PERIPHERAL NERVE INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH DENTAL LOCAL ANESTHESIA - A REVIEW

Dentistry

The aim of the study is to do a short review on the peripheral nerve injuries associated with local anesthesia. Although local anesthesia remains the backbone of pain control in dentistry, there are certain adverse effects of their extensive usage. Incomplete anesthesia, hematoma formation, broken needles, trismus, infection and toxic reactions are all potential problems with dental injections.Another documented complication after injection of local anesthetic in the dental setting is prolonged and possibly permanent alteration of sensation over the areas supplied by the involved nerve known as peripheral nerve injury. Nerve injury due to LA is complex. The nerve injury may be physical (needle, compression due to epineural or perineural haemorrhage) or chemical (haemorrhage or LA contents). Thus the resultant nerve injury may be a combination of peri-, epi- and intra-neural trauma causing subsequent haemorrhage, inflammation and scarring resulting in demyelination (loss of nerve lining). The purpose of the review is to enlighten the practising dentists regarding the occurrence and complications of peripheral nerve injury and to bring to their notice the best possible ways of management and treatment of these injuries which would ultimately be beneficial to both the dentist and the patient.

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