INFERIOR ALVEOLAR NERVE PARESTHESIA IN ORAL SURGERY: CAUSES, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT

Abstract

Inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia is one of the most significant complications in oral surgery, particularly in the extraction of lower third molars. This type of sensory disturbance, which may manifest as numbness, tingling, or partial loss of sensation in regions innervated by the nerve, is of particular concern due to its functional implications and direct impact on the patient’s quality of life. To investigate the main factors related to the occurrence of inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia in oral surgery, particularly in the extraction of lower third molars. This study is an integrative literature review with a qualitative approach, involving a search for articles in the following databases: Scientific Electronic Library Online (ScielO), National Library of Medicine (PubMed), ScienceDirect, and Lilacs. The following Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) were used: Oral Surgery; Inferior Alveolar Nerve; Paresthesia; Prevention; Treatment. The inclusion criteria were articles published between 2019 and 2025, ensuring that the information in the studies was up to date; studies in Portuguese, English, and Spanish; and research addressing paresthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve. We excluded studies that did not address the study’s theme; unavailable studies; studies with very low methodological quality; and irrelevant articles. First, we identified 420 studies for this review. Immediately afterward, after applying the previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 8 articles were selected for this review. It is concluded that early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are fundamental to the patient’s prognosis when paresthesia manifests. Clinical follow-up, drug therapies, and, in more complex situations, surgical procedures are some of the possible therapeutic approaches.