Facial Paralysis

Facial paralysis occurs when a person is no longer able to move some or all of the muscles on one side of the face due to some sort of issue/damage to the facial nerve or brain.

Facial paralysis is almost always caused by:

• Damage or swelling of the facial nerve, which carries signals from the brain to the muscles of the face
• Damage to the area of the brain that sends signals to the muscles of the face

The most common cause of facial paralysis in healthy individuals is Bell’s palsy, a condition in which the facial nerve becomes inflamed.  It is possible that a dentist could inadvertently anesthetize the facial nerve and cause a temporary case of facial paralysis.

The 18 most common cause can be found here.