I still have jaw numbness that is not improving after wisdom teeth removal. An oral surgeon pulled all four of my wisdom teeth. I waited until I was 32 to get the teeth pulled, so I thought I might have a rough recovery. I saw the surgeon for sensation tests because the lower right side of my jaw was highly numb after a week. I will follow up in two weeks. I have trouble brushing my teeth and eating. Should I be concerned? Is there something I can do at home to improve the situation? My dentist recommends waiting because I might have nerve damage. She says it takes months for some nerves to heal. I wonder if I should make an emergency appointment with a dentist for a third opinion. Thank you. Noah

Noah,

Your description sounds like your lower right nerve is damaged. It may recover in time, but for some people, it does not recover. Some wisdom teeth are so close to the tooth nerve that the surgeon mistakenly damages the nerve during wisdom tooth removal.

Categories of Nerve Injury During Wisdom Tooth Removal

Three categories of nerve injury during wisdom tooth removal include bruising, crushing, and severing.

• Bruised – Numbness lasts for about a month and will gradually return
• Crushed – New nerve fibers must grow, and that takes about a year
• Severed – The damage is permanent, and the nerve will not grow back

You may not see much—if any—improvement when you return to your dentist. We would think that your dentist would delay the appointment to give more time for your nerve to heal. Depending on the severity of nerve damage, you should feel improvement within a month to a year. In this case, it will not help to schedule an emergency appointment. Unfortunately, the damage might be permanent.

Symptoms of nerve recovery

As your jaw nerve recovers, you may feel tingling in your lip. Sensation will gradually return until the nerve heals. People who do not experience recovery report that the numbness is not as intense as when the damage first occurred.

Best wishes for a progressive recovery.

Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie, Louisiana, sponsors this post. Read why Dr. Delaune’s patients consider him one of the best dentists in town.