Archive for the ‘Ora Verse’ Category
A Drug is Finally Available to Reverse the Effects of Dental Anesthesia
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
I don’t know how many times patients have commented that they wished there was something that could reverse the effects of the anesthesia as they were leaving the office. They were not looking forward to a day of drooling and lisping. At last, Novalar Pharmaceuticals is coming out with a product called Ora Verse in October. It’s not exactly a panacea, but it’s something.
According to Novalar president, Donna Janson, “the primary benefits seen by dental professionals include reduced risk of injury during the period while the patients are anesthetized and increased patient satisfaction.” As the patient is finished with the dental appointment, the Ora Verse is injected into the same site as the anesthetic was. The numbness doesn’t disappear immediately; however, it only goes away a little quicker, about 85 minutes sooner than the average. So you can see that it’s not quite as effective as it appears on the surface.
Also, there are some drawbacks. Ora Verse can cause post-operative pain at the injection site, it can occasionally cause allergic reactions, tachycardia and cardiac arrhythmia, and it’s not recommended for children under 7. That seems to contradict Ms. Janson’s point that it could reduce the risk of injury because of the possible side effects, and because it is the children who are at the most risk for injury by inadvertently chewing on their lip, cheek, or tongue while they are numb. I’m always suspicious of drugs that are not recommended for children, and you have to take into account that the generic name is the alpha-adrenergic blocking agent phentolamine mesylate. I have a personal theory that a drug’s toxicity is multiplied by the number of syllables in its name!
Besides, there are alternatives. Most dental anesthetics contain epinephrine, or adrenalin, to prolong their effects, so whenever possible, I like to use anesthetics that don’t contain epinephrine, so they will wear off much faster. I won’t be trying Ora Verse for a couple of years because I don’t want to experiment on my patients. We will just wait and see if any unforeseen side-effects surface.
Dr. Moulton’s article was published in the Desert Valley Times, June 2008
Posted in Ora Verse | 2 Comments »