One of the rare complications that can occur after wisdom teeth removal is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) where one experiences symptoms of vertigo and dizziness. This is discussed over on the wisdom teeth complications page at http://www.teethremoval.com/complications.html. I have a long running survey on this website where I ask people to share their experiences with wisdom teeth removal see http://teethremoval.polldaddy.com/s/6E8CF57E23BD9041. Some previous survey responses appear over at https://blog.teethremoval.com/successful-and-positive-wisdom-teeth-removal-experiences/, https://blog.teethremoval.com/wisdom-teeth-surgery-survey/, https://blog.teethremoval.com/wisdom-teeth-extraction-survey/, and https://blog.teethremoval.com/wisdom-teeth-survey/.
A few recent entries to my survey have discussed what seems to be getting BPPV after wisdom teeth removal.
A Canadian women who had wisdom teeth extracted at age 21 said:
“Diagnosed with BPPV 7 months after removal and chronic sinus infections that started 2 months after removal of wisdom teeth.”
An American man who had wisdom teeth extracted at age 30 said:
” I went to a dentist for the extraction of a tooth next to upper right wisdom tooth. Dentist suggested to take out wisdom tooth as well when I didn’t have a problem with it. I started having dizziness on the third day after surgery. I still have the dizziness. I asked my dentist about the problem I had who said it hasn’t anything to do with Wisdom teeth removal. I never had any dizziness or sinus problems in my life before that. I ended up visiting ENT doctor for my sinus problems I had post dental surgery. It’s been a recurring problem since then. I regret a lot thinking I should have researched about the wisdom tooth extraction before going for that.”
So based on research I have seen it appears that such symptoms as vertigo, dizziness, and even hearing loss can occur after wisdom teeth removal. It is possible indirect trauma during surgery can damage semicircular canals and dissolve otoliths leading to dizziness. It is further possible that extreme rotation of the cervical spine during surgery can lead to microemboli formulation which could lead to obstruction of the blood supply to the inner ear leading to hearing loss. Sinus infections are more well known complications that can occur after wisdom teeth St George Utah removal. Perhaps a sinus infection can contribute to vertigo and dizziness but I have not seen this supported in literature so far that I have seen.
i am having the same problem right now. i just got my wisdom tooth removed now its been 3 days after removing am having dizziness and my ear hurts but not that much. What can i do its scaring me? please help
Im from Holland and i have also this problem after wishdom removal. It hold on for 2 weeks now and it scares me. I cant ride and work and im feeling so tired all day. Sometimes i fell down from dizziness and cant longer stay. The dentist said to me that its not possible that this problem comes from the removal. I want my normal life back…
I had my upper right wisdom tooth removed two months ago and gave had vertigo and dizziness ever since. The nerves around the site were damaged and the gum area is still dead on one side. I have been very worried and am pleased to have found this post.
I did not have wisdom teeth removed, I did have my 2 lower back molars removed and 7 days after, i feel discomfort in one ear, ringing, dizziness that comes and goes. I want my life back.
I too have developed vertigo recently, five days after having a lower molar removed. The extraction was difficult. The dentist had a hard time removing the tooth. I had a significant amount of swelling on that side of the face and now the ear on that always feels kind of blocked. I am convinced that the vertigo is somehow related to the tooth extraction. I have had this before not related to any dental work so I have learned how to deal with it sort of. I am using a nasal decongestant twice a day to try to reduce or help with the ear canals and I try to figure out which way I move my head that sets off the dizziness, and then try not to move my head in that direction. Still , Any quick motions sets it off and some days I feel nauseous from it. It also creates headaches. And makes me want to keep my eyes closed all the time. This is my sixth day and I am really ready for it to be gone!
you have benign positional vertigo., most likely they put a strain on your artery in your neck. actifed will help but learn not to press your neck too far to left or right, or make sudden moves. sleeping with a soft towel folded into 4ths helps.
I just had 2of my back teeth pulled 5days ago and I’m feeling this way it scares the crap out of me I can’t even function normally I was so happy to get them removed as 1of the teeth was bothering me now I wish I just dealt with the pain instead of feeling dizzy like this does anyone know how long this is supposed to last? Is this permanent?
