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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: palate numbForum: Neurology Forum
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I had orthodontic braces to correct an overbite. After I got them off I had a trauma to my 2 front teeth. That night I woke up with severe pain in my teeth and upper palate. The following morning and since I've had a numbness in my 2 front teeth, gums, upper palate and up behind my nose.It has interferred with the way my smile feels. I cannt feel my smile fully. Do the nerves in the teeth and palate play a strong role in intiating certain kinds of smiles?? The upper palate and gums feel stiff, and whenever I talk alot the upper palate aches and burns alot? Does this mean there is hope of regaining feeling? = The nerve that provides sensation to that part of the face is the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve (talk about a mouthful) - call it V2 for short. The trauma you sustained to the two front teeth probably resulted in a bit of inflammation and tissue swelling in the gums and related soft tissue in the area. The pain was probably from that, and subsequent numbness may be from compression of some of the terminal branches of V2. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a bit asymmetric, since there is a left and right V2. Most motor behaviors rely on sensory input for coordination and a sense that you're executing the task correctly. Think about how hard it is to chew after having a novocaine shot in the mouth. The muscles are not affected, but because you can't feel it, nothing works well. In the case of smiling (or in my experience, some people also have trouble with speech), the nerve that works muscles of facial expression (VII) is nowhere near the region of the trauma, and is very unlikely to have been damaged. The lack of sensation from that region of the face has interfered with proper function of expression. I hope this helps. If you haven't seen your doctor or dentist, do so. He/she may be able to prescribe anti-inflammatory medications and/or investigate for the possibility of more widespread damage. This forum can't substitute for medical advice, as you know. CCF MD mdf.
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