Paresthesia is a temporary or permanent loss of sensation that can occur after oral surgery. The numbness results from pressure or damage to the nerve usually occurs after an extraction and affects the tissues of the mouth including the tongue cheek lip or chin. Paresthesia mostly occurs after third molar or wisdom tooth extractions as the roots of the bottom wisdom teeth are close to the inferior alveolar nerve canal in the mandibular (lower) jaw. Paresthesia also occurs less frequently as a result of a dental implant procedure and anesthetic injections.

Temporary paresthesia is usually described as a tingling sensation and occurs when pressure is placed on a nerve. Most people have experienced some kind of paresthesia usually described as a “pins and needles” sensation. When pressure to the nerve is relieved the feeling usually dissipates. Paresthesia in the mouth generally feels like a tooth is numbed with anesthetic however the numbness doesn’t go away after a few hours and persists for days weeks or even months.

The risk of paresthesia is minor in routine dental extractions and when it does occur the effects are usually temporary. Permanent paresthesia occurs in about 1% of impacted tooth extraction cases.

Inferior alveolar nerve damage is the most likely type of damage to occur as a result of tooth extraction root canals and dental implant procedures and can cause paresthesia of the chin lower lip and jaw. Lingual nerve (in the tongue) damage generally occurs as a result of a tooth extraction or dental anesthetic and if paresthesia occurs can result in chronic pain.

Oral surgery to attempt to repair a damaged nerve is an option for treating permanent paresthesia though there is no guaranteed result.