Nerve Repair Surgery

Whenever the nerves of the mouth are injured and don’t heal appropriately on their own, nerve repair procedures may be required.  Fortunately, the need for nerve repair surgery is uncommon.  However, several circumstances can arise that make the procedure beneficial.  

These include facial trauma, injury from tumors/growths, or injury from dental procedures such as tooth extraction, dental implant placement, or endodontic (root canal) treatments.  If you have a nerve injury that is not improving and has resulted in numbness (anesthesia), abnormal sensations (paresthesia) or unpleasant sensations (dysesthesia) you may benefit from nerve repair evaluation and treatment. 

Nerve repair surgery is performed under general anesthesia and usually can be performed as a same-day surgery requiring no overnight stay in the hospital. Options for repair include direct nerve repair, nerve conduits, and nerve allografts.  

Nerve repair surgery requires additional training and expertise and is not performed by most oral & maxillofacial surgeons. Board Certified Surgeon, Dr. Michael Wasson is one of a small number of surgeons performing nerve repair surgery of the jaws.