|  | Surgeries Operations | Surgeries

Microsurgery Lingual Nerve Decompression Technique

Damage to the lingual nerve is one of the things that can go wrong during deeper dental work such as dental fillings and restorations. Unfortunately, treating nerve damage is often unsuccessful. Microsurgery has a positive, if not perfect, track record in decompressing the lingual nerve and therefore restoring normal sensation on the tongue and inner mucosa of the mouth.

  1. Lingual Nerve Damage

    • The lingual nerve lies in the cheek, adjacent to the lower jaw. The nerve is responsible for innervation and reporting taste and sensation in the back two thirds of the tongue. Occasionally, when dentists extract teeth such as back molars or wisdom teeth, the lingual nerve can be accidentally damaged. The same risks exist when a dentist works on cavities and crowns of the back teeth. Sometimes a misplaced anesthesia needle can injure the lingual nerve. In any of these cases, if the nerve is compressed, the patient can experience numbness, tingling or pain in the tongue and mandible.

    Microsurgical Intervention

    • Microsurgery allows oral surgeons to be able to work deftly with the nerve itself. If the nerve is compressed, a surgeon can reach the nerve, relieve the stress on it and perhaps even repair it if it's damaged. This isn't an instant fix but, in helping the nerve get past its trauma, it can foster nerve healing and regeneration.

      In December 2009, a team of oral surgeons and dentists published an article on lingual nerve microsurgical repair in the "Journal of Oral and Maxiofacial Surgery." They found that microsurgery offered significant improvements or full sensory restoration for 90 percent of the 222 patients sampled.

    Factors To Consider

    • The "Journal of Oral and Maxiofacial Surgery" study found that microsurgery was more successful when done within three to six months of the date of nerve injury. Surgery is also more successful among patients under 45 years old.

      Microsurgery is fairly invasive and not necessarily the first treatment one should consider. Dentists and oral surgeons can offer a number of other treatments including corticosteroids, topical applications, nerve blocking, tricyclic antidepressants and membrane stabilizing medications, all of which are less invasive treatment options. For persistent pain or numbness from a lingual nerve, consult an oral surgeon to find out what course of treatment is best for you.

Surgeries - Related Articles