Where There Is No Dentist 2012 139
Injecting the Upper Teeth
Inject local anesthetic near the root of
the tooth you want to treat.
Front teeth have one root. Back teeth
have more than one.
For a tooth to become completely numb,
the local anesthetic must touch the small
nerve going to each one of its roots.
1. First decide where to inject.
Lift the lip or cheek. See the
line that forms when it joins
the gum.
The needle enters at the
line where the lip or cheek
meets the gum.
2. Push the needle in, aiming
at the root of the tooth. Stop
when the needle hits bone.
Inject about 1 ml of local
anesthetic (½ of a cartridge).
Pull the needle part way out
and move it over to the next
root. Inject again.
If the tooth is to be taken out, leave .25 ml for the next step.
3. If you are taking out a tooth, also inject the gums on the inside.
Ask the person to open wide. Inject the remaining
anesthetic (.25 ml) directly behind the back tooth
that must come out.
One injection can numb
the gum behind the
6 front teeth. Inject into
the lump of gum behind
the middle front teeth.
(Note: This injection hurts! It may help to use
‘pressure anesthesia.’ See page 141.)
4. Wait 5 minutes for the tooth to become numb.