oral surgery caused numbness in upper lip and cheek

[chachagrl]

I had an infection above my tooth #13.  The dentist suggested I get root canal.  When the endodontist saw the infection, he said he could not do the root canal because the infection was too severe. He sent me to an oral surgeon who did surgery to drain the area.  My left cheek swelled up then went down within a day or 2.  I was on antibiotics (clindamycin) for 2 weeks after.  Since the surgery,(drainage) I have had numbness in my entire left cheek extending down and including my left side of my lip.  I also have a small droop to the left side of my mouth.  It has been 3 weeks now and no improvement in the numbness although I had the first part of the root canal a couple of days ago.  Is there nerve damage?  When will this resolve or do I need to seek another opinion?  If so, who should I see another oral surgeon or a neurologist?

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

I would consult the oral surgeon for his opinion on when the numbness will dissipate. it does sound a bit unusual. If you get no satisfaction I would get another opinion from another oral surgeon.

[maxillofacial_surgeon]

i think u need to see another doctor,its better to be an oral and maxillofacial surgeon due to the possiblty of nerve damage.
can u tell me:
did the numbness occurs after the drainage excatly or the numbness was present before?
did the oral surgeon gave u anathesia before the drainage?
did u feel pain during the drainage process?
how did he make the drainage and how was the instruments?
can u move ur mouth and cheek   like smiling and speaking or it just  only numbness?
feed me back

[chachagrl]

answer to questions re drainage:

The oral surgeon did not use anesthesia.  I believe he used nitrous oxide (sweet gas) and maybe (?) novocaine

The numbness was not present before the surgery but began after the drainage

I can move my cheek muscle

I dont know what instruments he used or the type of drainage

It did hurt a lot while he was doing it  (I actually screamed so loud he joked that I scared off his other patients)

[maxillofacial_surgeon]

there may be an injury to the labial nerve a branch of the infraorbital nerve which supplies this area,go back to ur oral surgeon if no response from  him check another one
anyway dont be too worry most of these cases is temporary numbness but it is weired somehow
its important to check  the oral surgeon as soon as possible

[chachagrl]

Thank you.  My oral surgeon has flatly told me that it could be months.  Is there any reason you think I should see someone right away if most cases are temporary?

[chachagrl]

I posted the above message to the wrong addressee.  The person I was answering was maxofacillo.
Why I should see an oral surgeon as soon as possible if it is normal for numbness to happen after draining an infection.  What is the "average" amount of time I should be experiencing this numbness?   Its been 3 1/2 weeks now. Thank you.

[maxillofacial_surgeon]

sorry,i m late
no dont change your doctor
all you can do is talking vit.b complex as the daily recommended dose + try to make massage on ur cheek as much as you can, u can also do it with warm fomentation
this numbness will resolve dont worry but i cant excatly tell u when, it may take from 1 month to 1 year but usually it takes several months