Can my face or the area around my mouth feel numb after anesthesia?

Yes, numbness and a dull feeling around the lip, cheek, and chin after anesthesia is a normal reaction. Local anesthesia usually lasts about 2 to 3 hours, and the block anesthesia used for lower molars about 3 to 5 hours, after which it wears off naturally. Before it wears off you may bite your lip or cheek without feeling it, so it is safer to eat only after sensation has returned. However, if the numbness is still exactly the same a day (24 hours) later, there is a rare possibility of nerve damage, so please come in to have it checked.