What are the symptoms of lingual nerve damage?

Symptoms usually experienced after an injury to the lingual nerve include the following:

• 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.

How do you test for lingual nerve damage?

A method for assessing lingual sensation is described, comprising sensory testing, using touch and moving two-point discrimination and patient subjective reporting. The clinical application is seen to be the evaluation of lingual nerve injury consequent upon lower third molar surgery.

Does lingual nerve repair itself?

[10][14] Injury to the lingual nerve most often is temporary, resulting in hyperaesthesia, hypoaesthesia, and/or dysaesthesia in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. [9] Reports indicate that the nerve typically repairs itself within 6 months of damage.

Is lingual nerve damage painful?

Iatrogenic lingual nerve lesion is a well-known and unfortunate complication after mandibular third molar removal. Occasionally, the nerve injury can cause severe neuropathic pain.

How do you know if you have a lingual nerve?

Structure. The lingual nerve lies at first beneath the lateral pterygoid muscle, medial to and in front of the inferior alveolar nerve, and is occasionally joined to this nerve by a branch which may cross the internal maxillary artery.

How long does tongue nerve damage take to heal?

Injury to the lingual nerve may also affect taste perception on the affected side of the tongue. The vast majority (approximately 90\%) of these injuries are temporary in nature and resolve within eight weeks.

What doctor treats lingual nerve damage?

While many specialists are trained to diagnose and treat pain and nerve damage, a microneurosurgeon is, many times, the best equipped for these types of injuries. Trigeminal nerve injury diagnosis, treatment and management is considered a subspecialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Is lingual nerve a facial nerve?

The lingual nerve provides sensation to the floor of your mouth and the forward two-thirds of the tongue. The nerves that extend into your taste buds, called the chorda tympani , come from a different cranial nerve, called the facial nerve. However, they meet up with the lingual nerve as it descends to your lower jaw.

Can lingual nerve damage get worse?

Can lingual nerve damage get worse? Lingual nerve damage can be difficult to deal with, but in most cases the effects will slowly subside over the course of 6 months and you will regain the functionality that you had prior to undergoing dental work.

Where is the lingual nerve located?

Location. The lingual nerve splits off from the mandibular nerve right around the base of your ear. It then runs down the inside of your jaw just in front of the ear and comes into contact with your lower jaw right at the third molar (typically called the “wisdom tooth”).

How long does it take for nerve damage in mouth to heal?

It can take 6-12 months to recover, but may result in some permanent dysfunction depending on the nature and severity of injury. Neurotmesis is the complete severing of the nerve, and will need microsurgical repair to achieve any significant recovery.