It would be helpful to know if the situation is gradually improving, getting
worse, or staying the same.  It is possible, although unlikely, that there
could have been damage to the facial nerve.  Also, there is a possibility
that you could have a type of Bell's palsy that only involves part of the
facila nerve.  Bell's palsy usually improves over time, and generally goes
away in less than 2 months, at most.  But sometimes, it could be longer, and
rarely  can be permanent.  There are other possibilities as well.  Do you
notice any changes in taste perception -- this is mediated by the facial
nerve, but since you have only one side with the problem, you might not
notice the change in taste perception.  At any rate, discuss this with your
oral surgeon.  It is probable that the problem you have may resolve on its
own over time.  Good luck!

Hi,

I had my four wisdom teeth removed a few months ago. One particular tooth
gave the surgeon a lot of trouble and took him a long time to remove. Since
then, the side of my face that held that tooth is partially numb (sensations
are dulled - I assume a sensory nerve was damaged during the surgery), but
this doesn't bother me that much. What bothers me is that my mouth on that
side of my face is lower than it is on the other side of my face. When
making certain facial expressions this asymetry becomes more exaggerated and
looks unappealing. I am going to schedule an appointment with my oral
surgeon to discuss this, but I'd like to gather some information first. What
could be causing this? I have a few theories:

1) Since the surgeon spent a much longer time on one side of my face than
the other, the tissue on that side of my face stretched more and as a result
sags more.

2) In addition to damaging a sensory nerve, the surgeon damaged a motor
nerve, which would adversely affects control of the mouth.

3) No motor nerve was damaged, but mouth control is adversely affected by
the numbness because there is less feedback to tell the brain the current
position of the mouth.

Which of these are plausible, and which would you think is the most likely?
Thanks for any info.

Claude