Worried you may be allergic to Novocaine? True local anesthetic allergies are rare, and reactions often have other causes. Contact us today to learn your options.
If you have ever had a frightening reaction in the dental chair, a racing heart, dizziness, shaking, or swelling after an injection, you may have walked away believing you are allergic to Novocaine. It is one of the most common concerns patients share with us, and it is often the reason someone has avoided the dentist for years. Here is the reassuring news: true allergies to modern dental anesthetics are extremely rare.
Dr. Hoffman is a friendly individual and readily answers can't questions you may have. His office staff are all friendly. One in particular,Meaghan, has learned to put up with the grumpy old guy from Illinois. I would recommend you give these people a try for your special needs relative.
The Best Dental Office In St Louis! Thanks for keeping my pearly whites shining! … back again and they always do a great job and make me feel comfortable! They have an exceptional staff who are friendly and also very good at their jobs!!
The practice is top notch. Could not ask for better care. Wish dental care was more affordable.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re grateful for your feedback and are proud to provide high-quality care in a supportive environment.
We brought our 1.5 and 3.5 year old daughters here for cleaning / check ups. Our dental hygienist Laina was amazing...made them feel so comfortable. They had a great time and keep asking when they can go to the dentist again. Dr. Hoffman was great too and made everything super quick and not stressful. Great place for kids in addition to adults!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad to hear your little ones had such a positive experience. We’ll be sure to share your compliments with Laina and Dr. Hoffman! 💙
Every person in the office is so personable. That first off makes you comfortable. But then the methods used to clean my teeth, particularly. I don't feel a thing, and it's the first time in my life that I haven't. And I have a lot of anxiety about dental work, and I really do not feel a thing when my teeth are being cleaned
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad our team could help make your experience comfortable and relaxing. It means so much to know you felt at ease with your care!
I came here with my 18 year old daughter who has an immense fear of Doctors and Dentist , The kindness and understanding without any judgement we received from Dr.Thom was just unbelievable. The work he did on my daughter was life changing for her . I would recommend him to anyone . Just amazing, kind talented Doctor.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your heartfelt words! It means a great deal to our team to know that you felt welcomed, understood, and cared for. We’re especially grateful you shared how meaningful your experience was.
We met Dr. Shawn in Sept 2023 and in December, he removed our adult nonverbal son's wisdom teeth. Not gonna hold you, general anesthesia is billed incrementally (by the minute/quarter-hour) and is a heavy financial investment. I love this clinic because it really is a safe space for special needs families. There's a huge calm that accompanies knowing your dependent person is getting healthy. Dr. Shawn is exceptional. We drove 6 hours to get here so we'll choose a local practice for routine sedation cleanings down the road. I hope to see more neurodivergent acceptance built locally in our state's dentistry like this team has here. Meanwhile we are so grateful for this practice and grateful our son was in Dr. Shawn's care.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for sharing your heartfelt words. We’re honored to be a place where families feel safe, supported, and understood. Your trust in Dr. Thoms and our team truly means so much to us.
Dr. Thoms and Robin are excellent in their care, concern, and support. Dr. Thoms explains everything and takes his time. If I have questions or concerns, he is easy to talk to and listens well.Robin is right there by my side throughout procedures. Her technical skills and professionalism are impressive. She is terrific!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad Dr. Thoms and Robin made you feel heard, supported, and cared for. We’ll be sure to share your wonderful compliments with them—they’ll mean so much!
Individualized care, expertise in general anesthesia, and attention to detail are why we keep returning for our son.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and continued trust in our team! We’re grateful to be part of your family’s care and truly appreciate your confidence in us.
The dental anesthesia center is hands down the best dental office I have ever been to. I neglected my teeth for years due to severe dental anxiety. I had work done under anesthesia with doctor hoffman who did an amazing job. Doctor Behl is not only a fantastic dentist but one of the nicest people I have ever met. The dental hygienists are both thorough and gentle. Stop your search and just go here
Response from the owner:Thank you for your incredibly kind words! We’re so glad our team could help make your experience comfortable and positive. We truly appreciate your trust and recommendation!
