Lingual Nerve Injury Lawyer

Why Is My Tongue Numb After Tooth Extraction?

The Virginia and Washington, DC lawyers at Bartoli Cain Wason have handled many dental malpractice cases and advocate for those harmed with lingual nerve injuries as a result of negligent dental treatment. The Virginia and Washington, DC lawyers at Bartoli Cain Wason have successfully settled these cases and won them at trial.

What Causes Tongue Numbness After Tooth Extraction?

Lingual nerves can be severed or damaged when dentists, oral surgeons, or other dental professionals do not use proper techniques during dental treatment, especially during extraction of wisdom teeth or other mandibular molars. Many people have experienced numbness when the dentist administers an injection to block nerves to let the dentist perform the treatment without the patient feeling it. If your tongue is numb for a prolonged period of time (> 24 hours) after a dental procedure, there may be something wrong with your lingual nerve.

What Is A Lingual Nerve?

Sensation to the tongue is provided primarily by two sets of nerves that run together on each side of the mouth, the lingual nerve and the chorda tympani. The lingual nerve provides the feeling. The chorda tympani handles taste. Often, if one is injured, the other will be also. These are sensory nerves. They do not control your ability to move the tongue.

The lingual nerve is part of the trigeminal nerve system, as are other nerves related to sensation in the area of the mouth, such as the inferior alveolar nerve and the mental nerve, which may be affected if the symptoms are more of lip or chin numbness. Typically, although there are variations in its course, the lingual nerve is separated from the teeth by a thin bone known as the lingual cortical plate.

How Can Bartoli Cain Wason Help

As lawyers who regularly handle dental malpractice cases and have extensive experience with lingual nerve injuries, we represent patients who have suffered permanent injuries to their lingual nerves as a result of negligence by a dentist, periodontist, oral surgeon or other dental professionals. Contact us right away to schedule a free legal consultation and get the assistance you need to protect your rights and receive the maximum compensation and justice that you deserve.

What To Do if Your Tongue is Still Numb

If it has been more than 24 hours since your dental procedure and your tongue is still numb, contact your dentist or oral surgeon to make an appointment to be seen as soon as possible. Your doctor may want to see you to determine the extent of your injury, may want to take an x-ray or different kind of radiology study known as a CBCT, or may want to refer you for outside consultation. If you are not satisfied with the answers provided by the doctor or the office, you may want to consider a second opinion from an oral surgeon or microsurgeon who performs lingual nerve repair or trigeminal nerve repair surgeries on a regular basis. It essential that you get prompt and competent treatment to obtain optimal results and prevent permanent injury. While spontaneous recovery can occur, it usually will be within the first 3 to 6 months. After that, symptoms are more likely to become permanent. Recovery is rare when symptoms persist for more than 1 year. Some patients develop pain sensations in addition to the numbness, which may require lifelong-medical treatment. If your doctor or second opinion recommends watching and waiting, they should be seeing you regularly and performing systematic nerve testing and mapping with detailed measurements to ensure that you are recovering on your own and do not require surgery. There are also specialized tests that can be ordered, such as a MRN (magnetic resonance neurography).

More Information

Bartoli Cain Wason, PLLC is a law firm that represents patients who have suffered an injury as a result of dental malpractice in Virginia, Washington, DC, and other selected jurisdictions where our lawyers have been admitted to practice. We are malpractice attorneys, not doctors. This information is provided to help patients get general information about their questions. It is not a substitute for treatment. If you are suffering symptoms currently like any of the ones discussed on this page, please report them to your dentist, oral surgeon, or other dental professional. If you have lost confidence in the doctor who hurt you, we encourage you to find a second opinion doctor in whom you have confidence to provide treatment.