If you’ve experienced nerve damage as a result of dental negligence, knowing how to manage nerve pain is likely a major priority for you. It can be extremely distressing to undergo nerve trauma – particularly if the reason for your injury is due to a negligent dentist.
At the Dental Law Partnership, we’re an expert team of dental solicitors, aiming to help every client we work with seek justice for the negligence they’ve faced. Our expert team is highly trained and able to help you with your nerve damage dental negligence claim if required.
If you’d like to speak to someone about your claim, please get in touch with our helpful team. Otherwise, you can start your claim here.
Understanding Dental Nerve Pain
Dental nerve damage is rather rare when undergoing a dental procedure, but it
can still happen, which can be particularly distressing and painful for the patient. There are several facial nerves that can be affected, with the most common being:
- The trigeminal nerves
- The inferior alveolar nerve
Nerve injuries are more common when undergoing invasive dental treatments (such as tooth extractions, root canal procedures and dental implants), although they can also arise from other treatment types too.
Every injury is different, but the symptoms of dental nerve damage usually involve:
- Numbness or a lack of feeling in your mouth (including your tongue, gums, jaw, cheeks and face)
- A tingling or pulling sensation in these areas, not unlike pins and needles
- Severe pain after dental work, or a burning sensation
- Loss of the ability to taste
- Problems with eating and speech
Whilst most nerve damage is accidental, it can also be caused as a result of dental negligence. If you suspect dental negligence is the cause of your injury, you may be able to open a claim – find out more about how to sue your dentist here.
How Can I Manage Dental Nerve Pain at Home?
Experiencing nerve trauma can be extremely distressing for all involved, so you’ll likely want to treat the damage as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, it can take several months for nerve injuries to heal (depending on the extent of the damage and the type of nerve affected), so even in mild cases, it’s unlikely your injury will mend within a few days.
If you start to notice any of the symptoms of nerve damage, it’s important that you speak to your dentist or a trained medical professional as soon as possible, so you can get the issue assessed quickly. However, there are several home remedies you can try to manage your nerve pain at home.
It’s normal to feel some pain and discomfort when you have nerve trauma, but naturally, most people will want to try and reduce their pain as much as possible. Some patients find that OTC (over-the-counter) pain relief like ibuprofen or paracetamol is enough to treat milder forms of nerve pain.
Before taking any medication, you should consult with your dentist about the right remedy to take, as some people can be allergic to certain forms of medication. You may be prescribed stronger prescription drugs for more severe injuries, and if there is a risk of infection, you may also be given a course of antibiotics.
You must try and keep to a proper oral hygiene routine whilst your nerve is healing, brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing when required. Gargling salt water may also help to keep your mouth clean and reduce inflammation, as the salt draws water out of your gums.
You can also use an antibacterial mouthwash to cleanse the area. However, you shouldn’t use mouthwash immediately after brushing – this is because it can wash away the concentrated fluoride left on your teeth from your toothpaste, which helps to protect and strengthen your teeth.
How Long Does It Take to Heal Nerve Injuries?
This is a difficult question to answer, as it depends largely on your own situation. The time it takes to heal nerve injuries can differ – naturally, more serious damage will take longer to heal, and it can even be permanent in some cases.
Early intervention can reduce the time it takes for your nerve to heal, so you must visit your dentist or a medical professional if you notice the symptoms of nerve damage after a dental procedure. Your dentist should be able to advise you on how long your nerve damage will take to heal, although they may not be able to give you an exact timeframe.
What Are the Main Causes of Dental Nerve Damage?
There are several ways in which dental nerves can become damaged, depending on which nerve has been affected. Sports injuries, car accidents and falls are common culprits for dental trauma, but you can also experience nerve damage as a result of several dental treatments:
- Tooth extractions (and particularly wisdom tooth extractions)
- Root canal therapy
- Fillings
- At-home teeth whitening products (due to the enamel erosion that can occur)
- Dental injections
- Dental implants
- Corrective jaw surgery (also known as orthognathic surgery)
However, root canal procedures and surgeries involving the extraction of impacted third molars are particularly associated with nerve trauma, and your dentist should advise you of these risks before starting work on your teeth.
Technically, nerve injuries can occur after any form of dental procedure, but the treatments listed above are the most common. If you do experience an injury after undergoing dental and oral surgery procedures (for example, if you feel pain after a root canal procedure), you may be able to open a dental negligence claim against your dentist.
How Do I Know If I Have Dental Nerve Damage?
Dental nerve damage can cause a range of uncomfortable sensations and feelings, so the likelihood is you’ll know that something is wrong if you have a nerve injury.
The most common symptoms of nerve damage are:
- Acute pain or a sharp shooting pain
- Increased sensitivity in your mouth
- A burning sensation or a constant dull ache
- Tingling gums and teeth or numbness
- Severe pain following exposure to extreme temperatures
- Functional and social difficulties, such as issues with chewing and speaking
- Loss of taste
- Swelling and nerve inflammation
If you’ve recently had dental work carried out and these symptoms have appeared afterwards, they’re a clear sign that something has gone wrong and you may be eligible to start the dental negligence claims process. If you haven’t recently undergone any dental procedures but are experiencing these symptoms, we still strongly recommend consulting a medical or dental professional to ensure your health and well-being.
Nerve injuries can evolve over time, so it could be that your nerve became damaged a while ago, but the symptoms have only just come to light. You have up to three years to open a dental negligence claim against your dentist – this is from either the date of the negligence or the date the negligence came to light, so you may still be able to open a claim in these situations.
Your Road to Recovery Starts Here
Now that you’ve read through this page, we hope that you understand how to heal nerve damage. Regardless of whether your nerve injury is permanent or temporary, there is no instant ‘cure’, but claiming compensation against your negligent dentist may make the process much easier.
If you’ve experienced dental nerve damage and trauma when undergoing a procedure at your local practice, you could be entitled to a sum of compensation as part of a dental negligence claim. We can’t state how much your claim will be worth without knowing the facts of the case, but we only work on a no-win, no-fee basis. This approach ensures you’ll only pay us a small fee if your claim is successful, meaning there is no financial risk for claimants.
If you’d like to enquire about our legal services, we’ll be happy to help. Please contact us on 0800 152 2034 – alternatively, you can request a callback here.