Nerve Damage following wisdom tooth extraction

My husband is getting ready to have 3 wisdom teeth removed.  He's in his 40's and the oral surgeon said that there is a 30% chance of nerve damage. This rate seems higher than what I've seen on-line and I'm wondering if he shouldn't find another oral surgeon. Have you heard of rates this high?

[Steve Bader, DMD]

Overall rates of permanent nerve damage following wisdom tooth removal are certainly normally much lower.  I recommend you question the surgeon as to specifically why he feels the risks are so high in this case.  It is most likely due to the appearance of the closeness of the tooth to the nerve on xray.  It is always reasonable to seek another opinion in complex surgery.  You may also ask if a CAT scan is appropriate to both help the surgeon and more specifically address the risks.  I hope this is helpful to you.  Good luck.