Functions- the senses

Question 1

What are the 12 cranial nerves:

Answer 1

I- Olfactory

II- optic

III- oculomotor

IV- trochlear

V- trigeminal

VI- abudcens

VII- facial

VIII- vestibucochlear

IX- glossopharyngeal

X- vagus

XI- accessory

XII- hypoglossal.

Question 2

What is the ID block?

Answer 2

A local anaesthetic injection used to numb the Inferior alveolar dental nerve.

Question 3

You have completed an ID block and the patient is reporting numbness of the lip and chin.

What caused this?

Answer 3

The Local anaesthetic was injected into the inferior alveolar dental nerve.

Question 4

You have completed an ID block and the patient is experiencing bell’s palsy. What is the cause?

Answer 4

You have injected local anaesthetic into the parotid gland which affects the facial nerve.

Question 5

You have completed an ID block and the patient is now experiencing trismus. What is the cause of this?

Answer 5

You have injected the LA into the medial pterygoid muscle.

Question 6

What innervates the inferior alveolar dental nerve?

Answer 6

The mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.

Question 7

Compare anaesthesia, paraesthesia and dysaesthesia.

Answer 7

Anaesthesia is an insenstivity to pain

Paraesthesia is an abnormal tingling sensation (a good sign indicating numbness will return to normal)

Dysaethesia an abnormal unpleasant sensation when touched. (due to peripheral nerve damage)

Question 8

What is bell’s palsy?

Answer 8

A facial paralysis that results in the inability to:

• close the eye
• Blink
• Raise the corner of the mouth
• puff out the cheeks

Question 9

What is vital for dealing with a patient with bell’s palsy?

Answer 9

You need to inform the patient about what has happened.

And

You need to cover the patient’s eye with an eye patch to prevent dehyration.

Question 10

Name the 5 branches of the facial nerve?

Answer 10

• Temporal
• zygomatic
• buccal
• mandibular
• cervical.

Question 11

What is trismus?

Answer 11

A spasm of the jaw muscles causing them to remain closed.

We treat this by giving patient anti-inflammatories. (or muscle relaxants

Question 12

Name the nerves involved in the gag reflex:

Answer 12

• Trigeminal (M)
• Glossopharyngeal (S&M)
• vagus (M)
• spinal accessory (M)
• Hypoglossal (M)
• Visceral nerves of the salivary glands.
  *

Question 13

How can we overcome the patient’s gag reflex when taking impressions?

Answer 13

• Ensure the mixture is not too runny
• Get the patient to move their chin down
• Distract the patient (wiggle their foot/ breathe through their nose)

Question 14

What can be used instead of a post dam for patients with dentures and a gag reflex.

Answer 14

A retaining mesh.

Question 15

Describe the option of overdentures?

Answer 15

This is the process of decoronating the teeth and putting a denture over them.

Decoronation keeps the tooth root and periodontal ligament which allows the patient to still use their mechanoreceptors.

Question 16

What do periodontal mechanoreceptors help us with?

Answer 16

• Assessment of the direction of the forces applied to the teeth
• Mastication
• Salivation
• Inter-dental discrimination

Question 17

What does inter-dental discrimination allow ?

Answer 17

Detect high spots

Monitor food particle size

co-ordinate mastigatory movements

gauge the extent of mouth opening.

Question 18

Why are implants weaker than an overdenture?

Answer 18

As implants don’t have mechanoreceptors.

This means there is no PDL to tell the patient the occlusal force is too big.

Question 19

What is dysphagia?

Answer 19

When food gets caught in your esophagus.

Question 20

What is the most likely cause of dysphagia, and what should we do to check it?

Answer 20

A stroke.

We examine both sides of the face and the cranial nerves in order to check.

Question 21

What could also cause dysphagia?

Answer 21

salivary gland function (a patient’s medication can affect this)

Question 22

What is two point discrimination?

Answer 22

The ability to feel the shape of something by compressing it between the tounge and the palate.

This is lost in dentures which cover the palate.

Question 23

How are smell and taste connected in a patient?

Answer 23

A sense of smell stimulates the salivary glands and so a smelling disorder often affects the patient’s sense of taste.