The bizarre altered sensations have lessened somewhat when I lightly touch or push my chin with my fingers. It feels very numb in my chin by the roots of my front teeth on the injured side.

I have never read about anyone who has fully recovered from an IAN injury. If anyone can find an account of such a full and complete recovery, could you please post a link to it? Thanks. I have read accounts from people who say that they are 90% recovered or fully recovered 'except for'...

I had forgotten that I had done that toothpick 'test' in October after you posted. I just did it again, and I can feel the toothpick a little more to the right now...maybe a cm? There seems to be a section of my chin about the size of a quarter right under my lip that is still completely numb.

Like you, I don't think that area of my face will ever be 'normal' again and any changes are going to be very slow to come from this point on. I believe I've been permanently injured, and would really like my injury included in the statistics somehow. Imo, there needs to be a massive follow-up study of people who have had these oral nerve injuries at the 2 year, 4 year, and 6 year point of 'recovery'. Then, we would have a more accurate account of how many injuries turn out to be permanent.

Conclusion
"Impacted third molar removal appears to be the main etiology of permanent inferior alveolar nerve sensory deficiency, but endodontic treatments are often implicated and implant placement procedures can cause severe nerve injuries."

Neurosensory Disturbances of the Inferior Alveolar Nerve: A Retrospective Study of Complaints in a 10-Year Period
Volume 65, Issue 8, Pages 1486-1489 (August 2007)

http://www.joms.org/article/S0278-2391(07)00377-1/abstract

The advice to 'wait and see' given to injured patients just isn't acceptable, imo. My OS had no plans to even see me for a follow up. I had to request one on the day of my discharge. He then said I could come back to see him in four months..and I said that I would make an appointment in two months. That turned out to be the last time I saw him...it was a disaster, that meeting. I never had plans to sue him...mainly because I didn't have the energy and still don't. I will join a class action suit if that ever arises...or if I don't qualify to join it, I'll help out in any way I can.