Healthcare & Appointments
How long does local anaesthetic take to wear off?
Estimated wait
~3 hours
Based on published sources
Timeline guide
- Faster cases~2 hours
- Average cases~3 hours
- Slower casesUp to 5 hours
While numb, be careful with hot drinks and avoid biting your cheek, lip or tongue. Contact your dentist or doctor if numbness lasts well beyond about 6 hours or you have unusual symptoms. General information, not medical advice.
A dental or minor-procedure local anaesthetic injection usually wears off within about 1 to 5 hours. After a routine treatment such as a filling, the numbness typically fades in 1 to 4 hours; after a bigger procedure like an extraction or root canal, the lip, tongue and cheek can stay numb for 4 to 8 hours.
More details
The feeling comes back gradually as the anaesthetic is carried away by your blood flow — you cannot safely speed it up.
Last updated: 17 Jul 2026
Information is for general knowledge only.