I had a great experience at the Dental Anesthesia Center. The reception area Personnel the Doctor-Dentist and one of his assistants all helped to make sure I was comfortable, informed and ready to get it done! Thank you Dental Anesthesia Center team!! CB
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad our team could help make your experience comfortable and reassuring. We truly appreciate your 5-star review!
Their staff was truly caring and respectful in everything they did. The dentist explained what they found in the initial tests, asked us questions about our 82 year old sister, then explained the options that would give the best results.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. We’re grateful for the opportunity to provide compassionate care and appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
My hygienist, DeLaina Joost, takes excellent care of my teeth with her advanced skills, gentle touch and great “chair side” manner. She is a consummate professional, and such a compassionate person. I look forward to my visits at DAC!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad to hear you had a positive experience with our team and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.
Devon’s has received his dental services here for several years. The staff are always pleasant. Dr. Hoffman unmatched. His bedside manner is always welcoming. Devon receives amazing care and support based on his assessed needs. Feedback and instruction is clear and detailed. Follow-up is greatly appreciated. I appreciate their acceptance of differences and assurance that Devon will be taken care of.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and continued trust in our team! We’re grateful to be part of Devon’s care and truly appreciate your thoughtful feedback.
Best Dentists in St. Louis. Really a great dental experience. I have used this office for regular dental care, cavities, crowns, and cosmetic dentistry. Teeth look great.
Response from the owner:Christopher we apologize for the belated response. We are very pleased to hear you have a great dental experience with our office! Thank you for your kind words. We look forward to seeing you at your next dental appointment!
Dr. Behl!
I cannot recommend Dr. Maris Behl enough. If you have dental anxiety, she is truly the kind of dentist you hope to find. If teeth could be wrapped in pillows and protected by flying unicorns, Dr. Behl would somehow make it happen.
I have significant anxiety around dental procedures and have needed deeper sedation for dental work in the past. From the beginning, Dr. Behl took the time to listen to my concerns and made me feel genuinely heard rather than dismissed or rushed. She created such a sense of trust and safety that I was eventually able to have my dental work done with only nitrous instead of full sedation, which is something I honestly didn’t think I would be comfortable doing.
During my crown placement, she explained what she was doing throughout the procedure, which made an enormous difference in keeping me calm. She also took the time to address a filling that had been bothering me for what felt like forever — and she actually fixed the problem.
What stands out most about Dr. Behl is how safe I feel in her care. She is compassionate, patient, communicative, and incredibly attentive to how her patients are feeling. For someone with dental anxiety, that combination is invaluable.
Finding a dentist I trust this much has completely changed my experience with dental care. I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Behl and would recommend her without hesitation, especially to anyone who has dental anxiety or has struggled to feel comfortable receiving dental treatment.
Response from the owner:Thank you for such incredibly kind words! We’ll be sure to pass this along to Dr. Behl. We’re pretty sure the flying unicorns are going to be the part she remembers most! 🦄💙 We’re so glad our team could help make your experience a more comfortable one.
Dr Thoms and his team are phenomenal. No question, the absolute best possible option for my child when he needed work done while sleeping (age based). While this option is not inexpensive, this set up of have anesthesiology in-house allowed us to get his mouth healthy when a traditional pediatric dentist could/would not. I am a parent that asks a lot of questions on behalf of my toddler’s care and at no point did I feel judged for this, nor was I rushed during my evaluation process during the consultation. Although the procedure is not one I would like to repeat for my child, my husband and I were both so pleased with how well Dr. Thoms communicated and how he clearly cared for our son’s wellbeing (both physical and emotional during a less than comfortable visit). Cannot recommend the back of house team more highly.
My one detraction is the FOH staff (not everyone) were not nearly as pleasant. I would like to communicate that while their day-to-day is very routine for them, being in that office as a parent is very scary for some people in their office and a little bit of kindness goes along way. I do recall, having a very pleasant conversation with Rebecca, but otherwise everyone else was on the apathetic side, in my personal opinion. That said you’ll notice that I still am leaving a five star review because the dental staff really just knocked out of the park, but as a parent I want to encourage you to look past any rudeness you may experience over email or on the phone because Dr. Thom’s is really that excellent.
