4 years ago, in 2016, one of my three wisdom teeth poked through and needed to come out.
I saw my regular dentist, who said he could dig it out and pull it. It didn't know there was a higher probability of complications doing this at 45 years old, so I let him do it instead of seeing an oral surgeon.
My husband was there after the procedure to take me home and said our dentist was acting strange and was overly concerned about my well being. Within 24 hours of the procedure, he called us 3 times to check on me. I knew something wasn't right when I couldn't feel the lower left side of my gums, lip and jaw by the end of the evening. And almost immediately pain set in. A nerve had been damaged during the procedure, which it turns out was a risk going in and one of the reasons an oral surgeon should have performed this procedure.
There's no option for repairing this damage other than time, ice and medication. There's one risky surgical procedure but not worth it as things could be made worse.
The problem with the mouth is that it's always moving. Talking, eating, brushing my teeth, putting on lip gloss and kissing my husband are all uncomfortable.
As the nerve tries to heal itself the pain can be agonizing. Even the weather seems to effect it.
I found a way to strap an ice pack to my face in order to fall asleep at night. We put a mini fridge in our bedroom so could keep multiple ice packs close by as by the end of the day I sometimes go through 3 or 4. I take Gabapentin and pain medication every day, which does help but makes me feel like a zombie all day.
I met local surgeon recently who had the exact procedure and damage. He said it took 8 years for his mouth to stop hurting and for all of the feeling to come back.
Last week I had an itch on the left side of my chin for the first time since the incident. Slowly, but surely, the feeling is returning. It comes at a cost. There are days I'm absolutely exhausted from fighting pain all day.
Tim Hansen, DDS caused this damage. He never apologized or took responsibility for it. I know he didn't mean to do it, but he also had no business performing this procedure on an almost 46 year old woman. I've been so angry about it for such a long time. He knew right away - right when he hit the nerve - that I was going to have issues for a long time and be in a lot of pain for years. Most of all, I miss kissing my husband. I love to talk too! I know, after hanging with friends for several hours, I'm gonna have to get the ice going. My friends and family don't think anything of it when they see me holding ice to my face. On a really busy work day, when I've been on the phone non-stop, there's often ice and tears.
Did I mention we still had to PAY for the procedure? Yeah, we should have sued. At least for what he took from me and the costs associated with medication and seeing other doctors for pain relief. Costs I still incur every single month.
I've never been one to blather about my aches and pains on line but If you need oral surgery, see an oral surgeon, not a dentist. Even for something basic. And stay away from Tim Hansen's office.
That's my advice. Do with it what you will! read more