After a dental procedure, it is common to be advised not to swallow your saliva. This is because local anesthetics, which numb the mouth during the procedure, can temporarily impair the gag reflex, increasing the risk of saliva entering the lungs and causing aspiration pneumonia. However, once the numbness has worn off, typically within a few hours, it is generally safe to swallow your saliva again.
In the meantime, it is important to find alternative ways to manage saliva production, such as spitting it into a tissue or using a suction device provided by the dentist. Swallowing saliva too soon can lead to nausea, vomiting, and lightheadedness due to the numbing effects of the anesthetic.
