Can teeth cleaning cause nerve damage?
This type of treatment can sometimes cause tooth nerve damage if the procedure causes trauma to the surrounding area or if the solution used as part of the cleaning process is allowed to infiltrate other parts of the mouth or jaw.
When you undergo some types of dental treatment, there's a risk that you will suffer temporary or permanent nerve damage. This is especially likely if the dentist is negligent in some way.
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.
Here are some of the most common signs of tooth nerve pain: A dull ache along the gum line. Pain that targets a single tooth or radiates throughout the mouth. Discomfort that worsens after eating, especially following meals that are hot, cold, or acidic.
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.
Prolonged and possibly permanent change in sensation due to nerve damage can occur after dental injections. Although the condition is rare, many practitioners will see this form of nerve injury during their careers.
Nerve pain often feels like a shooting, stabbing or burning sensation. Sometimes it can be as sharp and sudden as an electric shock. People with neuropathic pain are often very sensitive to touch or cold and can experience pain as a result of stimuli that would not normally be painful, such as brushing the skin.
The signs of nerve damage include: A dull ache near the gum line. Discomfort when eating. Pain following exposure to hot or cold temperatures.
Treatment for Nerve Damage
For example, if you have nerve damage due to tooth decay, your dentist will likely clean out the infected part of the tooth and fill the cavity. This is a very common procedure and should resolve any pain. One other type of treatment for nerve damage is a root canal.
The signs of nerve damage
Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. Feeling like you're wearing a tight glove or sock. Muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs. Regularly dropping objects that you're holding.
Can nerve damage be repaired?
Your surgeon can remove the damaged section and reconnect healthy nerve ends (nerve repair) or implant a piece of nerve from another part of your body (nerve graft). These procedures can help your nerves regrow.
The most common procedures associated with trigeminal nerve injury in the practice of dentistry include the removal of impacted third molars and placement of endosseous dental implants (Figure 1). Additional causes can include endodontic procedures and even administration of local anesthesia.

Dental procedure could damage the nerve by three mechanisms; direct trauma to facial nerve by a needle, intraneural hematoma formation, and toxic damage due to local anesthetics. Needle may damage the small blood vessels around the epineurium that causes hemorrhage within the nerve caused by compression and fibrosis.
Nerve Damage Does Not Heal Itself…
Unlike most physical injuries where rest helps to heal, this isn't the same for tooth nerve damage. There may be times where a dentist could identify techniques to reverse minor nerve pain, but only when there is mild inflammation.
These trigeminal nerve branches can be injured by facial trauma, local anesthesia, or surgical procedures, and lose their function. Complete sensory recovery from such injuries seldom occurs spontaneously.
Yes, you can sue for medical malpractice if you suffer from nerve damage after dental work. After filing a lawsuit, you must prove medical negligence for nerve damage. This could have been caused by the professional not carrying out any procedure correctly.
Malpractice findings can result in a reprimand of the dentist, fines or probation. In extreme cases, the dentist may lose his or her license to suspension or revocation. Patients can also take their dentist to court as part of a malpractice lawsuit.
Results. Exposure of peripheral nerves to local anesthetics may result in axonal damage, particularly if the solution is injected intrafascicularly, if the concentration is high, and if duration of exposure is prolonged.
A trigeminal nerve injury may affect a small area, like part of your gum, or a large area, like one side of your face. The injury can cause problems with chewing and speaking. The extent depends on where the nerve damage occurs. You may have ongoing numbness or facial pain in the area that the nerve serves.
Peripheral neuropathy, a result of damage to the nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves), often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in the hands and feet. It can also affect other areas and body functions including digestion, urination and circulation.
How long before nerve damage becomes permanent?
As a specialist in peripheral nerve surgery, Dr. Seruya wants his patients to know that after a period of 12-18 months nerve damage can become permanent.
Vitamins B-1, B-6, and B-12 have been found to be especially beneficial for treating neuropathy. Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine, helps to reduce pain and inflammation and vitamin B-6 preserves the covering on nerve endings.
Beneath The Surface: The Root
The roots are hollow, with canals that link the nerves and blood vessels in the dental pulp to the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Dental procedure could damage the nerve by three mechanisms; direct trauma to facial nerve by a needle, intraneural hematoma formation, and toxic damage due to local anesthetics. Needle may damage the small blood vessels around the epineurium that causes hemorrhage within the nerve caused by compression and fibrosis.
Beneath The Surface: The Root
The roots are hollow, with canals that link the nerves and blood vessels in the dental pulp to the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
- Numbing of the tongue;
- Loss of taste;
- altered taste;
- A tingling sensation in the tongue;
- Impaired speech;
- Pain or burning sensation in the tongue;
- Drooling.
- Fillings: If you have tooth nerve pain caused by a simple cavity, a filling is the most common dental repair. ...
- Root Canals: A root canal is performed if tooth nerve pain is due to a tooth that is severely infected or decayed.
In fact, almost all cases of trigeminal neuralgia are caused by trauma—most often from a dental procedure that was not performed correctly.
Complications of Oral Anesthesia: Facial Nerve Palsy
The symptoms of facial nerve palsy can occur immediately or may be delayed. When facial paralysis from dental anesthesia happens within minutes, it's usually caused by accidentally injecting the needle into one or more branches of the nerves.
Heart – Upper and lower third molars (wisdom teeth) Bladder –Upper and lower incisors. Kidney – Upper and lower incisors.
Does tooth nerve damage show on xray?
Answer: Damaged nerves cannot be seen on a regular X-ray.
Nerve Damage Does Not Heal Itself…
Unlike most physical injuries where rest helps to heal, this isn't the same for tooth nerve damage. There may be times where a dentist could identify techniques to reverse minor nerve pain, but only when there is mild inflammation.
Yes, you can sue for medical malpractice if you suffer from nerve damage after dental work. After filing a lawsuit, you must prove medical negligence for nerve damage. This could have been caused by the professional not carrying out any procedure correctly.
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 surgeon can remove the damaged section and reconnect healthy nerve ends (nerve repair) or implant a piece of nerve from another part of your body (nerve graft). These procedures can help your nerves regrow.
Having an exposed nerve in your tooth is often an agonizing experience, with severe, sharp pain from eating, brushing, or merely brushing against the tooth with your tongue.