oral surgeon causes nerve damage

My oral surgeon identified during the procedure that one of the nerves is damaged. It became evident after the anesthesia wears off that I am having nerve injury. He recommended nerve repair. I think that he is responsible for it but I can’t prove it. Does someone experience something like this? I don’t know what to do now. Can nerve be repaired?

Surgical procedures in the area of the lingual are the most common cause of nerve damage. Result is temporary or permanent loss of sensation or pain in the distribution of the nerve. Sometimes the inferior alveolar nerve is injured, and sometimes the lingual nerve, both can be bothersome injuries. In general the inferior alveolar nerve injuries are more tolerated than the lingual nerve injuries. Both the inferior alveolar nerve and the lingual nerve can be repaired, but the rates of recovery of the inferior alveolar nerve are better than those with the lingual nerve. If you suspected that your oral surgeon caused the nerve damage seek help from another one. I don’t know what else to tell you.

Injury to the lingual nerve is not a new finding. The lingual nerve happens to be in the path of insertion of the advancing needle when anesthesia to the area is provided. The incidence of injury varies in the literature from 1:30,000 up to 1:850,000 so it is such a rare event in the first place and its discovery occurs only hours or days after the event, such that little can be gained from the experience clinicially on how to avoid the injury in the first place other than good technique which all dental students have engraved into their brains from the word go. The fact that lingual nerve injury does occur at all, and that there is no known treatment for it once it has occurred, and worse, there is no known preventive technique to avoid it other than the techniques available to dentists today, this is a menacing situation for both the patient and practitioner. If you have any further suggestions or questions about this situation, please contact me at drgmc@shaw.ca. I am in the process of revamping the inferior alveolar block technique with particular regard to sparing the lingual nerve. At the very least, this would reduce the incidence of lingual nerve injury from what is already a very low rate I hope. G.

had impant compressed the nerve right hand lower side,with damage to my right hand lower lip,i have complete numbness,had my jaw broken implant was taken off the nerve and still have numbness on lip with excruciating pain,but nerve still alive

any suggestions please