Should I still have severe jaw numbness three weeks after wisdom teeth removal? The oral surgeon did sensation tests yesterday and asked me to return in a month. Is there something I can do until then? Thanks. Kairo from NJ
Kairo,
The nerve in your lower jaw can be affected during wisdom tooth removal. Recovery depends on the severity of nerve damage. While many nerve injuries resolve with time, some may have long-term effects.
Sometimes, the nerve that provides sensation to your lower teeth and lip is unusually close to the roots of lower wisdom teeth. An X-ray can reveal the nerve’s location. Most often, the nerve’s location is not a concern during wisdom teeth removal. However, in some cases, the nerve can be in direct contact with the root. Although your surgeon will provide an assessment of the likelihood of nerve injury during the procedure, some surgeons state a higher risk than exists to protect themselves.
A wisdom tooth’s roots may be near a nerve in the jaw. However, most roots are not in a risky location.
Three primary types of nerve injuries can occur during wisdom tooth extraction, and each one has a different expected outcome:
- Bruised: Expect numbness for approximately one month, after which sensation should gradually return.
- Crushed: The nerve must regenerate new fibers, a process that typically spans about a year.
- Severed: The nerve will not regenerate, resulting in permanent numbness.
If you have experienced nerve damage during a tooth extraction, it will take time to heal. If you still experience jaw numbness three weeks after surgery, a follow-up appointment in approximately one month may be more beneficial for assessing your recovery. You may experience the return of sensation within a month, or it could take up to a year if the nerve was not severed.
When the nerve begins to recover, you will likely first feel a tingling sensation in your lip. If sensation never returns, many individuals report adapting to the numbness over time, with a lessening of its severity. No specific action will accelerate the healing process.
Sugar Land, Texas, dentist Dr. Siny Thomas of Cornerstone Dentistry sponsors this post. Read about Dr. Thomas’s commitment to giving his patients the best dental care possible.