Time Heals.

Several people told me that it may take up to a year for the nerve to regenerate.

I am very fortunate to have had a quick recovery. My plan was to wait 8 weeks, and if my symptoms had not improved within that time frame, I was prepared to contact a nerve repair specialist. Thankfully, this was not necessary.

The "tight feeling" in my teeth was gone in three weeks. After 5 weeks, my mouth was no longer the first thing I thought of upon awakening. Sensation in my chin and lip returned very gradually and was back to normal within seven weeks. Initially, I thought that I may merely be getting used to the sensation, but then I realized that I was actually improving.

When the injury first occurred, it felt like I had a piece of plywood stuck to my chin. The lip numbness also affected my speech slightly as when I spoke, there was a part of it that didn't move. The vice grip on my teeth was constant and by far the most annoying part of my injury.

I started to feel somewhat selfish after realizing that many people with nerve damage suffer from intense pain. Nerve pain can be debilitating and here I was, complaining of numbness.

Nevertheless, I wanted things back the way the were before the surgery, and I tried a number of different treatments. Maybe my nerve just needed time, but I believe that the remedies I used sped up my recovery.