Nerve damage in dentistry.

Many forms of dental treatment have the potential to cause injury to the oral branches of the trigeminal nerve, including local anesthetic injections, root canal therapy, implant insertion, bone grafting, and dentoalveolar surgery. Based on the records of a referral center with more than 30 years' experience in managing 3200 of these injuries, this article reviews etiology and prevention; suggests criteria for referral of patients; and discusses treatment for the various types of injury and the results of such treatment.