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Dental Anesthesia

Numbness after upper tooth filling 3weeks ago

01/29/2009

Question:

I had an upper tooth filled, a tooth leading towards the middle but still in the front of my mouth. Anyway, it has been 3 weeks and I`m still noticing some numbness in my lip; pain in the top of the lip when I push under it with my tongue;and tingling in my face when I scratch or touch around that area. Where can I go to find out if any permanant nerve damage has occurred? I`m assuming I would go to a nerve specialist, but what is a nerve specialist called?

Answer:

I would first see your dentist. This can at times be due to a dental issue and not nerve damage, which is very rare actually in the upper jaw. Your dentist should be able to guide you from there. Typically, an oral surgeon would be consulted for this.

If there is numbness without pain, a neurologist is likely to be of little help, other than confirming a diagnosis. Fortunately, the vast majority of nerve injuries caused by local anesthesia, if this is what this is, resolve without treatment in several weeks.

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Response by:

Steven I Ganzberg, SB, DMD, MS Steven I Ganzberg, SB, DMD, MS
Former Clinical Professor of Dentistry
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University