My TN pain is gone after wisdom tooth extraction

My name is Khubaib, and I am a male, 28 years old. I am a TNA member, and would like to share my disease history. It might be useful for other patients.

I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia 5 to 6 years ago, when I started having intense, shocking pain in the right side of my face. It would seem to start from inside my right ear, and go into the right jaw. Originally, I went to an ENT specialist, thinking that there might be some infection in my ear, but couldn’t get it fixed. Finally, I remember after few painful weeks, I ended up in a neurologist office, and he diagnosed me with Trigeminal Neuralgia, and prescribed Neurontin (Gabapentin). It was like a gift from heaven. As soon as I started taking it, the pain was gone.

Anyways, since then, I used to have episodes of pain, sometimes once in a month, or in 2 or 3 months. Intense heat or cold, or chewing something solid (or talking a lot) would seem to trigger the pain, but I could not identify the triggering factor. I would start taking Neurontin, and after 2 or 3 painful days, it would go away. Anyways, as you can imagine, my life was not good with it, as I always had this fear of pain, even when I was out of it. Anywhere I go, I had to take my medicine with me, even when I go to school every day.

Two years ago, I went to the dentist for a routine checkup, and he told me that my bottom right wisdom tooth was horizontally impacted, and it was pushing against the adjacent molar tooth, creating a cavity there. He suggested to get the wisdom tooth extracted. Incidentally, I told him my Trigeminal Neuralgia problem in the right side of the face. And he suggested that the nerve could have been pressed by this impacted wisdom tooth, so I should definitely get it extracted. I went back to my neurologist, and asked him if impacted wisdom tooth could be the problem. He categorically ruled it out, telling me that the kind of symptoms I have are not consistent with the pain because of an impacted wisdom tooth.

Anyways, since I had to extract the tooth because it was creating a cavity, I went through the surgery (got all 4 out), and surprisingly, since then (almost 2 years now), I don’t have any TN face pain. My pain has gone, completely. I have never been without the pain for so long, so I hope that it was really the impacted wisdom tooth.

I am writing here because I wanted to know if that has happened to other people as well, and what do other people think about it. thanks,

p.s.: I never went back to the neurologist.

I got my wisdom teeth out even before they started growing and my pain started about 8 yrs later. You are very lucky to have found out it was that and very blessed to not have that pain anymore!

Thanks for your wishes, I just hope it does not come back, and I wish the same to every one with this pain.

Diana Parker said:

I got my wisdom teeth out even before they started growing and my pain started about 8 yrs later. You are very lucky to have found out it was that and very blessed to not have that pain anymore!

Hi Khubaib,

Like Diana, my wisdom teeth plus others were removed when I was in high school to make way for orthodontic braces - and with regular dentist visits over the years plus dental xrays, ct scans & mri’s - I know my teeth aren’t responsible for any cranial nerve pain I experience.

I hope for your sake also Khubaib, that your problem was simply nerve compaction by your wisdom tooth and not TN. TN does have remissions - however, you’ve been pain free for 2 years - and that’s a great sign that makes TN unlikely.

Though thank you for posting your experience with facial nerve pain! It’s always great to hear of a positive outcome and it may well apply to some - others like myself who prior to getting their diagnosis accurately have had many teeth extracted - unnecessarily, because that is always ones first thought with TN that it is in fact a dental issue - as without knowing about TN then, a Neurological issue is never first to come to mind… I have now about half the amount of adult teeth that I should.

I wish for you to remain free of this type of pain Khubaib! And thank you for continuing being a supporter of TN sufferers & the TNA even now - 2 years after your pain is gone! That is very admirable!

Me too Kerry, I had the mouth full of braces and did not have room for all the extra teeth. I also was in high school, gosh my mom made me go to school the day after lookiing like I had the mumps, LOL don’t know how I got through the day! I see how it may help a few people with TN. It’s worth getting that issue checked out.
LOL Kerry another thing we have in common, I just don’t write so much because I don’t feel up to par to do so, but you explained it all for me! Thanks!

Kerry said:

Hi Khubaib,

Like Diana, my wisdom teeth plus others were removed when I was in high school to make way for orthodontic braces - and with regular dentist visits over the years plus dental xrays, ct scans & mri’s - I know my teeth aren’t responsible for any cranial nerve pain I experience.

I hope for your sake also Khubaib, that your problem was simply nerve compaction by your wisdom tooth and not TN. TN does have remissions - however, you’ve been pain free for 2 years - and that’s a great sign that makes TN unlikely.

Though thank you for posting your experience with facial nerve pain! It’s always great to hear of a positive outcome and it may well apply to some - others like myself who prior to getting their diagnosis accurately have had many teeth extracted - unnecessarily, because that is always ones first thought with TN that it is in fact a dental issue - as without knowing about TN then, a Neurological issue is never first to come to mind… I have now about half the amount of adult teeth that I should.

I wish for you to remain free of this type of pain Khubaib! And thank you for continuing being a supporter of TN sufferers & the TNA even now - 2 years after your pain is gone! That is very admirable!

I have two impacted wisdom teeth on the bottom. They are under the bone and never erupted. No dentist will take them out for fear of parylizing half my face. I’ve had TN for two years now. But I had a long time with no pain. I went almost a year with no pain since my first encounter in 2009. Right now this is my second exaserbation of TN. I think both times it was triggered by me having a baby. I have a two yr old and now a 2 month old. Every time I have a kid something happens. I got bell’s Palsy after my first son. I got Migraines after the second. And TN with the last two. Not to mention the aneurysm they found in my heart at the begining of this last pregnancy. They say I was born with that abnormality.

KHUBAIB, I was wondering how your TN was doing? Has it stayed away? I have an impacted wisdom tooth that nobody wanted to take out but they are now considering it might be part of the problem.

Thanks, Mary