It’s Not Novocain

Dental treatment is often perceived as unpleasant.  Who enjoys spending time at the dentist’s office to have dental decay or other oral disease treated?  Not many people. This is why at Cannon Family Dental we spend so much time discussing, reinforcing, and encouraging preventive habits.  We have helped many residents of Davis County (Bountiful, West Bountiful, North Salt Lake, Centerville, Farmington) and surrounding areas improve their oral health and reduce their risk of dental disease. Unfortunately, most people will need some form of dental treatment.  To provide treatment in a comfortable manner, dentists use a local anesthetic to numb the patient’s teeth.  Most people assume we are still using Novocain as the numbing anesthetic.  Perhaps this incorrect assumption is due to entertainers that mention Novocain in their skits. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dXMYw4SXJc Though Bill Cosby doesn’t mention Novocain, I must include a link to his classic performance Though these entertainers often depict dentists in a humorous light, they are in error when they refer to the use of Novocain by dentists. Novocain was originally produced in 1898 and used for decades to provide comfortable surgical and dental procedures.  Because Novocain has a higher incidence of allergic reaction, it was replaced by lidocaine in 1943.  Lidocaine is still the most commonly used local anesthetic by dentists and doctors today, though other local anesthetic agents have been introduced and are in use today. We feel it is important that you have an accurate knowledge of the medications and agents provided for you during dental treatment.  At Cannon Family Dental our goal is to provide a comfortable, relaxing, safe environment where you understand your treatment options and the services provided for you. Continue enjoying good, wholesome entertainment.  But now you know, as you watch Tim Conway or Jerry Seinfeld depiction dentists, that we haven’t used Novocain for nearly 70 years.