As the topic indicates, I am in urgent need for a dentist in greater Toronto area who is familiar with treating people with trigeminal neuralgia. Any and all kind of help will be appreciated.
In urgent need for a Dentist experienced In treating people with Trigemini neuralgia in Toronto area
Hi!
I just wanted to share with you I have TN and at one point during all the pain , I went to the dentist to get a crown, as the tooth was chipped. I had severe tooth pain as well.
Well, when the dentist gave me the anesthesia shot in the back of my mouth, I got shocks all the way up the left side of my face. It was awful. And then, shortly after that, I developed lower jaw pain underneath my jaw because of the tooth pain on that crowned tooth and then eventually it developed into ear pain on both sides. Awful.The good news is, I am able to control my pain with amitriptyline. I just thought I would share my experience. I then had to have more dental work about six months later and I had to go to a dentist that would put me under anesthesia , so I wouldn’t have to get that shot in the back of my mouth. It was a real bummer. I hope that you can find somebody that will treat you. I pretty much think that all Dentists know what TN is if you mention it to them,…teachers just don’t talk on it that much when in dental school.( From what I’ve read.) Whoever you go to ~make sure they know you have trigeminal neuralgia, and that they have to be very careful with you because your teeth are very sensitive. I want to recommend toothpaste for sensitive teeth. It helps…
I wish you all the best and hope for a great outcome for you as well …
Sincerely Min
I do not live in your area but I would highly suggest that you find a dentist that does IV sedation. The two I have used are both familiar with TN via their specialty being sedation dentistry. I have bilateral TN, and have had two MVDs. A good day for me is a level 5-6 pain day. Please check out sedation dentistry it has saved my teeth. Wishing you all the best 
Hi: Thank you for your response. oh, that must have been a nerve wracking experience. I’m glad you found the dentist who put you under anaesthesia before treating You. Thank you for your advice for looking for dentists who are experienced in treating TN patients.
Thank you for sharing your story.
I do have an appointment with SleepDentistry. I have a problem keeping my mouth open for more than 5 seconds. I wouldn’t know if it is with all TN patients or it’s because I have Mandibular TN. I am afraid any dental procedure is bound to aggravate my V3 nerve further? Maybe I am missing some info here?
I always have a flare after my sedation dental work. What I do is plan for it, as I see no way around it. I schedule my sedation appointment and then let my pain specialist know when it is so I am sure to have all my medications ready. I also stock up on soft foods as I can barely chew when I am flared. I schedule several days off for after my dental work and be certain I have ice packs in the freezer as they give a bit of relief even if it is just a few minutes. My sedation dentist knows all of this and we plan to have him do all that he can while I am sedated, including a cleaning. I do this once a year as needed. I have lived with bilateral TN for around 15 years now. Wishing you all the best. This road is not an easy one.
I’m not in Toronto; I’m in Alabama. I fully understand your concern. The first time I saw a dentist after TN discovery I had to see one and I was terrified because a molar is where my TN started. I wrote him a 5 page letter outlining the whole history. Thats how concerned I was. But, he was familiar and assured me it would be ok. As you know though, all cases are different. Fortunately, it all turned out well dental-wise. I want to tell you this also. My neurosurgeon suggested a gamma knife treatment (GK). I inquired about the MVD and he said no – at least in my case. The GK was very easy. No surgery. 9 yrs later it came roaring back. He then treated me with the newer treatment called Cyber Knife (CK). It was even easier than the GK. It did leave me with a lot of numbness in the face though. I’d take the numbness over the pain any day. That was 15 years ago. I still have a little bit of issue but maybe 5% of what I use to have with TN pain. If you haven’t checked with a neurosurgeon about this I would do some research for neurosurgeon that was very familiar with TN and the CK. Toronto probably has this. Check it out and decide if its right for you. It worked for me; but it doesn’t work for everybody. I know you’re under the national health plan there. They’ll probably approve it if your surgeon wants it. I know someone who had the MVD. Worked for her, and she swore by it. But again, it doesn’t work for everybody. EXPERIENCED professionals in this field is paramount. Good luck to you, may God bless you with your issue. And by the way, I’m pulling for you guys with the Blue Jays in the World Series.