The Extraction of a Wisdom Tooth — Can It Increase Tinnitus?

[thinlay]

Hello,

I hope you're fine, I come here because I was wondering if extracting a wisdom tooth can increase tinnitus?

And if so, is the worsening permanent or does it return back to baseline after a certain time?

Thank you very much.

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Hello,

I hope you're fine, I come here because I was wondering if extracting a wisdom tooth can increase tinnitus?

And if so, is the worsening permanent or does it return back to baseline after a certain time?

Thank you very much.

Hello @thinlay. Thank you for your question.

Extracting a wisdom tooth can theoretically increase tinnitus volume for any of a number of reasons. For instance, the tension within your neck musculature during the extraction can do it. Another mechanism could be the noise from the various drills and other instruments as it is conducted to your inner ear through your jaw bone. Possibly opening widely can put undue stress on your TMJ. Even the anxiety as you think about what the dentist is doing to your poor mouth can do it! I am sure that there are a host of other possibilities as well. The important thing is that none of those mechanisms causes permanent auditory damage - so in time things will likely settle back down. (Even the noise exposure through bone conduction should not present a lasting problem because of the relatively short time involved.)

Hope this helps!

Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.