It’s been exactly one week since I removed both my upper back teeth and I still feel dizzy almost 24/7, it is exhausting. I feel like having my eyes closed is the only thing that helps a bit. I hope is goes away soon!
The dentists should educate the person about the possiblities of complications that might occur after removal of wisdom tooth how ignorant are these dentists who leave the patients in trauma im feeling so miserable & helpless since having both of these problems vertigo & tinnitus since the removal of wisdom tooth
I had to have all of my upper teeth pulled recently. He pulled them 4 or 5 at a time over a three week period. After the first week, I was fine other than some soreness. After the second week, I noticed frequent, dull headaches. I had the last of them pulled yesterday morning, about 32 hours ago. I started noticing ringing in my ears the morning, but didn’t start to associate it with my teeth until the dizziness set in. I thought maybe I was becoming dehydrated or that it could possibly be the lack of food, because it is next to impossible to eat without any upper teeth. So, I started drinking as much water as possible and had a bowl of soup, then a little bit of ice cream. It’s been a little over four hours and I’m still not feeling well. My dentist won’t be back in the office for two more days. Is this something I should be concerned about (because to be honest I’m kind of starting to have a panic attack)? Should I just try to wait and hope it goes away, or should I go get checked out at the ER? I also have a pretty bad headache and I don’t take opiates, but I have been taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol.
I had 6 lower teeth removed but one large tooth caused lots of problems I was over 1 hour in the chair at the hospital ,he had to drill the root off the bone I must admit it was hell .
But now I have what appears to be vertigo ,I feel sick and dizzie and I’m tired all the time what can be done ????
I have had my bottom wisdom tooth removed and just 2 weeks later started with severe labyrinthitis – extreme dizziness, nausea and couldn’t stand up – all completely out of the blue. I ended up in hospital and on anti sickness medication. My doctor said it almost certainly linked to the wisdom tooth coming out. I also have a full ear feeling on the same side. This is a horrible condition, please see dr if you are suffering as the medication does help. You will need to sleep a lot too as you recover
I have exactly the same thing to report. Extraction of four teeth on the lower left side, my wisdom teeth were removed when I was a child do to impaction, so it was from molar to Canine. I’ve had tinnitus since I can remember but it’s been about 14 days since the teeth were pulled and just the other day I started experiencing vertigo and dizziness. The molar apparently was a very hard to pull and he had to split it in half and remove in two pieces. Luckily for me it seems like I have it much more mild then some of you from the reports you’re saying about not being able to walk or falling down but every so often I’ll turn or stand up in the world will do a cartwheel. I really really hope this goes away.
One day severe dizziness appeared out of the blue and it terrified me, as I have never experienced such things before. Sick feeling was definitely connected with particular position of the head. After three months situation somewhat improved after a lot of exercises and giving up coffee; I also tried some anti-nausea medications and all BPPV maneuvers available on net. Only yesterday I realized that a few days before first severe episode of vertigo months ago I had dental surgery with wisdom tooth removal and that experience was hard one with massive amount of pain-killers. According to my observations, normal vestibule function is damaged at the side of former surgery.
I had my lower right wisdom tooth pulled last Tuesday. It was a bony impaction that was pushing into the next molar and was uncomfortable. The tooth needed to be drilled and there was a lot of cracking as it came out after 20 minutes of tugging. I actually thought it went well at first. Early Monday morning, almost a week after surgery I got up early to go to the bathroom and staggered around like I was drunk. I wondered if it would return the next morning and it did. I feel a little wierd walking around, like I’m trying to compensate for being off balance. This evening I took a nap after work and when my mother called I got up to get the phone and almost walked into the wall. As I write this a half hour later I’m still dizzy. I’m sorry to hear it, but I’m glad I’m not the only one with this issue.
I had four teeth surgical removed last week 2/9/ 18 every since I have been feeling dizzy and lightheaded. it’s a week later and I’m still feeling bad. Will this feeling ever go away?
I had my two lower wisdom teeth removed almost 3 weeks ago and they said it was bony material also, now I get horrible headaches almost a vertigo feeling. They claim because my nerves were so close, also the holes are not completely covered up. How long does this usually last?
