Can Tooth Infection Trigger Bell's Palsy?

Hi Dear,

Welcome to HCM.

Understanding your concern.


Thanks for your query . Bell's palsy occur due to viral infection to the facial nerve which dormant ,but reactivated by trigger like stress . As such there is no connection between between dental treatment or bell's palsy . But there can be two possibilities .

- First complicated extractions can cause stress in body which is responsible for reactivation of virus .

- secondly untreated infection of tooth create opportunity for virus to cause bell's palsy.

So we can say tooth infection can cause bell's palsy. It is better to resolve dental infection even if extraction is needed. Bell's palsy sometimes do not need any treatment and go away by its own.

For bell's palsy i would like to suggest you to start exercise of facial muscle and physical therapy.

If condition doesn't start getting better then Consult oral surgeon or neurologist. Doctor may prescribe prednisone to reduce pain and swelling and artificial tears (methyl cellulose) for dry eyes.


Hope your concern has been resolved.

Best Wishes,
Dr. Harry Maheshwari

Hi..
Can understand your concern..

As per your complain if you have an infected third molar the abscess formed in relation to the root tips of the wisdom tooth which is due to bacterial infection and not viral can cause pressure on the facial nerve which can lead to disturbance in the conduction of the signals by the facial nerve leading to the symptoms of Bell's Palsy like..

Inability to blink the eye and close the eyelid..
Loss of facial expression on the affected side..
Drooling of saliva..
Deviation of the chin on the unaffected side etc..

Pressure and compression of the facial nerve can cause the symptoms of Bell's Palsy and normal functioning can be retained by decompression..

In case it is due to dental abscess and the wisdom tooth is already root canal treated and capped the treatment can be commenced as you should consult a dentist canal and after taking proper x rays if the abscess is considered the cause, removal of the crown followed by removal of root canal filling and prescription of higher antibiotics like Augmentin for at least 7 to 10 days and re cleaning of the tooth and root canals and once the infection subsides re filling of the canals can be done..

In case it is not possible extraction of the tooth should be done followed by antibiotics and painkillers..

Hope this information helps..

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Thanks and regards..
Dr.Honey Nandwani Arora..