I have numbness in my chin and lower lip after dr hit nerve.

[yellowcouch]

My lower lip and tongue are numb after dr drilled to far down while placing implant. Im in shock and a daze knowing this might be permanent. Anyone else have this situation and how did you cope with it?
Mike

 

[Zuri Barniv]

What country do you live in?

 

[yellowcouch]

United States

 

[Zuri Barniv]

Was it a general dentist or an oral surgeon that did the work? Do you have ANY sensation in your lip and chin or is it totally numb? What has the dentist done so far? The first thing that should be done is the implant should be removed or pulled out part-way after you have a cone beam (3D) x-ray. Has any of this been done? The answers will help me help you.
Dr. Barniv

 

[yellowcouch]

The implant was placed by my periodontist 2 weeks ago. During the procedure the implant drill went to far down into the nerve canal and nicked or bruised the LAN nerve. I felt what was like an electrical shock. He backed the drill up and then proceeded to place the implant. Later that night i informed him that my lower right chin lip and gum were still numb. They are not completely numb but have an altered sensation like pins and needles. The hardest thing to deal with has been the feeling of tightness in my lower 4 teeth on that right side. They feel as if i have toothpicks stuck between them. Very hard to deal with! The following day he did a Cone Beam CT scan to make sure the implant wasnt violating the nerve canal. It wasnt. It is about 2mm away from the nerve canal. He feels that the implant can be left where it is and i will regain feeling within 1 or 2 months. I then got a second opinion from another dentist who without seeing the imaging recommended to remove the implant. Now this is my dilemma. Whether to leave it in or take it out. My question is....If the implant is not impinging on the nerve canal what is the harm in leaving it it? Wouldnt taking it out possibly cause more trauma to an already damaged nerve? Plus i want to eventually have a tooth there. Could the implant in any way be contributing to the feeling of tightness on those 4 teeth or is that a result of the initial nerve damage? Will leaving it in hinder the nerve repair process? I know thats alot of questions, im just trying to make sense of all this so i can make an informed decision whether to have it removed or not. . Ive attached a x ray taken just after the implant was placed to give you an idea of its position. The tooth to the left was extracted right after the implant was placed. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[Zuri Barniv]

This is a very unfortunate outcome to say the least. There are reasons to remove the implant but of course there will be various opinions on the matter. I am experienced but not an expert on the subject. You may or may not recover sensation to the nerve and there is a chance for other complications. Where in the USA are you? There are universities that specialize in these types of issues and they would be a great help. Beyond that, it is difficult for me to give you much more over the internet, unfortunately.

 

[yellowcouch]

Thanks for your reply. If you know of anyone that deals in this matter please let me know. I am located in Pennslyvania. Thanks Mike

 

[Zuri Barniv]

Penn I do not know. But you might see if there are any teaching universities for dentistry nearby and ask them if they have a department that deals with "iatrogenic Inferior Alveolar nerve injuries". If they don't, ask who they recommend you see that specializes in these problems.