Effect of inferior alveolar and lingual nerve block anesthesia on acoustic voice quality and speech effort: A within-subject study.

BACKGROUND

Patients frequently report difficulty in speaking after inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia (IANBA), primarily because of numbness in the tongue and lips. However, the objective impact of IANBA on speech and voice quality (VQ) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of IANBA on acoustic voice quality and speech articulation using objective measurements and subjective self-assessments.

METHODS

Thirty-four adult patients undergoing IANBA were enrolled in a prospective study. Voice recordings were obtained before and after anesthesia. Objective assessments included acoustic voice parameters, speech articulation metrics, and formant analysis. Subjective speech effort was measured with the Borg Category-Ratio 10 scale.

RESULTS

No statistically significant changes were found in acoustic VQ indexes, formant values, or speech articulation parameters after IANBA. However, participants reported a significant increase in perceived speech effort after anesthesia (P < .001), as measured by the Borg scale.

CONCLUSIONS

Whereas IANBA does not appear to have an impact on objective measures of speech or VQ, it increases the perceived effort required to speak. These findings highlight the need for clinicians to address patient concerns about speech changes after local anesthesia, even when objective alterations are minimal.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Although objective measures of voice and speech remain unaffected after IANBA, patients may perceive increased difficulty in articulation. Dentists and oral surgeons should acknowledge these perceptual effects, particularly when managing the care of people with speech-critical occupations or those prone to prolonged sensory disturbances such as paresthesia. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov before enrolling the first participant (NCT05710484).