How do they anesthetize you when having a tooth pulled?

A couple of ways: Local anesthesia which is given by a needle will dumb the area and allow removal. You can also be put to sleep. Typically an oral surgeon would start an IV and give medicine to put you to sleep. This is usually not as profound as in an operating room and while asleep they would give you local anesthesia to dumb the area and then remove the tooth.

Different options: You can have local anesthesia around the tooth, or have sedation where you are sleeping, depending on the severity of the surgery needed and your choices.