Expert: Joel S. Teig, DMD, Diplomate ABOMS, retired - 12/24/2009

Question
I had my wisdom teeth removed about 2 weeks ago. During the procedure the dentist accidentally found I had and extra wisdom tooth near my jaw. That made a total of 5 wisdom teeth being removed during this procedure. I still have numbness in my bottom lip, and chin on the right side of my face. I want to know if there was any way to project when this numbness will go away or what can I do to decrease the amount of time it will linger? Also, does this lingering numbness imply the surgeon injected a vast amount of novocaine?

Answer
Ashlee - Sorry to hear about the numbness after the extraction.  What I don't understand is how the dentist did not know in advance of the extra tooth.  Well, leave that for now.  Now that you have numbness, it may heal quickly if the nerve was only traumatized.  If, however, the nerve was cut, it may never heal.  You have a job to do.  You need to note if there are any itching, burning or shocking sensations that develop in your lower lip over the next couple of months.  If not, then the nerve was badly traumatized and consideration may have to be made to repairing the nerve.  If at two months there is still complete numbness without any of the above sensations then you need to be seen by a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon who repairs nerves.  Not all do.  You don't say of the doctor who removed the tooth was a surgeon.  If so, that doctor needs to follow the numbness and refer you to a doctor who repairs that nerve.  If it was not a surgeon, you need that dentist to refer you to a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon.  

I hope you begin to get the tingling, burning or shocking.  That is a good sign that the nerve is healing.  It can take the nerve a year or more to heal, but it usually does if it was not cut.