Hello doctor, The last molar on my left side broke around two years ago. It slightly niggled and chipped further during that time, reminding me that it needed to be fixed, but never actually posed a problem. I finally went to the dentist last year and an X-ray was taken. A decay was present at the roots, and I was referred to an endodontist and a root canal treatment was the suggestion. The dentist did a temporary filling, which fell out soon after. The tooth appeared settled, and I had delayed taking an appointment with the endodontist. Two months ago, I started to feel sensations of extreme nerve pain, when a pressure was put on the tooth, and it was getting worse after a few days. But, it settled again. Finally, I took an appointment with the endodontist. He took an image of the tooth and said that it could not be saved, and extraction was the only option. The tooth was alright except for the occasional jolt of pain. Last week, I was awakened many times at night with a dull toothache. It progressed to the next day. I took Neuropin and Panadol for pain relief. The pain then changed to a throb and was increasing. I had a packet of Keflex with the worry of an abscess. Four days ago, I had sudden numbness from under my left lip over my chin. I rang my endodontist on the next morning, and he organized to have the tooth removed the same afternoon. On the day after the extraction, the numbness was still there. Four days later, I am still numb. I now get tingles a few times a day. I do have the slight feeling of pressure or touch on the numb chin by running my fingers over it. I have read so many horrible things about numbness of the chin.
Hello. Possibly there been some compression or inflammation of the inferior alveolar nerve, which passes through the mandible and then emerges as the mental nerve. The mental nerve supplies the part below the lower lip and chin. If you have pain, severe tingling, pins and needle sensation in the supplied area, then few medications like Gabapentin can be of some help. But, it is the impaired sensation which is bothering you. I suggest you visit your dentist to check if anything further can be done. For more information consult a neurologist -->