Hi slow_dance, I have not had nor got this problem, but I think I would prefer it. What you have with the numb tongue, is a condition called 'paresthesia' as far as I can see, it can apparently go on for hours, 6 months or last for life, but this is more usual when you have had surgery on the lingual nerve. So in your case hopefully it should get better eventually, don't know about the ear thing though. The problem I have is of my lower teeth and part of my gum digging into my tongue, making me gag nearly all day, so I think a numb tongue would be great, as feeling sick all day and night is making me desperate beyond belief. I think I have developed a 'sensitive tongue', if there is such a thing! Good luck with your problem.

Hi slow_dance, I have not had nor got this problem, but I think I would prefer it. What you have with the numb tongue, is a condition called 'paresthesia' as far as I can see, it can apparently go on for hours, 6 months or last for life, but this is more usual when you have had surgery on the lingual nerve. So in your case hopefully it should get better eventually, don't know about the ear thing though. The problem I have is of my lower teeth and part of my gum digging into my tongue, making me gag nearly all day, so I think a numb tongue would be great, as feeling sick all day and night is making me desperate beyond belief. I think I have developed a 'sensitive tongue', if there is such a thing! Good luck with your problem.

For all of you out there searching the web for answers..... I had my wisdom teeth removed 3 years ago. About 3 days after the surgery I knew something wasn't right. My entire mouth was dead numb. I couldn't talk right or chew food without my tongue getting in the way. After about 3 weeks the feeling came back on one side but since the surgery the entire left side of my mouth (tongue, gums and lower left side of my mouth) have remained numb where I can stick a pin in it and wouldn't feel it at all. This has caused me to eat only on the right side of my mouth. Chewing is difficult because I cannot feel my tongue, I sometimes bite it without knowing. I cannot feel when I floss on that side and have to be careful that I am not cutting into my gums. I rarely chew gum or eat tic-tacs or other small candies because they have actually gotten "lost" on the left side where I have to go to a mirror to find them. It has effected the intimacy with my husband; kissing (and other things) is very uncomfortable. I have seen several dentist and neurosurgeons specializing in this and none have said this would improve. I was given hope within the first 6 months but I have been told that after this long I will never have feeling in my tongue or gums again. Maybe at 28 years old I was too old to get my wisdom teeth pulled???? Maybe the nerve was too close to the extracted tooth and the dentist should have known???? I wanted to post this because three years ago I searched the internet trying to find people with the same problem. I do not want to discourage you from seeking help from this impairment but I do want those who are researching wisdom teeth extraction to know that this does happen to people, more than you would think - I am not one in a million.

For all of you out there searching the web for answers..... I had my wisdom teeth removed 3 years ago. About 3 days after the surgery I knew something wasn't right. My entire mouth was dead numb. I couldn't talk right or chew food without my tongue getting in the way. After about 3 weeks the feeling came back on one side but since the surgery the entire left side of my mouth (tongue, gums and lower left side of my mouth) have remained numb where I can stick a pin in it and wouldn't feel it at all. This has caused me to eat only on the right side of my mouth. Chewing is difficult because I cannot feel my tongue, I sometimes bite it without knowing. I cannot feel when I floss on that side and have to be careful that I am not cutting into my gums. I rarely chew gum or eat tic-tacs or other small candies because they have actually gotten "lost" on the left side where I have to go to a mirror to find them. It has effected the intimacy with my husband; kissing (and other things) is very uncomfortable. I have seen several dentist and neurosurgeons specializing in this and none have said this would improve. I was given hope within the first 6 months but I have been told that after this long I will never have feeling in my tongue or gums again. Maybe at 28 years old I was too old to get my wisdom teeth pulled???? Maybe the nerve was too close to the extracted tooth and the dentist should have known???? I wanted to post this because three years ago I searched the internet trying to find people with the same problem. I do not want to discourage you from seeking help from this impairment but I do want those who are researching wisdom teeth extraction to know that this does happen to people, more than you would think - I am not one in a million.

