Do have a dental problem? or a trigeminal neuralgia problem?

Quite often, trigeminal neuralgia is mistakenly diagnosed as a dental problem.

 What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a neurological disease that causes sudden, severe, brief, stabbing recurrent episodes of facial pain in one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. It is usually caused when the trigeminal nerve is being compressed by an artery or a vein, but can also be present with no apparent cause. It is sometimes misdiagnosed as a dental or psychological problem.

What Are the Symptoms of Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia results in intense pain that is usually felt on one side of the face or jaw. It can begin with something as simple as touching your face, eating, or brushing your teeth. It is called the suicide disease because of the extreme pain, which is often described as being hit repeatedly with a hot poker or an electric shock. The time between episodes can vary from seconds to hours or there can be days or months between attacks. Over time, attacks often become more severe. Patients with TN often experience depression because these chronic pain episodes and can make everyday activities impossible. While TN can affect people of any age, it tends to occur in older people with women more likely to be afflicted than men.

How is Trigeminal Neuralgia Diagnosed?

Diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia can be very difficult because it does not show up on standard tests like a CAT scan or MRI. Tests can help rule out other causes of facial pain. Quite often, TN is mistakenly diagnosed as a dental problem.  

Treatment Options

Medical Therapy

Microvascular Decompression

Glycerol Injection

Balloon Compression

Radiofrequency Lesioning (RFL)

Gamma Knife