Ok i have a dentist appointment this thurs or friday…im probbaly getting 2 teeth pulled my front big tooth and the little one next to it however the little one has broken off…but im so scared first of the pain and second because of my TN i havent been to the denstist since i found out i had tn the dentist scared me since that is how i know i got TN from a routine route canal…anyhow im suppose to bring my meds to tell them…i take 2700mg of gabapentin a day i have knocked off the percocet to where i only take it when my TN is really bad…anyhow could me taking the gabapentin stop me from getting my teeth pulled? Or any ideas on how to brace my self…eveyone is telling me that i will be okay which i know i will be just scared…also doing xrays are going to be fun since when i bite down i get shocked…ugh…
Hope everyone had a safe and happy turkey day and had safe travles
Janice
I had an extraction after getting TN ....I was horrified at the thought! I had somebody drive me, I had called the dentist two days before and asked for a valuim type med to be called in to pharmacy so I could stay calm
Now I would also google images - trigeminal neuralgia - and print one off that shows the branches of the nerves - I did this for two fillings two weeks ago - and she showed me where she was going to work
Let us know how it goes--I don't think your med will have anything to do with extractions - so stay on it - you can always check with pharmacist or dr.
I have my first dentist appointment tomorrow after being diagnosed and I am scared to death. I had 2 MVD surgeries in June, I still have pains but not like I used to. I am afraid that going to the dentist will set everything back off. I am having my teeth cleaned and on my TN side I have lost a filling and have a cavity. Any words of wisdom would help... good luck at your appointment
LeahL,
I will let you know how my appointment goes as far as yours be very vocal with your dentist…i plan on doing what KC said…as far as wisdom dear i wish i could give you some just keep your chin up and i will be thinking about you while ur at the dentist also please keep me updated…mine will either take place sometime tomorrow or friday until then tho my nerves are crazy total butterflies in my stomach…but my husband promised that he wouldnt let anything bad happen and would hold my hand the entire time <3…the only other teeth ive had pulled were my wisdom teeth and i was asleep…then of course when i got my root canal which is how i believe my TN came about :(…anyhow sorry for rambling…
My dentist had me co-ordinate with my neurologist to increase my gabapentin before dental work, so your regular dose shouldn't cause any problems.
If you can, try nitrous oxide (laughing gas). My daughter had a tooth pulled when she was young using nitrous, and she didn't need any lidocaine. My dentist keeps trying it on me, but I hate the smell and just start breathing through my mouth.
Let the dental assistant know that you can't bite down efficiently, s/he'll work with you to get just enough pressure to hold it in place.
Set up a time-out sign, like a hand wave, just in case having your mouth open for a long time triggers an attack.
Be prepared to take a percocet when the lidocaine starts to wear off. Sometimes the sensation coming back is extremely uncomfortable, at least that's my experience.
It's terrifying the first time you go back, but it will be okay. You'll survive it with only minor discomfort, just be careful to follow after-care instructions carefully because a dry socket on your active TN side is sincerely not fun.
the last dentist appt I had they hit me Novocain just for the cleaning and it worked great. The time before that I was put out under full sedation for a cavity filling. That worked too.
Tina S thankyou for all the thoughts and they will be discussed when i see my denitist…and im already on percocet for my TN the only meds i take are gabapenting 3 pills at a time at 300mgs a peice and percocet anyhowmy appointment is for 730am tomorrow
Todd Friesen thank you for the ideas
Still pretty nervous! But going in there with an open mind and try to stay calm since stress doesnt do my TN any good
I used nitrous (first time ever) & it worked well. I also had the most experienced hygienist in the office work with me. she went very slow & just drizzled the lido solution along my gums slowly as she worked. b/c I was concerned about post-procedure “kickback” pain, she was very slow & gentle. I was scared to death the first time, but all went fine. agree with the others that making sure your dentist is educated is critical.
sorry everyone that I'm just now getting back to everyone my dentist knew just how to handle pulling my teeth with out me getting shocked it did take a few shots of novacaine..I before he pulled them I discussed all my concerns but he had shown my that he had knowledge of TN..other then that it was a piece of cake and I was getting myself all worked up over nothing. thank you everyone :)
