Central and peripheral nervous complications of dental treatment

This review outlines the complications involving the central or peripheral nervous system arising from dental procedures reported in the last decade. By far the commonest complications were related to intraoperative mechanical peripheral nerve injury. Trauma to branches of the mandibular nerve occurring during oral operations may potentially result in varying degrees of hypoesthesia, paresthesia, dysesthesia or in chronic pain syndromes. An increase in malpractice suits related to such a complication has been recognized in the late years. A warning of the possibility of occurrence of this complication should to be given to all patients undergoing risky procedures as part of the process of obtaining informed consent to operation. Mandibular third molar extraction seems to be alone the most hazardous procedure related to mechanical nerve injuries and also with anesthesiological accidents. Severe but rather infrequent infectious (meningitis, brain abscess and cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis) and anesthesiological complications (occular and facial palsies, optic nerve injury and complications related to general anesthesia) were also reported in this period.