I had my wisdom teeth taken out a few year ago and had numbness in my top lip afterwards. Luckily it wasn't bad enough that it bothered me too much and after about a year I figured it was permanent. Then, I'd say about 2 years after that I actually got the feeling back. Can you believe it? After that long it came back.. so don't give up total hope. It could come back.

well almost 8 months ago i had my wisdom teeth removed and i've had numbness on the front 2/3s of the right side of my tongue and lower gums. when i went to the surgen who performed the surgery he basically laughed me away and asked me how this could have happened and told me he didn't want to see my for about a year. This angered me a lot, so at the 6 month mark (when my oral surgen said was sort of a make or break point for corrective surgery) hit, i went and got a second opinion. He told me that there was damage to my lingual nerve which is in the gums near the wisdom teeth. The exact placement of the nerve isn't known by the surgeon. Although most people have a very similar placement which is usually unbothered by the extraction of the wisdomteeth, it is not always the case. Your dentist or surgeon may have hit this nerve and never have even known it. The lingual nerve repairs itsself something like a half a mm per day (i don't know if thats the right measurement, but either way, its a very tiny amout...sorry) causing the process of healing a long time. Depending on how it heals however, the scar tissue can cause it to not heal with normal sensation, causing permanent numbness, or discomfort. If you are noticing unbearable pain as a result of a damaged lingual nerve, the corrective surgery usually responds best in the first three months... if you have liveable pain or discomfort, its not even worth it as it can worsen the symptoms. when i received my second opinion, i learned that i will never regain normal sensation. i was 16 when this happened (now 17) and it really just SUCKS knowing that this can happen.

My son(18 at the time) had all 4 wisdom teeth out in July 2007. His tongue and gums and cheek on one side remained numb. The oral surgeon said to give it a year. We did and no change and in January 2008 we went to Atlanta to have a special nerve surgeon do repair. The nerve was severed and he reattached it. He said it should be better by a year. It is the same and its been 18 months now. He bites his tongue and cheek all the time, and it's a bloody mess. Anything else we can do?

Gee.. this place makes me paranoid. I got my 4 wisdom teeth taken out today and after 8 hours the numbing is going away. Keep ice pad on cheeks for 20 mins 10 min cool down. Always brush teeth after meal and use 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounce drinking glass to rinse out left debris from eating (first 48 hours). Get a multivitamin and eat 3 meals a day for quicker healing. Stay away from sucking anything as it will cause the clots where the tooth was to get pulled out accidentally and cause dry socket. Don't worry about it, that doesn't help anything except make you anxious.

I had a wisdom tooth removed 18 months ago and was in severe pain and uncomfort once the anesthesia wore off. I could not open my mouth to eat, had no taste or feeling on the left side of my mouth. When I mentioned it to the surgeon he seemed very nonchalant about my complaints and said this sometimes happened and would feel better with time. I went to see a specialist who determined that my lingual nerve was severed and that I would require surgery to have it repaired. I had the surgery and the nerve was completly severed with no chance of recovery other then surgery. Surgeon said that I would be lucky to get back 80 percent of feeling and any taste back. After 18 months the tongue is still numb and taste has not come back, It does feel better then it did but this is probably something you just get used too. I have had to change the way I speak and eat in order to not bite my tongue, I get headaches from the constant sucking of my tongue. Overall if I knew this could have happened I would never have had my tooth removed and would not recommend tooth retraction to anyone. This can make your life miserable.

I have the pretty much the same situation as most of you and it is very upsetting . It has been over 2 years and I still cannot feel the left side of my tongue and gums. It hurts constantly and it feels as if my mouth is always dry. It's frustrating to think that this might stay this way forever. I would like to know if I COULD SUE the doctor who did this . Or is it too late? And if this is possible at all. If anyone took legal action please respond!!!!

Hi, I am living in the Netherlands and I have exactly the same. After removal of my wisdom tooth (under on the right side) I have at the right side of my tongue no feelings anymore, however at some spots I have more sensations. I can't eat chewing gum anymore, because it cause that my tongue at the right side is feeling bigger than it already feels. Thand God I have no pain, except maybe a little bit sometimes on the spot where the tooth was (sometimes feeling in my ear). I have a constant unatural feeling in the right side of my mouth, and I have to live with it for the rest of my live! It happened two years ago (I am 36 now), and I was told that when the feeling is not coming back after six months after removal, the damage is permanent. The thing that depresses me most is not the unnatural feeling, but the that talking is much more difficult for me. I always talked very well (and I still can talk good) but now I have to concentrate more on talking, and when I talk to fast some words/letters are said on the wrong way. Sometimes I am not interested in talking anymore because of this. I was told complication is very rare, 1 to 10.000. It really sucks !!

I had my wisdom teeth out on tuesday, and now its friday. The lower right part of my mouth is numb still. My tongue was number until about wed morning and i was hoping my mouth would come back to normal soon after. When i open my mouth, i get a sharp pain through my mouth where its numb. I am SO afraid it will not go back to normal because the doctor said sometimes its numb for up to 24 hours. well its been 72 and im still numb. The nurse that i talked to said that my numbness is NOT normal and i should be alarmed. but the surgeon just said there is nothing he can do until my week checkup on tuesday!! what the heck!? should i be nervous in thinking it wont come back?!