Frequently Asked Questions
What is OraVerse®?How quickly will the numbess go away with OraVerse?
What are the potential side effects with OraVerse?
Are there any drug interactions with OraVerse?
Is there anyone who should not receive OraVerse?
Does the injection of OraVerse hurt?
OraVerse is indicated for the reversal of soft-tissue anesthesia, i.e., anesthesia of the lip and tongue, and the associated functional deficits resulting from an intraoral submucosal injection of a local anesthetic containing a vasoconstrictor.
OraVerse is not recommended for use in children less than 6 years of age or weighing less than 33 lbs.
Important Safety Information
In clinical trials, the most common adverse events with OraVerse (phentolamine mesylate) were post procedural pain, injection site pain, increased or decreased heart rate and headache. Following injections of phentolamine in non-dental procedures, substantial decreases in blood pressure have occurred which resulted in heart attacks as well as spasms and blocked blood vessels in the brain. Although such effects are uncommon with OraVerse, you should alert your doctor if you experience an increase in heart rate or abnormal heart rhythm (palpitations), particularly if you have a history of heart disease.
See full prescribing information for details.
A. OraVerse (phentolamine mesylate) is an injection that reverses the effects of local anesthetic with a vasoconstrictor (numbness after a dental procedure) and accelerates the return of normal sensation and function. It helps you reduce the unwanted and unnecessary lingering numbness in the lips and tongue after routine dental procedures. This loss of sensation can result in difficulty with smiling, drinking, and speaking and can cause uncontrolled drooling. These are unpleasant side effects of the local anesthetic with a vasoconstrictor (that tightens blood vessels). In clinical trials, the median time to recovery of normal sensation in the upper lip was 50 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 133 minutes for the control group, and in the lower lip was 70 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 155 minutes for the control group.
Back to Top
Q. How quickly will the numbess go away with OraVerse?
A. Numbness following the use of a dental anesthetic with a vasoconstrictor usually lasts an average of 3 to 5 hours. OraVerse can bring you back to normal sensation faster. In clinical trials, the median time to recovery of normal sensation in the upper lip was 50 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 133 minutes for the control group, and in the lower lip was 70 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 155 minutes for the control group.
Back to Top
Q. What are the potential side effects with OraVerse?
A. In the clinical trials, the most common side effects with OraVerse compared to the control group were pain after the procedure (6% vs. 6%), injection site pain (5% vs. 4%), increase in heart rate (5% vs. 6%), headache (3% vs. 4%) and decrease in heart rate (2% vs. 0.3%). The majority of side effects were mild and went away within 48 hours.
Back to Top
Q. Are there any drug interactions with OraVerse?
A. There are no known drug interactions with OraVerse but you should always inform your dental professional about all medications you are taking.
Back to Top
Q. Is there anyone who should not receive OraVerse?
A. OraVerse is not recommended for use in children less than 6 years of age or weighing less than 33 lbs. In addition, OraVerse has not been studied in pregnant women, and it is not known if OraVerse is passed to the baby while nursing so caution should be exercised if a pregnant or nursing woman is considering using OraVerse. Please consult with your doctor or dentist.
Back to Top
Q. Does the injection of OraVerse hurt?
A. Since OraVerse is given while you are still numb from the anesthetic, most patients don't experience injection site pain. In clinical studies, the incidence of injection site pain in the OraVerse group was similar to that in the control group (5% vs 4%, respectively).
Back to Top
