The signs of nerve damage include: A dull ache near the gum line. Discomfort when eating. Pain following exposure to hot or cold temperatures.
Oral nerve injury caused by trauma during medical or dental procedures is marked by constant pain, aching, burning, numbness or tingling in the mouth, tongue or lip. Nerve damage may also result in loss of sensation in these areas.
Damage to either nerve can lead to numbness and pain of the lip, mucosa and tongue, as well as loss of taste. These deficits can result in significant functional and social difficulties. Proper evaluation of each case allows us to decrease the probability of injury.
With treatment, dental nerve damage can heal in six to eight weeks. If, however, the effects last more than six months, then it is considered permanent nerve damage. Depending on the cause of injury, there are various treatments that may be applied to treat dental nerve damage.
Tooth nerve pain can feel severe like a sharp, stabbing pain or as little as a dull ache. If your tooth nerve is exposed, particular foods and drinks will probably trigger the pain. Pain in an exposed tooth nerve can be triggered by foods and drinks that are hot or cold, sugary, acidic, or sour.
Causes of Dental Nerve Damage
Sports injuries, automobile accidents, and falls are common culprits of dental trauma. You might also feel some nerve pain after certain dental procedures, such as fillings or wisdom tooth extractions. Eroded enamel can also leave nerve endings vulnerable to external stimuli.
Your dentist removes the damaged nerve and pulp from inside your tooth during the root canal process, cleans the affected area, and seals it. The nerves inside your teeth are essential for a healthy tooth function, and a root canal will cure some types of tooth nerve pain.
Root canal therapy
If an infected tooth impacts the tooth's nerve, the dentist can perform a root canal to remove the decay or infection. The dentist drills through the tooth and removes all damaged or infected nerves and pulp from the tooth. Next, the tooth is cleaned, disinfected, and sealed to prevent re-infection.
The main symptom of trigeminal neuralgia is sudden attacks of severe, sharp and shooting facial pain that last from a few seconds to about two minutes. The pain is often described as an excruciating sensation, similar to an electric shock.
Pulpitis is an inflammation of the dental pulp or nerve of the tooth, which is the vascular and nervous component that is inside the tooth. This inflammation produces pain from stimuli such as cold, heat, pressure and chewing, or even continuous pain.
What Will I Feel If I Have a Damaged Tooth Nerve? You do not develop tooth nerve damage overnight because the problem develops gradually. You will initially feel a dull pain in your mouth which gradually builds into severe discomfort.
However, it is believed to be a form of neuropathic pain. This means that nerve fibers in the mouth, for now, are functioning abnormally and transmitting pain despite the fact that there is no painful stimulus.
Some of the signs and symptoms of tooth nerve damage after receiving dental treatment include: Numbness or lack of feeling in the tongue, gums, cheeks, jaw or face. A tingling or pulling sensation in these areas. Pain or a burning feeling in these areas.
Some of the signs of nerve damage after receiving a dental injection may include: A lack of sensation in the area treated even after the anaesthetic should have worn off. Numbness or lack of feeling in the tongue, gums, cheeks, jaw or face. A pulling or tingly sensation in these areas.
Nerve damage results from a negligently performed surgery and is a case of a dentist's medical malpractice. Any alteration to feeling, sensation, taste, or function in your mouth in the weeks and months following a dental procedure can result from a dental nerve injury.
This pain can be caused by ingesting: Hot and cold foods and beverages. Acidic and sugary foods and beverages.
Nerve Damage Does Not Heal Itself…
When symptoms are minor and the root of the tooth is exposed, a dental filling is considered by the dentist. Where the symptoms are major, root canal treatment is required. Either way, consult the dentist for emergency treatment as soon as you can.
Electromyography (EMG) is used to record the electrical activity in muscle. It can identify abnormalities in the muscles or nerves resulting from peripheral neuropathy, nerve degeneration or damage to the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds the nerves in your brain or spinal cord.
Conditions that can mimic trigeminal neuralgia include cluster headaches or migraines, post-herpetic neuralgia (pain following an outbreak of shingles) and TMJ disorder. It's also important to rule out sinusitis and ear infections.
Some symptoms of trigeminal schwannomas may include facial pain or numbness, headaches, and hearing issues. Other symptoms may include seizures, cognitive, or behavior changes. This condition may be diagnosed after a review of your medical history and a physical and neurological exam.
A variety of triggers may set off the pain of trigeminal neuralgia, including: Shaving. Touching your face. Eating.
While stress alone doesn't cause trigeminal neuralgia, stress can aggravate the condition. There isn't a lot of understanding about how or why, but one possibility is the relationship between stress and pain. Studies have shown that chronic pain can lead to stress-induced heightened pain sensitivity.
Classical trigeminal neuralgia is caused by pressure on the trigeminal nerve close to where it enters the brain stem. The brain stem is the lowest part of the brain that merges with the spinal cord. In most cases the pressure is caused by an artery or vein squashing (compressing) the trigeminal nerve.