Question

Mark’s dentist gives him a shot before performing a root canal. The dentist says the shot is anesthesia and that Mark won't feel any pain. Mark feels his gums going numb, while the rest of his body is working fine. What has the anesthesia actually done?

Answer 1

Anesthesia is a drug that induces a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. The local anesthetic given by Mark's dentist causes his gums to go numb but keeps the rest of his body functioning normally. This is achieved by disrupting the movement of ions across the cell membrane, preventing the transmission of nerve impulses and blocking pain sensation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The anesthesia given by Mark’s dentist is a drug used to induce anesthesia, which results in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. Specifically, the anesthesia is a local anesthetic, which causes a reversible loss of sensation for a limited region of the body. In this case, it causes Mark's gums to go numb while the rest of his body functions normally. Anesthetics work by disrupting the movement of ions across the cell membrane, which prevents the transmission of nerve impulses and blocks the sensation of pain.

When Mark's dentist injects him with anesthesia for a root canal, the drug works by disrupting the movement of ions across nerve cell membranes. This interference with ion movement stops the nerve impulses that signal pain. Since only the area around the gums is affected, Mark notices his gums becoming numb while the rest of his body functions normally. This is because the dentist used a local anesthetic which is designed to cause a reversible loss of sensation in a targeted region without affecting consciousness or bodily functions.