As the name implies, local anaesthetics are pain killers that act locally, by blocking nerve conduction. They are most popularly known from dentistry: when the dentist injects some local anaesthetic into your gums, the effect that is obtained is to block all the conduction in the relevant nerve.
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Because no conduction is taking place in that nerve anymore, you will not have any sensation in the area that is innervated by that nerve, i.e. your lips, gums, teeth, part of your tongue, etc.
Nerves not only conduct pain, but also innervate muscles, and transmit sensations like pressure, temperature and touch. This means that the innervated area is now rendered insensitive: you can bite your tongue hard without feeling it (pressure), you cannot feel hot or cold in the area anymore, or feel anything when you touch the area, or when a tooth is pulled. Neither do you have any control over the movement of your tongue and lips anymore, so your speech becomes slurred, and you sound like if you speak “with a thick tongue”.
Obviously, local anaesthetics are not only used by dentists. They are widely used to conquer intra- and post-operative pain, labour pain (epidural anaesthesia and pain relief), and pain from trauma.
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