Hi, I got my two lower wisdom teeth extracted last friday and it was rough...I was swollen and buised and in pain. thank goodness all that subsided. However the only thing that is still bothering me is that my tongue is till numb. My doctor told me that its impossible to know when it will go away, but he never said it was permanent. I am getting my stitches out tomorrow, so aside from my tongue everything else went smoothly except for my tongue.. It is impossible for me to eat anything solid, because I keep biting my tongue and since I cant feel anything I cant use my tongue to move food around in my mouth. I am dying to eat regular food again. Has anyone else had this effect after getting wisdom teeth out and if so how long did it last? I have read that numbness due to nerve injury can take days, weeks, months or even a year to heal. I am very scared that I will be like this forever. Any help?

Numbing lasting a long time can happen. I have had a patient would said it lasted her a month. Everyone is different and you can never know who will it will affect like that. So you will have to just give it time. Sorry you probably didn't want to hear that. I know you want to eat reagular found. You will know when the numbing is going away the area will start to feel real funny. Like when your leg falls asleep.good Luck and i hope it goes way soon for you.

I had mine pulled on Friday too. I really didn't have any problem with it. My tongue was slightly numb for a couple days, but it's feeling much better now. The only problem I'm having is that my stitches are driving me crazy! Thank God I get them out tomorrow! I'm having a hard time eating because I can only open my mouth half way without pulling on the stitches. I also have to do alot of talking at work, so that's a litle hard too. I'll be so glad when my stitches are finally gone! Hope you feel better soon. :)

Hey, I got my wisdom tooth extracted last friday as well! Wow! What a coincidinK! lol
Anyways, I researched a lot about nerve damage that can occur after an extraction. So I know a little on the situation. The best thing you can do that could help repair any type of nerve damage (nerve damage can cause numbness or sometimes pain) would be to take your vitamin B complex, magnesium and even Calcium. Take a multivitamin too.
The best though would be to take B-12 Methylcobalamin. Some people take about 15mg. You can find it on the internet if not at a health store near you. It dissolves under your tongue and helps protect the myelin sheaths around the nerves and helps repair nerve damage. Best to start taking as soon as possible.
Hope that helps. Some people get better within a few months and some not. I think it all depends. Try taking the supplements... they have helped others and may very well help you.
My gums might be numb around my incision area, but I'm not sure. Whether that is normal or not, it really is no big deal to me. I was set on worse since this was a tough extraction. The reason I think it might be numb around the gum area of the incision is because I have felt little to no pain. Nevertheless I still take all of my supplements just in case, you know?
Good luck.

Thanks so much for all your advice. I am going to start taking my vitamins again and Im going to look into B-12. I guess the most important thing is just to wait it out. Thanks again.

It looks like Friday was wisdom tooth extraction day! :D I just got back from having my stitches out and now my mouth feels so much better. The oral surgeon said that everything looks great and I chouldn't have any problems. The whole thing wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I hope you're all doing as good as I am.

Hi, I got my two lower wisdom teeth extracted last friday and it was rough...I was swollen and buised and in pain. thank goodness all that subsided. However the only thing that is still bothering me is that my tongue is till numb. My doctor told me that its impossible to know when it will go away, but he never said it was permanent. I am getting my stitches out tomorrow, so aside from my tongue everything else went smoothly except for my tongue.. It is impossible for me to eat anything solid, because I keep biting my tongue and since I cant feel anything I cant use my tongue to move food around in my mouth. I am dying to eat regular food again. Has anyone else had this effect after getting wisdom teeth out and if so how long did it last? I have read that numbness due to nerve injury can take days, weeks, months or even a year to heal. I am very scared that I will be like this forever. Any help?

It is common to have post-op numbness from wisdom teeth extraction. It may take weeks to months to get better. In rare cases the lingual nerve (tongue nerve), gets cut during the surgery and may need repair. Have your surgeon follow-up.