Paresthesia/Facial Numbness after Wisdom Teeth Removal

[billsfan6011]

I had my Wisdom Teeth taken out 2 weeks ago...ever since then my right lip and chin have been completely numb...I went back to the Oral Surgeon who wants to wait a month to see what happens, I have a follow up appointment in November right before Thanksgiving.  Is there anything I can do to help?  Based on common experience, how long does nerve damage "usually" take to heal?  I feel like I am in the dark...I cannot stand it...I am getting married next year and want to be able to kiss my husband!  Also, what is the % chance that is could be permanent?

Thank you in advance for all answers, I am so scared!

[kreeb112]

Thank you for sharing. This gives me hope. I had my wisdom teeth removed 11 days ago and my oral surgeon said it's likely the nerve was bruised. I feel tingling and can distinguish hot/cold. I will continue to take b12 and try to just forget about it. Hopefully it will return to normal soon.

[teenargh]

Hey Everyone,
I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted about 5 months ago and right after the surgery I felt a stabbing electric shock pain emanating from the right side of my tongue. That feeling went away after a few days, then I felt no pain but lots of tingling, tongue biting, speech impairment but no pain. At the 2 1/5 month mark I started to feel progress, I could feel hot and cold, I can taste, could feel spicy and I could feel pin pricks. Now I am at the 5 month mark and today I think my tongue is about 75% healed. Istill feel tingling and my tongue still feels heavy when I talk but I haven't bitten my tongue in 3 months, I can chew normally. Talking is still a little bit challenging, also I feel hypersensitivity when I eat something hot it is super hot. I went to the the maxifacial surgeon and he told me I didn't need surgery but just monitoring of my tongue. He also recommended I do sensory re-education exercises to help re-train my tongue. It is like conditioning but for your tongue so it can remember to be a tongue again. He explained it like this: Your tongue doesn't remember how to be a tongue and by having your brain open new neuropathways to your tongue you can make it feel like a tongue again." At first I thought it was just a placebo but I am just 3 weeks into the exercises. I really hope I do not receive any additional pain in the future as this is somewhat bearable right now. Let me know if anyone else feels this way and I will make sure to keep updating my progress.

[DanielSwanger]

I have the same thing sarah... 2 years after and the right side of my lip/chin is numb, as well as part of my tongue.  You are not alone!! As hard as it is, lets work hard to find a solution.  Doctors are wrong about MANY things; I refuse to accept that this is permanent, and I believe there is a solution out there somewhere.

[addigav1]

MY REG DENTIST TOOK OUT MY BOTTOM RIGHT WISDOM TOOTH AND I HAVE BEEN NUMB FOR ALMOST 2 WEEKS, i WAS ALSO WIDE AWAKE FOR IT. i HOWEVER DID NOT SIGN ANY WAVER OR ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER, I HAD NO IDEA THIS COULD HAPPEN?? WHAT DO I DO?

[Katie30uk]

I've just had a wisdom tooth taken out and my lower jaw was numbed for it...I now am completely numb along my lower jaw but it's also spread to my ear and up towards my temple and along my eye, I'm wondering is this normal or has a nerve been affected? Would really appreciate some advice on this.

[Miktek]

Day 13...saw oral surgeon today and said what everyone else says....it takes time...i am starting to wonder reading more horror stories than good that any nerve bruising or stretch of the nerve has permenant outcomes...has anyone ever actually truly recovered fro nerve damage. It seems a bit bleak. I have started processing this all more healthily in my mind for the sake of my mental health...it hurts, it is annoying and those that have it know how such a constant but small pain grinds at u...not a moment goes by where I don't feel the burn and tingles but the severity of the burn is going up and down..oral surgeon said tingles/burn was good but I have read about those that these sensations have never gone and he did this too me so what else is he going to say...all I can do now is take it day by day and try to remain mentally well...I am luckily as I have a partner, so don't have to go through this alone but no one truly knows the extent of constant pain unless u have it so I try not to unload all the time as it becomes the centre of discussion too much.  I am going to get on with things from here and prob will stop writing here for a while but will visit, read posts and provided up date in say 2 weeks..oh..one more thing..oral surgeon gave me steroids and Tegretol..I will take the one course of steroids as still have some very minor swelling and pain on the right jaw but the Tergretol I'm not sure of...does it really help with tongue pain from lingual damage and it has some very nasty side effects? Anyone tried this ?