What makes orajel work

Wash your hands before and after inserting a rectal suppository. Remove the wrapper, but avoid handling the suppository too long or it will melt. Lie on your back with your knees up toward your chest. Gently insert the suppository into your rectum about 1 inch, pointed tip first. Stay lying down for a few minutes while the suppository melts.

You should feel little or no discomfort. Avoid using the bathroom for at least an hour. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse within the first 7 days of using benzocaine topical. Also call your doctor if your symptoms had cleared up but then came back.

If you are treating a sore throat, call your doctor if the pain is severe or lasts longer than 2 days, especially if you also develop a fever, headache, skin rash, swelling, nausea, vomiting, cough, or breathing problems. Since benzocaine topical is used when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. Skip any missed dose if it's almost time for your next dose. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at An overdose of benzocaine topical applied to the skin can cause life-threatening side effects such as uneven heartbeats, seizure convulsions , coma, slowed breathing, or respiratory failure breathing stops.

Benzocaine topical is for use only on the surface of your body, or just inside the mouth, vagina, or rectum. Avoid getting this medication in your eyes. Avoid swallowing the gel, liquid, or ointment while applying it to your gums or the inside of your mouth. The throat spray or oral lozenge may be swallowed gradually during use. This condition may occur after only one use of benzocaine or after several uses.

Signs and symptoms may occur within minutes or up to 2 hours after using benzocaine topical in the mouth or throat. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. Medicine used on the skin is not likely to be affected by other drugs you use.

These products carry serious risks and provide little to no benefits for treating oral pain, including sore gums in infants due to teething. Benzocaine, a local anesthetic, can cause a condition in which the amount of oxygen carried through the blood is greatly reduced.

This condition, called methemoglobinemia, can be life-threatening and result in death. Due to the significant safety risk of methemoglobinemia, we have urged manufacturers that they should stop marketing OTC oral drug products for treating teething in infants and children younger than 2 years. If companies do not comply, we will take action to remove these products from the market. We have also urged manufacturers of OTC oral drug products containing benzocaine for adults and children 2 years and older to make the following changes to the labels of their products:.

We continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of OTC benzocaine products and intend to take additional actions in the future as needed. We will notify the public about any updates. In addition to our recent actions regarding OTC benzocaine products, we are also requiring a standardized methemoglobinemia warning to be included in the prescribing information of all prescription local anesthetics.

FDA has previously cautioned parents and caregivers to not give certain homeopathic teething tablets to children. Alternative treatments for adults who experience mouth pain may include dilute salt water mouth rinse and OTC pain relief medications.

Consumers using benzocaine products to treat mouth pain should seek medical attention immediately for signs and symptoms of methemoglobinemia. These include pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips, and nail beds; shortness of breath; fatigue; confusion; headache; lightheadedness; and fast heart rate. Signs and symptoms of methemoglobinemia may appear within minutes to one to two hours after using benzocaine.

Symptoms may occur after using benzocaine for the first time, as well as after prior uses. Health care professionals should warn patients of the possibility of methemoglobinemia and advise them of the signs and symptoms when recommending or prescribing local anesthetic products. Some patients are at greater risk for complications related to methemoglobinemia.

This includes those with breathing problems such as asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema; heart disease, and the elderly. Health care professionals using local anesthetics during medical procedures should take steps to minimize the risk for methemoglobinemia. These include monitoring patients for signs and symptoms suggestive of methemoglobinemia; using co-oximetry when possible; and having resuscitation equipment and medications readily available, including methylene blue.

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic contained in some OTC products for the temporary relief of pain due to minor irritation, soreness, or injury of the mouth and throat.

Benzocaine products are marketed as gels, sprays, ointments, solutions, and lozenges under brand names such as Anbesol, Orabase, Orajel, Baby Orajel, Hurricaine, and Topex, as well as store brands and generics. Br Dent J , 96 Download citation.

Published : 22 July Issue Date : 22 July Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Advanced search. Skip to main content Thank you for visiting nature. Just apply directly to the sensitive spot on your gum. Ask a dentist before using Orajel on children, and supervise them if they are approved for use.

He or she will be able to help you find a pain solution. They can also check for diseases that could be making the pain worse. Your dentist will recommend both treatment and also a way to manage any lingering pain. Lonestar Dental can help, whether you have tooth decay or just minor sensitivity.