Sensory normative values of lower lip and tongue for evaluation of inferior alveolar or lingual nerve damage

ABSTRACT

head and neck area, there are so many sensory nerves, which are sometimes injuried iatrogenically or inadvertently so that involved patients complained of the loss of sensations. In such cases, it is important to judge the degree of injuries and regeneration of nerve for better diagnosis and treatment. Seddon and Sunderland's classification, which is commonly used, is focused on histological change and nerve conduction. As times goes by, it is difficult to access patient's sensory disturbance by this method. Until now, so many methods such as contact threshold, direction, two-point discrimination, pin prick, thermal discrimination and current perception threshold have been introduced for sensory evaluation. However, there hasn't been enough information regarding each methodology nor integrated standard methodology for the measurement. The purpose of this study is to get the Korean adult normative sensory values of lower lip, chin and tongue using modified methods of contact threshold, direction, two point discrimination, pin prick, thermal discrimination and current perception threshold. The data obtained by our study can be used to diagnose and assess degree of regeneration of sensory nerve damage.