Incidence of lingual nerve trauma and postinjection complications in conventional mandibular block anesthesia

Trauma to the lingual nerve is potential risk factor for patients receiving mandibular block anesthesia. This paper describes the results of a patient survey of 9,587 conventional mandibular blocks received by 2,289 adults. The incidence of lingual nerve trauma and postinjection complications is reported along with an associated analysis of the duration of complications, procedures at the time of incident, the side of occurrence (right or left), and gender ratios. In addition, recommendations for patient evaluation, treatment, and follow-up care are discussed.