By allowing reconstruction of compromised occlusion, dental implants contribute to an improvement in quality of life (QOL)\r\nand diet. Injury to a nerve during such treatment, however, can result in a sudden decline in QOL. And once a nerve has been\r\ninjured, the chances of a full recovery are slim unless the damage is only slight. If such damage causes neuropathic pain severe\r\nenough to prevent sleep, the patient�s QOL will deteriorate dramatically.While damage to skin tissue or bone invariably heals over\r\ntime, damage to nerves does not, indicating the need to avoid such injury while performing implant insertion, for example. This\r\nmeans not relying solely on X-ray images, which can be rather unclear, but also using computed tomography to allow preoperative\r\nplanning and intraoperative execution to be performed as accurately as possible. Moreover, if sensory damage does occur it is\r\nessential to avoid breaking the bond of trust between dentist and patient by giving false assurances of recovery. In such cases,\r\nappropriate measures must be taken promptly. This paper describes pain management for nerve injury following dental implant\r\nsurgery at the Orofacial Pain Center of Tokyo Dental College Suidoubashi Hospital.
Loading....