Paresthesia update #2

There is (I think) some positive development. At least I have the impression that I regained some sensation in the gum area. I went to see the surgeon yesterday. He checked the degree of numbness of the chin, and was "pleased" to note that I do feel touch. He was quite nonchalant about the whole thing, reassuring me that it will go away in no time. I certainly hope so!

Not leaving it completely to chance, I did purchase two new types of vitamins that apparently are used for treating nerve damage:
a) benfotiamine - a fat soluble form of B1 and
b) methylcobalamin - a B12 coenzyme

Paresthesia update #1

This morning I woke up realizing that the lip sensitivity is still there. The skin is very thin and extremely sensitive, almost as if it was "majorly burned" by some kind of strong spice. It is a very annoying sensation, specially combined with the general tingling of the whole chin (left side only). By the afternoon I actually started to sink into depression. On top of the local pain I also have had an underlying low level headache for the last three days which today produced a quite strong nausea. After lunch I just went to bed and ended up sleeping a few hours. When I got up, the headache was still there but the nausea was thankfully gone.

Now I decided to do some further research. I have been taking extra vitamins and minerals already from before the surgery, just based on my previous understanding of helpful stuff in such instances. These are (per day): 1 multivitamin, 1 B complex, folic acid (2mg), zinc (100mg), Vit E(400mg), Vit B12(1000mg), and Vit B6(50mg). Sifting through info on the net I realized that I was on the right track. The only extra they recommend is Vit B1 (Thiamine), but of course I got some of that, too, in the B complex. What they say is that if the axon in the nerve was not actually severed, one must not give up hope on the body eventually repairing itself.

I also found a very interesting interview with Dr. Les Weiner . From it I found out that there already exist some neuroprotective drugs that they use for stroke patients and trauma cases. I was just thinking, shouldn't third molar extractions be worthy of consideration for such measures? Particularly after an onset of paresthesia becomes obvious?

The story of an extraction

The swelling started to subside but under my chin there is a large elongated bruise (ecchymosis) that reaches halfway down my neck.

Unfortunately the paresthesia is not getting better. As a matter of fact I have noticed that while the lips and chin do experience tingling and have a degree of sensation, the buccal side of the gum is completely numb. The tingling of the chin is very unpleasant, almost as if tiny sharp needles covered my fingers or tongue when I run them over the affected area. And it reacts accordingly, particularly the lip. By the evening it is swollen, red, and very very tender.

I find the possibility of this becoming a permanent condition exceedingly disturbing.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 2008

My dentist agrees, I do seem to have paresthesia. As she wrote to me in her email: "-- the risk was always there. Researches have indicated about 1% incidence rate of paresthesia after impacted wisdom teeth extraction with higher number in female patients with the age of older than 24. But a lot of cases are temporary, which might resolve in a few months or up to 12 months." Hmmm... In a few MONTHS? And what if the damage is permanent??

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SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2008

I have woken up with my left chin still semi-frozen. There is quite a bit of swelling, but otherwise I am pain free. This "frozen" area is quite large, basically the left side of my chin, from the lips to the bottom of my chin. It is not completely numb, and that is what makes it very annoying: I am constantly aware of it, there is a constant tingling sensation. But that is what also keeps my hope up that the sensation may indicate some sort of nerve activity or healing process. When I run my fingers over the area, I feel it. It feels exactly as if the coming-out-of-freezing stopped somewhere halfway.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008



Although a few days passed already from the day of the extraction, I will start at the beginning. The Tooth was an unruly lazy *&$% wisdom tooth that chose to grow in a completely horizontal fashion, staying under the gum, pushing against the second molar in front of it. That would not have been such a big deal, had the gum not decided to retrieve exposing the Tooth partially. As a result one day the dentist discovered some undesirable development under the remaining partial gingival cover. It was time to make a decision, or rather: there was no choice, the Tooth had to go!

On Friday, April 18, I positioned myself in the Big Chair. Given the fact that it was going to be a complicated extraction, I was supposed to have partial sedation. The preparations went very quickly, within minutes I was "out". By this I mean completely gone! I have no recollection whatsoever of any activity around me.

After the procedure I was told that everything went seemingly well and, although I had quite a bit of bleeding, they applied gelfoam to the bleeding site and have sewn up the wound tightly. I was given Amoxycillin to take for a week and I was on my way home.

Surprisingly I only needed one painkiller just after the freezing started to wear off. But very oddly by night time I felt still frozen.

Air cars coming to North America!

As you have seen in my earlier posts, I am a big fan of the concept of compressed air propulsion. I fell in love with the little Mini C.A.T. from France, and I was trying to find out when would they be available in Canada, figuring that they would show up sometime, in Quebec at least.

Well, I was even happier when I found out that the enthusiasm for air cars is growing, that an American company also jumped on the band-wagon. Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) will start production of several models by 2010, cars that will be using compressed air motors, built by Motor Development International (MDI), a 15-year old company based in Nice, France, and headed by inventor and Formula One race car engineer, Guy Negre. Here are some videos.

True to North American standards, their passenger car will be larger, a six seater, yet it will cost not much more than a used 2002 Mini Cooper.

Of course, I was happy to see that my earlier consternation about Tata of India was ungrounded really, that they are also committed to come out with the compressed air version of their new minis soon.

The only concern regarding these particular cars is that the engine is a bit on the noisy side. The cars, of course, can be soundproofed for the passengers but they may not be so well liked by pedestrians. Solution is on the way, though. The Australian company EngineAir is working on a rotary type air engine that is supposed to be simpler, lighter and, most of all, quieter. But, unfortunately, they are in competition with ZPM and MDI. So what are we to do? MDI does plan to hit the Australian market sometime soon, so hopefully they will arrive to an agreement with the Australian engine's inventor and producers to use it in their cars, or else the Australians will start a fierce competition for the Far East market. Whatever will happen, though, we the consumers (and Mother Nature) will benefit. :)