Persistant facial pain after wisdom tooth removal

[Keener]

I had my right side wisdom teeth removed about 3 1/2 weeks ago and still am having persistant, constant, and regular pain on my right side.  I did develop dry sockets and an infection after these teeth were removed, but those things have been corrected.  The pain starts around my bottom back teeth on the right side and goes down my neck, into my upper chest, and sometimes down my arm, making my hand numb.  There is also pain in the right side roof of my mouth and upper teeth.  I also have been experiencing headaches on the right side.  This pain is keeping me from sleeping, eating, talking, you name it.  The docs don't know the cause and I can't take this discomfort anymore.  It is not normal and I did not have this problem when my left side wisdom teeth were removed.  I have no cavities, dead nerves, infections, etc.  What could be causing this pain and is this likely permanent?

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

The first thing that enters my mind reading the symptoms is the possibility of some sort of TMJ dysfunction. I maybe way off but without examining you it is difficult to give you an opinion.I would hope you have seen an oral surgeon or at this point a doctor that deals with a chronic pain syndrome.

[mike1105]

this is quite unusual. I do not think that the extraction of the tooth is directly related to your neck, arm and chest symptoms. It does seem likely that you have nerve impingement somewhere along the line from your neck to your hand. Takng out wisdom teeth is often difficult and requires substatial strength and effort. It could be that in exerting such force, you sufferred some sort of muscular trauma or torquing or overstrtching or over compression of certian neck muscles--ie the scalenes, When these muscles go into spasm, they can cause symptoms like yours. I'd get a book by Clair Davies (it is a trigger point manual) and go to town on the scalene muscles in your neck, and the pec muscles in your chest. Also do the appropriate stretches for these muscles (doorway stretches are great). Tightness of the pec minor muscle can cause symptoms in the 4th 5th fingers, for instance. Tightness in the scalens can cause a bunch of other symptoms, including pain under the clavicle (where the scalenes attach) or symptoms down the arm becasue certain arm nerves run thru these muscles.