Hi Nancy, Sad but true many DDS do not have clue about the ramifications of an injured branch of the trigeminal nerve. This nerve has three branches with lil twigs feeding off of them. Any form of dental work can injure a main branch or a twig, i.e. Root canal, oral extraction, oral surgery like an apioectomy and yes, even dental implants. Also, injectible anesthetic can be placed in the wrong area OR one's anatomy is off kilter and nerves are not quite where they should be, per text book. Also, some people cannot take certain anesthesizing agents as this can compromise a nerve. I cannot take Lidocaine or Marcaine with Ephriniphine. (They call this EPI for short) I avoid them like the plaque. If a nerve has been injured/compromised the nerve in time can heal but some times it takes an astute DDS who realizes what has happened and seeks competent help for his/her patient. This is usually regrafting of that nerve within a 6 month period of time. Regrafting is done only by an expereinced Oral Surgeon and there are not too many of them out there that have the knowledge or feel comfortable or want to deal with this.

When I was injured, I found a doctor at John Hopkins but it was way after 6 months had passed. Three years after the fact, I flew to Florida and this is when I was DX with RSD. It had become full bodied by that time.

I am so much better now but very cautious when I am in the dental chair. I have 4 wonderful DDS that I educated about this condition. They use only short acting injections now and depending on how long a procedure is, I usually get two if needed. One in the beginning and one close to the end. They tweek where they inject. They tweek how they extract. They avoid the original injury site like the plaque. One slip up, this nerve can rear its ugly head and set me off into space. It has not happened in 6 years now.

I am not a health care professional and am sharing only "my" story. I wish you well.