for this: the nerves to lower teeth are positioned differently, and the standard injection (an inferior alveolar nerve block) numbs a much larger nerve trunk. This nerve supplies sensation to your lower teeth, lower lip, chin, and sometimes part of your tongue—so all of these areas go numb together.

Because more tissue is affected by more anesthetic, it simply takes longer for your body to metabolize and clear the medication.

Which areas may stay numb longest:

The lower lip and tongue often hold onto numbness longer than the teeth themselves, even after you can feel your teeth again. This is normal—different tissues absorb and clear anesthetic at different rates.

Factors that affect duration:

Your individual metabolism plays a role. Some people naturally process anesthetic faster than others. The amount and type of anesthetic used matters—dentists adjust dosage based on the procedure and your needs. If epinephrine (adrenaline) was included in the anesthetic, numbness may last longer because the epinephrine constricts blood vessels, keeping the anesthetic in place.

The most important rule: don't eat while numb.

This isn't about your filling—most modern filling materials can withstand chewing pressure within minutes. It's about protecting your cheeks, tongue, and lips. When you can't feel part of your mouth, you can't tell if you're biting yourself. Many people accidentally chew their cheek or tongue while numb, sometimes severely enough to cause painful ulcers that take days to heal.

Additionally, you can't feel temperature properly. Hot foods or beverages can burn your numb tissues without you knowing until the anesthesia wears off and you suddenly discover a painful burn.

Drinking is possible, but be careful:

Room temperature water is fine, but drink carefully. Your lip may not seal against the glass properly, and you might dribble without realizing it. Avoid hot beverages—you can't feel if they're too hot—and be aware that the numb side of your mouth may leak.

Speaking and facial expressions:

You might sound a bit funny and feel self-conscious. Your lip doesn't move quite right, your smile looks crooked, and you may inadvertently drool. This is temporary and purely cosmetic—there's no permanent effect on speech or appearance.

Working and driving:

If no sedation was used (just local anesthetic), you can drive yourself home and return to work or other activities. Numbness affects sensation, not motor control or judgment. Many people go straight back to the office after a filling. Just don't schedule any important video calls or presentations during the numb period.

Numbness exceeding 6-8 hours:

If your numbness hasn't started to wear off after 6-8 hours, call your dentist. Most anesthetics are fully metabolized well before this point. While the numbness will almost certainly resolve on its own, your dentist should know about prolonged effects.

Numbness lasting into the next day:

If you still have any residual numbness when you wake up the next morning, definitely contact your dentist. This is uncommon but can indicate that the injection affected the nerve differently than expected.

Tingling without improvement:

Some tingling as numbness wears off is normal—it's the sensation of the nerve "waking up." However, if you're experiencing prolonged tingling without improvement over hours, check in with your dentist.

Understanding paresthesia:

In rare cases (roughly 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 500,000 injections), anesthesia can cause prolonged altered sensation called paresthesia. This might feel like continued numbness, tingling, or a "pins and needles" sensation that persists beyond normal timeframes. While concerning, most cases resolve completely within days to weeks. Permanent nerve damage from routine dental anesthesia is extremely rare.

If you experience paresthesia, your dentist may recommend observation, B vitamins that may support nerve healing, and follow-up to monitor progress. Reassurance and patience are usually the main treatment—most cases resolve spontaneously.

Set a reminder to eat:

It's easy to forget about eating while you can't feel your mouth, then suddenly realize hours later that you're starving. Set a phone reminder for about 3 hours after your appointment to check whether sensation has returned and you can eat.

Have soft foods ready:

Even after numbness wears off, your mouth may feel a bit tender or strange around the new filling. Having soft foods like yogurt, soup, or scrambled eggs ready makes your first post-filling meal easier.

Be patient with the weird sensation:

As numbness fades, you might experience tingling, temporary sensitivity, or a strange feeling where the filling is. This is normal. Your mouth is adjusting to a new shape (the filling) and recovering from the procedure.

Know that complete recovery is quick:

By the next day, you should feel completely normal. If your bite feels off or you have persistent discomfort at the filling site, that's worth a follow-up call—but it's about the filling itself, not the anesthesia.