cartim
01-11-2007, 07:31 AM
I had a wisdom tooth pulled in May 2006. Immediately following the proceedure I noticed that I had numbness in my tongue and mouth, the pain in my neck, jawl and ear was terrible. 10 days pass...I go back to the Oral Surgeon...he removes my stitches, I tell him about the pain and the numbness in my mouth. He said it was normal, it will take about 6 months to 1 year to heal.
Two weeks later I call his office to make an appointment.. The pain is driving me crazy, I my speech is slurred, my tongue and mouth is still numb. The receptionist tells me the oral surgeon is on vaction for two weeks, she wants me to call my family dentist.
I follow her instruction and call my dentist. He gets me in the following day. I explain to him the pain and numbness I am experiencing. He looks in my mouth, he says the area where the tooth was pulled is healing well. He says that I have some kind of infection he believes and its not coming from my mouth...Its somewhere else in my body. He writes me a prescription for an antibiotic.
I have never had a wisdon tooth pulled before so I believe both Dentists. another month goes by, The pain is bad, I am numb, my speech is effected, I have a strong pulling under my tongue, burning im my mouth and now I have a bitter taste. I again call my dentist, I think I must have an abcessed tooth on that side of my mouth. He gets me in ....same thing..I am fine, my mouth looks great!!! I must still have an infection some where...another antibiotic is given.
This continues into September....Six months now following the tooth extraction. I call him, he can't see me, he calls in an even stronger antibiotic to take until I can get in to see him.
This appointment, he looks in my mouth he tells me I don't have any signs of infection in my mouth....He takes xrays this time, he does'nt see any abcess.
He now looks puzzeled. He wants me to see another Oral Surgeon (not the first one he sent me to).
I go to the new Oral Surgeon. He does xrays, asks some questions. Pokes around my mounth and tells me that I have nerve damage. He also says that the type nerve injury I have should have been followed closely. He said that any numbness in the mouth or tongue that lasts more than a month to six weeks needs to be addressed immediatley. He sends me off to a Surgeon.
I see the Surgeon. I not only have one nerve damaged but three! He does futher testing and I have know taste on one side ofmy tongue, which I had suspected. He states that these type of injuries need to be addressed very early nd again every dentist/oral surgeon knows this can happen and should take immediate action. He agrees to do the surgury on my Lingual nerve ( I now have a name for the Problem!!!) but will not do surgury on the other two due to possible complications. He feels I have to do this surgury to help the quality of my life. He does not know if it will help, because of the time that has pasted. It should have been done before three months and often not over nine months. He will take a nerve from my ankle, (which of course will leave the area in my ankle numb) and put it in my mouth. The proceedure will take approx. 3 hrs. With this surgury I have a small chance to regain the feeling in my tongue, which will help the slurred speech. I am hoping it will take the ear ache away too. The nerve that controls taste will not be repaired, the nerve that runs along my jawl which controls the numbness in my jaw and lip will not be repaired, becuse of where it runs, he would need to break my jawl.
I am going to have the surgury Jan. 18th. I have no choice, I can't live like this and I am out of time. I pray it works.
My question: Do I have a case agaist my Dentist or Oral Surgeon? I feel he neglected to investigate the situation, he miss led me totally. I spent six months with heat pads and ice on my neck. Taking bags of oral medication and pain killers to work to get through the day. I took the antibiotics and was waiting for the time of healing which the Oral surgeon said may take a year!! They were bothe wrong!!!The healing was not coming know matter what I did to try and help. I didn't mention I also seen my family doctor two times and complained about the pain in my ear and numbness and everything else!! She said to follow my dentist instructions, she looked in my ear and gave m an antibiotic! Do you know how frustrated I was?
Please help me so that I may help others who are facing this same outcome.
Two weeks later I call his office to make an appointment.. The pain is driving me crazy, I my speech is slurred, my tongue and mouth is still numb. The receptionist tells me the oral surgeon is on vaction for two weeks, she wants me to call my family dentist.
I follow her instruction and call my dentist. He gets me in the following day. I explain to him the pain and numbness I am experiencing. He looks in my mouth, he says the area where the tooth was pulled is healing well. He says that I have some kind of infection he believes and its not coming from my mouth...Its somewhere else in my body. He writes me a prescription for an antibiotic.
I have never had a wisdon tooth pulled before so I believe both Dentists. another month goes by, The pain is bad, I am numb, my speech is effected, I have a strong pulling under my tongue, burning im my mouth and now I have a bitter taste. I again call my dentist, I think I must have an abcessed tooth on that side of my mouth. He gets me in ....same thing..I am fine, my mouth looks great!!! I must still have an infection some where...another antibiotic is given.
This continues into September....Six months now following the tooth extraction. I call him, he can't see me, he calls in an even stronger antibiotic to take until I can get in to see him.
This appointment, he looks in my mouth he tells me I don't have any signs of infection in my mouth....He takes xrays this time, he does'nt see any abcess.
He now looks puzzeled. He wants me to see another Oral Surgeon (not the first one he sent me to).
I go to the new Oral Surgeon. He does xrays, asks some questions. Pokes around my mounth and tells me that I have nerve damage. He also says that the type nerve injury I have should have been followed closely. He said that any numbness in the mouth or tongue that lasts more than a month to six weeks needs to be addressed immediatley. He sends me off to a Surgeon.
I see the Surgeon. I not only have one nerve damaged but three! He does futher testing and I have know taste on one side ofmy tongue, which I had suspected. He states that these type of injuries need to be addressed very early nd again every dentist/oral surgeon knows this can happen and should take immediate action. He agrees to do the surgury on my Lingual nerve ( I now have a name for the Problem!!!) but will not do surgury on the other two due to possible complications. He feels I have to do this surgury to help the quality of my life. He does not know if it will help, because of the time that has pasted. It should have been done before three months and often not over nine months. He will take a nerve from my ankle, (which of course will leave the area in my ankle numb) and put it in my mouth. The proceedure will take approx. 3 hrs. With this surgury I have a small chance to regain the feeling in my tongue, which will help the slurred speech. I am hoping it will take the ear ache away too. The nerve that controls taste will not be repaired, the nerve that runs along my jawl which controls the numbness in my jaw and lip will not be repaired, becuse of where it runs, he would need to break my jawl.
I am going to have the surgury Jan. 18th. I have no choice, I can't live like this and I am out of time. I pray it works.
My question: Do I have a case agaist my Dentist or Oral Surgeon? I feel he neglected to investigate the situation, he miss led me totally. I spent six months with heat pads and ice on my neck. Taking bags of oral medication and pain killers to work to get through the day. I took the antibiotics and was waiting for the time of healing which the Oral surgeon said may take a year!! They were bothe wrong!!!The healing was not coming know matter what I did to try and help. I didn't mention I also seen my family doctor two times and complained about the pain in my ear and numbness and everything else!! She said to follow my dentist instructions, she looked in my ear and gave m an antibiotic! Do you know how frustrated I was?
Please help me so that I may help others who are facing this same outcome.