Response from the owner:Thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback. We’re grateful to hear that our team provided compassionate, attentive care and took the time to answer your questions throughout the process. We also appreciate your comments regarding your experience with our front office team and will certainly share your feedback. Your kind words mean so much to us!
First, a Surprising Fact: You Probably Never Had Novocaine
“Novocaine” has become a catch-all word for dental numbing medicine, but the actual drug, procaine, has not been widely used in dentistry for decades. Procaine belongs to an older family of anesthetics called esters, which were more likely to trigger allergic responses. That is one of the reasons dentistry moved away from them.
Today, dentists use amide anesthetics such as lidocaine, articaine, and mepivacaine. Documented allergic reactions to amide anesthetics are exceptionally rare in the medical literature. So if your reaction happened in recent decades, an allergy to the anesthetic itself is one of the least likely explanations.
What Your Reaction May Actually Have Been
When patients describe a “Novocaine allergy,” the story usually involves one or more of the following. Each is real and unpleasant, but none of them is a true allergy to the anesthetic.
A reaction to epinephrine. Most dental anesthetics include a small amount of epinephrine, which helps the numbness last longer. In some patients, especially when the injection reaches a blood vessel, epinephrine can cause a pounding heart, trembling, and a sense of panic. It typically passes within minutes, but it can feel alarming enough that patients understandably assume something went very wrong.
An anxiety response.Dental fear is common, and the body’s stress response can produce sweating, lightheadedness, nausea, a racing heart, and even fainting. These symptoms can look and feel very much like an allergic reaction, which is why the two are so often confused.
A sensitivity to a preservative. Some anesthetic solutions contain sulfite preservatives that stabilize the epinephrine. Patients with sulfite sensitivities, which are more common among people with asthma, may react to that ingredient rather than the anesthetic itself.
A true allergy. Genuine allergic reactions, with symptoms such as hives, itching, swelling of the lips or throat, or difficulty breathing, do occur, but they are rare. When they happen, they may be linked to an older ester anesthetic, a preservative, or in very uncommon cases the amide anesthetic itself.
Why Getting the Right Answer Matters
Labeling yourself allergic to “all numbing medicine” can have real consequences. Patients with that label sometimes delay or avoid dental treatment entirely, or they endure procedures with inadequate pain control. Neither is necessary.
If you have had a concerning reaction, allergy testing through an allergist can often identify what actually happened. Testing may confirm a specific ingredient to avoid, or it may show that you can safely receive common anesthetics after all. Bring any testing results to your dental visit; they help your care team plan around your specific needs rather than a guess.
Your Options at The Dental Anesthesia Center
Our practice is built for patients whose past experiences make routine dental visits difficult, including those with confirmed or suspected anesthetic reactions.
Depending on your history and health, your options may include:
A different local anesthetic. If a specific drug or preservative was identified, an alternative formulation, such as one without epinephrine or sulfites, may be appropriate.
Sedation dentistry. For patients whose reactions were anxiety-related, sedation can calm the body’s stress response so that treatment feels manageable rather than frightening.
General anesthesia. For patients with complex medical histories, confirmed allergies, or severe dental fear, treatment can be completed while you are fully asleep in a carefully monitored setting. Many patients complete years of needed dental work in a single visit this way.
At your consultation, our doctors review your medical history, your past reactions, and any allergy testing you have had, then recommend an approach suited to you. As a doctor-owned practice, those decisions are made by the people actually providing your care.
You Deserve Comfortable Dental Care
A bad experience with dental anesthesia does not have to define the rest of your dental life. Whether your reaction was a true allergy or something else entirely, there is a path to getting the care you need, safely and comfortably.
Contact The Dental Anesthesia Center Today
If a past reaction to dental anesthetic has kept you or a loved one away from the dentist, we would be happy to talk through your options. Call The Dental Anesthesia Center in St. Louis at (314) 862-7844 or request a consultation online. Our team will listen to your history, answer your questions, and help you find an approach that feels right for you.
