Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in 6 Patients Following Dental Procedure

This study investigated the etiology and treatment outcome in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) patients following dental procedure. During the past 2 decades, only 6 patients with SSHL following dental procedure were experienced including tooth extraction in 5 and endodontic treatment in 1. Three were males and 3 were females, with ages ranging from 10 to 75 years (median, 47 years). All patients underwent an inner ear test battery. Types of audiogram consisted of total deafness in 3 ears, flat-type loss in 2 ears, and high-tone loss in 1 ear. The pretreatment mean hearing level from 4 frequencies was 76 +/- 37 dB for the lesion ears, significantly higher than 23 +/- 15 dB for the opposite healthy ears. The treatment outcome is unsatisfactory. Five patients remained hearing unchanged 3 months after treatment. Only 1 (17%) patient had hearing improvement who was proved as having reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. In conclusion, reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus may be one of the etiologies for SSHL patients following dental procedure. Serological assay coupled with MR imaging may help identify the etiology, determine the medication, and predict the outcome.