A case report on bell’s palsy induced after uprooting mandibular lower molar

Abstract

Bell’s Palsy or Facial Nerve Paralysis is an unusual form of neuropathy after maxillofacial surgery. Its incidence is about 23 per 100000 persons annually, and very few cases were reported in the literature. Dr Charles Bell discovered it in 1821 as complete facial paralysis. Various aetiologies associated with the bell’s palsy include trauma, pregnancy, diabetes, and neoplastic infiltrations. Apart from these recent kinds of literature report, surgical interventions like dental extractions are also a significant cause of this condition. With this, we report a case of 25 years old male presented to Government General Hospital with symptoms of drooping of eyebrow and incomplete eye closure with ringing sensation in the left ear. On investigation of his past medical history, he underwent tooth extraction before a month. Therefore, the condition was diagnosed as bell's palsy induced after the dental extraction. He was treated with prednisolone, acyclovir, and Betahistine for ten days. After the treatment, there is an improvement in the facial movements, and symptoms were normalized. Bell's palsy is common, but this condition after dental extractions is very rare. Hence this case signifies the rare occurrence of neuropathies after dental extractions and the need for early treatment procedures must be initiated to reduce the future neurological complications in post-dental operative patients.