Effects of bilateral lingual and inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia effects on masticatory function and early swallowing

Objective. To determine whether bilateral lingual and inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia affects the onset of swallowing including masticatory function. Study design. Twenty young male volunteers were asked to chew and swallow corned beef and then a mixture of corned beef and liquid in their usual manner before and after local anesthesia. The oral and pharyngeal swallowing was investigated using videofluoroscopic examination in a lateral plane. Eight objective indicators including oral containment time, swallowing threshold, and pharynx-to-swallow interval were measured. Results. Oral containment time and total sequence duration, total number of chews, and total number of swallows for the 2 test foods varied significantly between those before and after anesthesia. Individual pharynx-to-swallow intervals varied with both foods without remarkable increases or decreases in the swallow duration and cricopharyngeal opening time. Conclusion. Bilateral lingual and inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia may affect early swallowing; changes in the onset of swallowing varied among the participants.