In article <1994Apr2.191348.1 at nickel.laurentian.ca>, g5300013 at nickel.laurentian.ca writes:
>Howdy,
>>Here's a bit of an interesting story related by a friend of mine subsequent to
>her trip to the dentist....
>>Steve Madison
>G5300013 at nickel.laurentian.ca
I work with rats, so I hope the anatomy is analogous, but it seems to me you
nerve contains both trigeminal and chorda tympani (taste) fibers. If the
needle or force of the injection damaged these afferents, then I could see
where you would have taste dysfunction and atypical sensations (burning).
Depending on the degree of motor dysfunction, that might be explained by
a sensory deficit as well; presumably, the patient would have reduced
proprioceptive feedback. In rats, taste and lick rate can also be
disturbed by extirpation of the salivary gland as well. I wonder if the
injection could have impinged on the salivary glands? There is one report
I'm familiar with with unilateral taste nerve anesthesia in humans. That
is: Catalanotto, FA, Bartoshuk, LM, Ostrom, KM, Gent, JF, & Fast, K. (1993).
Chemical Senses, 18, 461-470. They didn't find anything like the magnitude
of deficit in your friend (40%) with unilateral nerve block, though. I have
rat refs if you want...