nerve injury

Using Fibrin Glue to Help Lingual Nerve Repair

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An interesting article titled “Use of Fibrin Glue as an Adjunct in the Repair of Lingual Nerve Injury: Case Report,” was written by Nicholas P. Theberge and Vincent B. Ziccardi and appears in the 2016 Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery (vol. 74, pp. 1899 e1-e4). The article describes a report of a case of a woman in her 20s who had an impacted wisdom tooth removed and developed left lingual nerve numbness and pain. She later had surgery with fibrin glue to help correct the lingual nerve injury. The article reports that most lingual nerve injuries after wisdom teeth removal occurs in 0.4% to 22% of cases. Such an injury can be detrimental to patients and lead to drooling, tongue biting, self-induced thermal injuries, and changes in speech, swallowing, and taste perception. Lingual nerve deficit has been reported to … Read more

Trigeminal Nerve Surgery for Neuropathic Pain

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An interesting article titled “Factors Determining Outcome After Trigeminal Nerve Surgery for Neuropathic Pain” appears in the July 2016 issue of Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery written by John R. Zuniga and David M. Yates. It is known that the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves which are part of the trigeminal nerves can be damaged after wisdom teeth surgery. Additional surgery can be performed to repair the trigeminal nerve but in some cases this injury remains and is only partially resolved. The others set out to better explore why neuropathic pain can persist after trigeminal nerve surgery. The study included 28 patients who underwent trigeminal nerve repair in Texas between 2006 and 2014. The patients were grouped into three different cohorts: 1) those who had no recurrence (NR) were any neuropathic pain went away, 2) those who had complete recurrence (CR) were the … Read more

Exploring the Risk Factors for Injury To Nerves During Wisdom Teeth Removal

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An interesting article titled “Risk Factors for Permanent Injury of Inferior Alveolar and Lingual Nerves During Third Molar Surgery,” appears in The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, vol. 72, issue 12, and written by Edward Nguyen and et al. The article assesses the incidence of and risk factors for permanent neurologic injuries to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) or lingual nerve (LN) after wisdom teeth removal. The article states “It has been well documented in the literature that the risk factors for IAN and LN injuries include increasing age, unerupted teeth, deep impaction, distoangular impaction, irregular root morphology, lack of clinician experience, lingual flap and retraction, and radiographic signs of proximity of the third molar to the IAN canal. The main forms of altered sensation that can occur include paraesthesia, anesthesia, or dysesthesia, which may be temporary or permanent. The … Read more

Using Computed Tomograph (CT) To Lower the Incidence of Wisdom Teeth Removal Nerve Injuries

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A question that everyone who has wisdom teeth wants to know these days is the following: “If you use Computed Tomography (CT) can it lower the risk of developing a nerve injury from having wisdom teeth removed?” Three authors from Spain (Sanmarti-Garcia, Valmaseda0-Castellon, Gay-Escoda) recently conducted a study asking this question titled “Does Computed Tomography Prevent Inferior Alveolar Nerve Injuries Caused by Lower Third Molar Removal?” appearing in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (vol 70, pages 5-11, 2012). The issue is as stated by the authors is that “panoramic radiography alone cannot identify the buccolingual position of the mandibular canal and the 3M roots.” Computed tomography (CT) is able to show this information. Even so an estimated 40% of cases show superposition of the roots and the mandibular canal. Hence many of the potential CTs performed may potentially … Read more

Long Term Effects of Trigeminal Nerve Injuries from Dental Care

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A study was published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery titled “Long-Term Outcome of Trigeminal Nerve Injuries Related to Dental Treatment” by M. Anthony Pogrel, Ryan Jergensen, Eric Burgon, and Daniel Hulme. (vol. 69, pages 2284-2288, 2011) that looked at long-term effects of those who suffer from permanent nerve injury from dental treatment particularly involving the third molars or wisdom teeth. A total of 145 patients with 95 female and 50 male patients were involved in the study who had suffered a trigeminal nerve injury affecting either the inferior alveolar nerve or lingual nerve and in 8 cases both nerves. Nineteen patients (13.1 %) reported that their employment was affected, while 21  patients (14.5%)  reported problems with their relationship, 53  patients (36. 6%) reported depression, 55  patients (38%) reported problems speaking and pronouncing words correctly, 63  patients (43.5%) reported … Read more