My slow recovery from wisdom tooth removal

GingerSue · Mar 25, 2005

I was told the numbness could be permanent! Please tell me that is rare! I hate this numbness! Will it likely gradually diminish?

Sorry so long. TIA for input.

did they give any suggestions of things that you could try to do in order to deal with numbness?

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 25, 2005

I remember going thru this w/my wisdom teeth...they were impacted and I hurt for about a week, I think. If you are not better soon, it won't hurt to call your dentist just to touch base. HUGS!

kyti · Mar 25, 2005

I had numbness also. They told me that if it did not resolve 6 weeks it never would. Well they were wrong. I was numb (chin, right side of upper lip) for a year. The feeling slowly came back and is almost normal now. It did drive me crazy and when the feeling started to come back it felt like bugs crawling under my skin. :stone

~Kitty~ · Mar 26, 2005

did they give any suggestions of things that you could try to do in order to deal with numbness?

No, I go next week. I'm going to make a list of things to ask about. I'll have to put that on my list.

If you are not better soon, it won't hurt to call your dentist just to touch base.

I did call and go in this week because I didn't think I should still be so miserable.

It did drive me crazy and when the feeling started to come back it felt like bugs crawling under my skin.

My lower mouth and chin feel dull and heavy. Sometimes it feels itchy but I can't scratch it because it doesn't feel like I'm scratching it, I try. Sometimes feels a little tingly/twitchy. Is this a good sign that my feeling will come back?

~~~~~~~

Thanks for the responses and hugs.

YoungWiseWoman · Mar 26, 2005

Hi Kitty...I hope you feel better! Having your mouth hurt is probaly the worst thing b/c it makes everything else hurt. Get some rest and feel better! :loveya:

KaroSnowQueen, RN · Mar 26, 2005

I don't know your age, but I had mine out in Septmeber, and I am over 40. My whole head swelled up to the point that I literally could not speak for two days, and one whole side of my face bruised the prettiest dark purple you ever saw!!! I took a whole week off work, but when I came back I was still somewhat swollen, bruised and still on baby food!!! :crying2:

My DD had hers done two weeks later. The next day she was shopping in the mall. :rolleyes:

It took me probably three weeks to feel totally better. Hang in there, and keep in touch with your dentist.

~Kitty~ · Mar 26, 2005

I don't know your age, but I had mine out in Septmeber, and I am over 40. My whole head swelled up to the point that I literally could not speak for two days, and one whole side of my face bruised the prettiest dark purple you ever saw!!! I took a whole week off work, but when I came back I was still somewhat swollen, bruised and still on baby food!!!
My DD had hers done two weeks later. The next day she was shopping in the mall.
It took me probably three weeks to feel totally better. Hang in there, and keep in touch with your dentist.

Wow! That actually sounds worse than me!

I am in my mid-30's, so it definitely seems tougher on us older folks. We bumped into a teen friend who had hers out the same week and I guess she was eating nachos and everything else!

I have just increased my diet to more than pudding consistency here in the last couple days. I stayed on softs for about a week. I did pretty good today eating a bean burrito from Taco Bell.

RedSox33RN · Mar 26, 2005

I recall having a lot of numbness for a while, like 2 months, maybe?? But I did have the two lower ones come down with dry-socket (OUCH!!!), and I'm sure that added to it. Vicodin did nothing for that pain.

Did you have a general? I did with mine, and couldn't for the life of me understand why my chest hurt so badly, until I found out that the oral surgeon was KNEELING on my chest to get my two lower impacted ones out. That hurt worse than my mouth after I awoke. LOL! Anyway, maybe he had to manipulate your jaw more than normal, and that could account for the continuing numbness??

I was in my early 30's, but had it done under a general in the hospital due to my being a Type 1 diabetic. They had no way of monitoring my blood sugar in their office, so wanted it done in the hospital.

I hope you're feeling better soon!

~Kitty~ · Mar 26, 2005

Did you have a general?

I was put to sleep by anesthesiologist in oral surgeon's office (versed and some others, can't remember).

I don't recall any of the procedure, however, my husband says he could hear me hollering. He believes that he could tell when they were working on each tooth based on when he could hear me hollering. I don't remember hollering.

I guess he decided against intervening because he has always heard that wisdom teeth were painful or something like that. (Of course I asked why he didn't rush to my aid! :wink2: )

He was not happy with how everything went down. He says he doesn't want me going back there. They seemed to have poor bedside manner.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2005

I was put to sleep by anesthesiologist in oral surgeon's office (versed and some others, can't remember).
I don't recall any of the procedure, however, my husband says he could hear me hollering. He believes that he could tell when they were working on each tooth based on when he could hear me hollering. I don't remember hollering.
I guess he decided against intervening because he has always heard that wisdom teeth were painful or something like that. (Of course I asked why he didn't rush to my aid! :wink2: )
He was not happy with how everything went down. He says he doesn't want me going back there. They seemed to have poor bedside manner.

I also had IV sedation (Versed and Fentanyl) when I had my four wisdom teeth out at an oral surgeon's office. I woke up DURING the procedure (no pain, just awareness so I'm guessing the Versed wore off but they were giving enough Fentanyl). It sounds like you had the opposite experience - you sound like you were very sedated since you don't remember hollering, but maybe there wasn't enough pain medication on board.

The one thing I DO know is that the side of my face that they were working on when I woke up was the side that was three times as swollen the next day. I think when you aren't perfectly still that there is much more trauma to the area, causing more swelling. Maybe since you were obviously upset during the procedure (hence the hollering), you were moving a lot and there is just more swelling than usual? It's possible that the swelling is pressing on the nerves, making the numbness worse.

I can't remember if Ibuprophen was okay or not (I know my doc told me either that or Tylenol was a no-no because it could increase bleeding), but whichever one they told you to take - take it! And take it consistently, like Q6H around the clock, because that will reduce swelling, and eventually numbness. I also slept with two of those gel-filled ice packs strapped around my head, using an ace bandage to secure them.

I was SOOOOOOO gorgeous!

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Mar 26, 2005

i had iv sedation...

first it took the nurse 6 times to start my IV. she was trying an 18g. I looked at her and said... I've been through this before. Use a #24. Ohhh no, she said, we'll go in your feet. I got up and started to walk out. I told her I was an RN and that I WASN'T going to allow her to go at my feet... I didn't even have probs with my teeth. Well, she got it with the number 24. when was was out, however, the IV infiltrated. So, the doc just numbed me up real good and took those impacted suckers anyway.

my life was hell for about two weeks. So much pain I couldn't do ANYTHING. I would be at work crying because I couldn't take narcs before I showed up to work. I hurt so bad. When I flushed out my holes I had the WORST headache ever! Anyway, I had a "dry socket." At first, I refused to allow the dental assistant pack it. She seemed flightly to me. Anyway, I went back the next day due to the pain and another girl packed it for me. I was soooo much happier. It stayed in for about a week. When it came out, it didn't hurt a bit. I was glad that I had that packing done.

I know I was being evil since I was a nurse. :devil:

Hopefully the numbness will go away. I had some for about two weeks then it resolved gradually.