I had a wisdom tooth extracted in January (it was impacted). I am still experiencing numbness in about 3/4 of my right lower lip and chin. My surgeon has suggested that I might consider trying to have the nerve repaired. I have read that it must be done within 2-4 months or 2-6 months. If I wait longer than that to see if perhaps more feeling returns am I risking the possibility that I will not be able to try and have the nerve repaired. I have taken two packets of predinisone - the last one seemed to help somewhat. I also have MS and I don't know if that is contributing to my problem. Any thoughts or advice you may give me will be appreciated.
Thank You,
Sundance

Hi sundance,

This can happen to anyone who has impacted lower wisdom teeth. There is no way to tell if the numbness will go away completely with or without surgery to try and repair it. There is always a chance of making it worse or even permanent when trying to fix it.

Aside from the numbness feeling weird, there is usually no pain. Is that correct in your case?

Prednisone will not cure this problem, so it may not be worth the risks associated with steroids to keep taking it. MS may be contributing to the slow healing of the nerve, but I'm not sure about that.

There is no way to know if the nerve will eventually repair itself. Most times, it does. I have seen patients get good results from seeing a physical therapist for ultrasound stimulation and massage to the area of the mandibular canal. This canal is where the nerves run along the lower jawline. The ultrasound and massage encourages more blood to flow to that area which stimulates the nerves to react positively.

Wish I could offer more help...... but there is no way to predict the outcome of this situation. Let us know what you decide to do!

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,
Thank you for your advice. I am going to try the ultrasound stimulation and massage. Hopefully, that will help. I will make the decision as whether to pursue the nerve repair later.
Thanks again!
Sundance