How does benzocaine work?!


Question:

How does benzocaine work?

Like, for example, when the dentist is about to give you a shot, he / she will swab the gum with the benzocaine, and it numbs it almost instantly. How does it do it?

Additional Details

2 months ago
This is actually a serious question. I'd really like to know chemically what's going on. Maybe a chemist, pharmacist, or dentist out there could explain it.

So, please, folks, spare me the "cute" answers. I checked any questions including "benzocaine" before posting this, so, yeah, I know what some guys use it for!


Answers:

Pain is caused by the stimulation of nerve endings. When the nerve endings are stimulated, sodium enters the nerve ending, which causes an electrical signal to build up in the nerve. Once the electrical signal becomes big enough, it is able to travel to the brain, which then interprets this as pain.

Benzocaine works as a chemical barrier, stopping the sodium from being able to enter the nerve ending.




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