Take it from someone who's been suffering from wisdom teeth problems for three years now:
GET THEM OUT.
I never had dental insurance when they were coming in, and my crazy mother wouldn't LET me go to the dentist.
The thing is, these teeth are evolutionarily only there to "replace" worn-out, fallen-out teeth ... and most don't have that problem. So nasty things happen like they get embedded in your gums, they don't line up top to bottom and hit each other badly, they crowd your teeth together, they make it hard to brush away bacteria and you get infections ... throat infections spread and can go up to your EARS.
Believe me, Strep/Tonsillitis/Double Ear infection=a LOT OF PAIN.
And do you remember when you were young and your dentist put something on your back molars to keep them from cavities? Your wisdom teeth don't have this ... so the cavities come easier.
Just get them out. I don't know anything about permanent numbness, but I'd take it over the pain I've been in.