Trigeminal nerve injuries. Four years’ experience at a single Argentine referral center and a literature review

The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the etiology and characteristics of trigeminal nerve injuries referred to a specialized center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A retrospective analysis was performed of patients referred from February 2016 to January 2020. Age, sex, intervention performed, nerve affected, time elapsed from injury, diagnosis, location, and whether patient had signed informed consent were recorded. A descriptive analysis of the data was made, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for prevalence. The study sample consisted of 30 subjects (31 nerve injuries), 19 female and 11 male, average age (±SD) 40 ± 17 years. The inferior alveolar nerve was the most frequently injured nerve (74%,) while the lingual nerve accounted for 26%. The most common etiologies were inferior molar extractions (47%), dental implants (20%), and local anesthesia (13%). Other etiologies were autologous mandibular bone grafts for dental implants, removal of cysts associated with the inferior third molar, and endodontic treatment. Dental Institutions at which treatment was provided were found to be significantly associated with patients being warned and asked to sign informed consent (p<0.05), while dentists working at private offices requested fewer consents. The most frequent symptom was paresthesia, and 5 patients suffered spontaneous or evoked pain. Only 2 patients intended to file legal claims. Dentists should be aware of the debilitating effects resulting from trigeminal injuries, the complexity of their resolution and the importance of carefully planning dental procedures to prevent them.