discomfort comes and goes

[streamline569]

I had an impacted wisdom tooth extracted. I deep cavity above, same side filled. A cleaning and deep cleaning on the side that I had all the problems on. Now it is 4 month later and I can't pin point what's going on but I feel swelling and numbness in the gums above and below, where the work was done. The thing is that it is not always in the same area. It moves around. What's going on?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Sounds like a plan.  Be sure you keep an eye on it and if it progressively gets work, your hunch of needing a root canal may be right if the nerve wasn't damaged by the wisdom tooth but rather that the nerve inside the tooth is irritated by the filling.

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Thank you for answering. I can't see what an oral surgeon will do and a neurologist will probably just give medication. Being I'm not insured for dental. I'm just going to deal with it. Not much more I can do, way to many doctors to find one problem. Thanks again for answering. I think a good dentist should be able to tell me what's going on. The oral surgeon I used, I believe did a good job extracting a difficult impacted wisdom tooth, most of the problems started when I went to the dentist to fill a deep cavity. Pain started in the gums after that, he kept digging into my gums, which helped , but let this strange, numbness and irritation. I don't believe that he'd tell me if that he hit nerves, I'll seek out another dentist for an opinion. Strange how it calms at time, only to flare again. Maybe it will turn out that the deep cavity should have been a root canal. Just trying to enjoy the summer and will try to figure this all out in sept.

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Well, if there's numbness they are probably documenting the extensiveness of the numbness and how its progressing.  Has it gotten any better?  

Unfortunately if its nerve damage, there's not alot that can be done to fix the problem.  It takes time for it to heal.  At six months, if it doesn't get better, it may become permanent.  

You may want to seek a second opinion from either an oral surgeon or a neurologist to see.

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It's been numbness that comes and goes in the upper and lower area on the side of the extraction and the gum area where he deep cleaned. I almost feel he may have hit nerves.

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The dentist and oral surgeon I used said it could take up to six months to completely heal. The dentist doesn't know what causing the gum pain, wants me to see an endo for possible root canal but I think he's just saying that because he doesn't know what else to do.His practice has a periodontist, so obviously he doesn't think I need to see an periodontist and I don't feel it's pain caused by one tooth. I am considering waiting the six months and going to a new dentist for my next cleaning, who can reevaluate.The dentist I'm considering has a dentist who will do root canals if needed.

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

You get a swelling also or just numbness in the area?  Did you have any numbness in the area immediately after the extraction?  

Have you asked your dentist at all about what happened?  You may want to see an oral surgeon or a neurologist to check the nerve function.