Hi there same wisdom extraction 2 days ago now dizzyness like vertigo and bad headache also puss coming out wat to do and when it will end
Hi there. I guessed I’ve checked this page a gazillion times to see what everyone else is saying. I’m ‘happy’ to see everyone is going through the same. I removed 2 wisdom teeth (upper right and lower right) about a month ago, and in the beginning everything was fine (just the normal pain). But after a few weeks and while playing wildly with my toddler I started realising that was a bad idea. I got vertigo and dizziness. Went to the doctor and he said it’s totally normal and show me the exercises. I feel bad that the dentist didn’t say anything about this previously. It was pretty rough removal, over 1 hour sitting with both teeth cracking and having multiple sedatives to not feel pain, plus a handful of stitches in the end. The wounds are closing (very slowly) and still feel dizziness some days, always triggered with moving my head. Hopefully this will go away. If you read this, hang on there, we’ll go through this 🙂
I feel for everyone who has/is suffering this. I got all four wisdom teeth extract just a little over a week now and I feel dizzy all the time. Probably doesn’t help that I got an infection and have to take antibiotics, one of which makes you dizzy anyway. But the oral surgeons that operated on me did not mention the possibility of prolonged dizziness after surgery. Wish they had, at least I wouldn’t have freaked myself out wondering if this was normal or not.
MY SON Had four impacted wisdom teeth surgically removed 7 weeks ago. His life has been nothing short of living hell. He has been dizzy, can’t think straight, has vertigo, and can’t sleep, building anxiety and stress, cant do his home work and it has been the worst. We have been to 6 different Dr’s, chiropractors, acupuncturist, e.n.t. dr. and neurologist. NOTHING HAS HELPED! My heart is so sad for him and every day he suffers and night with no sleep. I have found no one to help him. I am very concerned as what will happen to him and if he ever will have a life without pain. His oral surgeon says there are no concerns. Bull ! He was perfect until he had them removed. Can anyone help us?
How did it go for you all?
I am having the same problem here. Could anyone please give me an update
Hi, 4 days after the extraction of all my wisdom teeth I started experiencing vertigo. My only prior experience to vertigo was a certain drop in blood pressure and that usually when I workout without food (super early in the morning). Anyway, my dentist told me the worst case senario is nerve damage due to one the the teeth being angled. Furthermore, he told me that nerve damage can actually last up to a year because it can take that long to heal on its own ergo I presume my vertigo might be from that. I also presume that although there’s not enough research on this subject, does not devalue OUR personal accounts. I honestly think this is something that could go away overtime but it doesn’t hurt to want more info from a dentist or nerve specialist due to our teeth being bone and attached to nerves and the sinuses.
Four days ago, I had two teeth pulled. One was on the upper right side. The other on the lower left side. Neither were molars or wisdom teeth.
I had a bit of congestion in my head due to remnants of the flu. And I explain to the dental assistant that I was just recently getting over the flu. Anyway, the dental procedure lasted about five minutes. For both teeth teeth the dentist needed to “tap“ The tooth to loosen it. However the tap felt more like a jackhammer! I’ve had other teeth pulled, and this pounding on my teeth felt 10 times harder than any of the other times I’ve had extractions. The pounding was painful and echoed in my head.
That evening I took a prescribed opiate painkiller and fell asleep . During the night I woke up in order to go to the bathroom, and as I moved my head off the pillow to sit up, I suddenly became very dizzy and my body felt like lead and I fell back onto the pillow. The dizziness was overwhelming. It took me about 15 minutes to finally get out of bed. And even then I was still dizzy.
I called a 24 hour nurse hotline, and the nurse said my dizziness was probably due to the dental extractions. I was given a medicine for vertigo which helped somewhat. But I have been dizzy for three days now since the surgery. I’m hoping this will soon end.
I had my upper left tooth pulled and 5 days later woke up with the room spinning. I had extreme vertigo and dizziness. It is two days later and I am still feeling nauseous.
Good day
I’m just seeing questions. Is there anyone here that can actually tell me how their vertigo eventually lasted after wisdom tooth extractions?
Dizziness & ringing in ears started week after bottom wisdom teeth removed. That was 6 months ago & I still have both. It has subsided but not gone by anymeans.
