If you have very sensitive gums, exposed root surfaces, and/or need to undergo a “deep” cleaning, it might be necessary to provide some form of anesthesia in order to get you through the appointment. In many cases, topical anesthetic doesn’t provide enough numbness, but a needle-based anesthetic is too much.
We have a product called Oraqix that is the perfect medium. While it looks similar to a needle, it’s not an injection. We place this medium-level anesthetic around the teeth, under the gums, and it gets the patient numb just around the gums for the sake of a cleaning. Of course, we have the occasional patient who needs to get completely numb, but Oraquix is often a good middle ground to get a patient through a cleaning.