Delayed onset of altered sensation following dental implant placement and mental block local anesthesia: a case report.

A case of a delayed-onset post-operative altered sensation of the mental nerve is reported with speculations as to etiology. There is a discussion concerning intraoperative radiographs and osteotomy positioning. When postoperative altered sensation occurs, etiologic considerations should always include local anesthetic administration technique. The importance of pulp testing from the first molar to the contralateral lateral incisor is key to determining whether the deficit is in the mandibular nerve or only the mental nerve, which may be a result of mental block local anesthetic administration and not implant placement. This differentiation may be important in treatment and/or legal exposure. The altered sensation was probably caused by the mental block anesthetic technique. The partial anesthetic area in this case was probably a result of crossover innervation from the contralateral mental nerve.