I had all 4 wisdom teeth taking out April 25th. May 10th I experienced extreme vertigo migraines and dizziness. Went to multiple doctors and actually ended up finding a place called upper cervical and they did xrays and found that I had gotten severe whip lash from my dentist usin a drill to get my impacted wisdom teeth out and my neck misaligned pinching nerves in my neck. I’ve gotten 3 adjustments and notice a difference but I also developed tmj from the dentist injecting me too
Much and damaging muscles causing the tmj and tmj also causes vertigo. I go to a chiropractor that hits 4 different pressure points in my mouth softening up the muscles within 1 day 90% of my vertigo disappeared. When I have flare ups tho I just go back and he hits the pressure points and within a day I’m fine again I do however have 4 months of treatment through upper cervical which will treat the whiplash and unpinch the nerves in my neck. After the first treatment all my migraines were gone and haven’t gotten another in 3 weeks. Will update everyone after I’m half way through treatments to see if that’s the main cause of the problem.
Thank you Heather your input helped alot on direction to go now. 6 & half months & dizzy is gone, still ringing in ears & some jaw popping (never had that either) Chiropractor is my next step for sure. Really messed up my right side of jaw & Inner ear, ear drum was concave on right side also. This was bottom wisdom teeth removal.
I had a lower molar extraction and then a dry socket with bad ear pain. Second week I started with vertigo. I knew it had to be connected somehow, I was fine before. I am wondering how long this will last.
Update on my bottom wisdom teeth removal. I have been going to a Chiropractor for help with dizziness & ear whining. My top 2 vertebrae in neck were tilted wrong way & my jaw was misaligned. He also adjusted my ears, the cartilage in inner ear. 3 times I’ve gone & I’m feeling normal again! 8 months I lived with horrible dizziness and ears ringing. Note to all, see Chiropractor after having wisdom or molar teeth removed. Best of luck to all of you.
Before my tooth extraction I was fine. As soon as I removed my top left wisdom tooth, 2 days after, I got the worst vertigo episode. I went to my family doctor and he said it’s from the tooth extraction but offered no solution. I always feel dizzy like majority of day especially when walking or standing. I have a check up with my dentist in a few days but I don’t think they will admit vertigo is from tooth extraction. I always feel
Scared to drive work and get up from bed. I wish I kept my tooth even that caused me pain but never dizziness I hate being dizzy the whole room spins so I take gravel for now. I became paranoid thinking it’s other health conditions. Does it ever go away???
I had my back molar removed last Friday under sedation. It was a nightmare to get the tooth out, so much so that it took over an hour and the gum had to be cut to remove the tooth in 3 pieces. I had stitches and had a very sore mouth.
I’ve noticed since yesterday that I have been feeling really dizzy. I’ve been researching on the net all afternoon to see if there was anyone out there who is experiencing the same.
This is frightening for me in 2 levels as due to the problems extracting the first tooth I have to go back next Friday to get the second tooth out and secondly I’ve had labrynthitis 3 times and it was not nice and I can only liken my current state as similar.
My tooth is so bad and crumbled that it needs to come out, but I’m so petrified now.
Please, does anyone have any updates on how long this will last??
Had my left wisdom tooth removed Tuesday and 2 days later when I lay down I get a dizzy vertigo feeling like I’m on a boat. Started googling wisdom teeth as that was my only connection and hey presto so my intuition was right. It’s given me BPPV. God I hope it’s temporary.
I have had BBPV on and off for 15 yrs. Initially I had a bout of labyrinthitis which took 6 weeks to fully go. Since then I’ve had bouts of BPPV which would come and go. I call them ‘flare-ups’. But there are triggers – one of those triggers is dentistry. Another trigger can be lying down with my head flat to the floor – exercises such as pilates and yoga have to be sitting or standing for me.
Over the years I have learnt to manage my condition and have even had 18 months of respite where I had no bouts of vertigo. Fight this condition and don’t be afraid of it. Rest when you need to but when improving do the exercises and ‘desensitize’ yourself. Ask your GP to refer you for vestibular rehabilitation. If you avoid movements then you will not allow your brain to deal with them. Best of luck and remain positive. I work full-time and exercise and travel. I am proof that you can have this condition, and if you manage it well, you can still have a full quality of life.
I have just had two difficult lower molars removed 4 weeks ago. The day after the extraction I got vertigo and nausea really bad and still have it. Some days better than others and dentist just gaslight you. No idea if this will get better? Tired, dizzy and head foggy all the time. It’s awful!!