I have had an MVD and 2 gamma knife procedures. Daily Carbamazepine controls my pain, but I am having what seems to be normal tooth pain on the side where my TN is. Are there dentist that specialize in TN dentistry here in Tucson? Im hoping someone will pop up with the name of a wonderful dentist here and tell me I have nothing to worry about, but I know this monster and it is very temperamental so I am scared to death to have the tooth looked at. I am not young and I’m sure I will have more tooth problems the older I get so what in the world do I do? Any advise or words of encouragement would be appreciated. I know I will have to address the problem at some point, has anyone gone through this ?
I agree with you. I also worry about teeth problems in the future. I would suggest maybe phoning a few dentists in your area and asking them if they are aware of TN. Good luck. Mary
Thank you for the reply Mary. Today I decided to do just that, finding a dentist that has some knowledge of TN is most important,especially because the pain treatment used by the dentist would need to be different. But I better just go in, the sooner the better before it gets worse.
Hi there,
I had TN and NONE of the dentist know what to do. All they can do is scratch their heads and look like a deer with their heads lights on. Go to a Neurosurgeon who specializes in TN. Unfortunetly the tooth ache may set off the TN as you know…
I Have GPN. GPN can make it seem like “Teeth” ache as it can make all my teeth hurt on the same side. (left side most of the time) It’s a really good idea to have your teeth checked to ensure there are no issues with your teeth. (docs know to do that) The problem I have had is I’m on Pregabalin (Lyrica). The Lyrica wouldn’t allow the freezing to work. I made the decision to have a root canal without freezing. I didn’t go back to the dentist for 5 years because I didn’t want to experience anything like that again. Eventually the dentist was able to find an anesthetic that worked, and now it’s in my chart, so they know if they need to freeze, what to use.
I was afraid to go to the dentist , however I found a dentist who was willing to work with my neuro to minimize the risk.(as much as possible) They talked before my first visit, I up my Oxtellar prior to each visit. My dentist gives me a shot on both sides regardless of where he is working in my mouth. That minimizes the risk of pain. We talk prior to each visit and he makes sure the hygienist is aware of the TN diagnosis. My regular cleanings are done in two visits instead of one. So far its been two years and no TN episodes related to my dental care. . Of course he made me sign something for my chart that says there is no guarantee I wont have an episode as a result of the dental care and I was ok with that. He is out of network but worth it!
Hi Txninaz,
I have had TN on and off and it always starts in a tooth. Definitely take the time to look around for a dentist with knowledge of TN and also take the time to sit down and have a conversation with him/her about it.
My general rule of thumb is that if there is nothing physically wrong with the tooth that the dentist can find then leave it alone. I have heard so many stories of TNers getting unnecessary root canals (I had one on a healthy tooth it turns out) or having multiple teeth extracted due to pain only later to find out that they have TN.
Jane
Something to remember is the fifth cranial nerve is that goes to the teeth. My teeth often hurt badly when my TN flares and nothing is wrong with them.
( did not mean to link this comment to you, but not use to the new system and not sure what I did.)
Before I started with my dentist I actually talked to the office manager and explained my TN to her prior to setting up an appointment. When they had their weekly practice meeting she was able to present the information about me and discuss options to how they could treat me. I also signed a release for them to be able to speak to my neuro directly. By doing that, I was able to confirm that they actually do want to make the patient (me) comfortable through it as much as possible, they understood what TN is and that they understand the medications I am on and how they interact with any medications they might use.
My teeth on my left side hurt. After reading though Striking Back I have learned that some food and seasonings can cause flare ups. Figuring out my triggers has helped to keep flare ups co trolled to a mild ache. At the moment I haven’t tried a dentist. The hospital has check to make sure the pain wasn’t tooth related. When I think about making an appointment i have anxiety wash over me and I feel like throwing up. I know how you feel and I am sorry you are going though it.
I want to Thank all of you for taking the time to respond! Wonderful
advise from every one of you, Thank you!! I have to start my quest now
because over the weekend i had half of a tooth crumble, not on my TN side
thankfully, but still scared. I think I will be able to take the time to
find the right Dentist though, because there is no pain from the break at
this point.
Hi, I have a dentist who knows about TN and actually It was was suspected to be TN by another dentist 11 years ago, he sent me upstairs to an orthodontist,who took an xray of all my teeth, to eliminate any teeth issues, then phoned a neurologist to discuss it and was able to write me a script for Tegretol, to take while waiting for the Neurologist appointment. The Orthodontist handed the phone to me and the Neurologist mad an appointment for me in 4 days time.
They were great, so they do exist, its just a matter of finding one who knows about TN. Plus not having any major dental work done without having xrays first, to prove its needed.
My current Dentist told me how to find out is the pain in a tooth or three teeth was actually the tooth or was TN.
He said to tap the tooth that hurt the most with the metal handle of a knife or fork; then if it hurt more, then the tooth needed further investigation; else it was TN.
This has worked for me many, many times and I found it good advice.
Actually, often, when I tap a hurting tooth the pain actually goes away…
so I know its definitely TN.
One suspects its TN but the pain is sometimes sooo bad in the tooth or in several teeth that you start to think its your teeth.
Plus I visit my dental hygienist every 6 months for a clean and inspection; to make sure I do not get any teeth issues.
hope this information helps…
I had the same thing that was very bad, went to see an endodontist. he ran a test on my to verify that it was TN. My normal dentist will not see me until I take care of the TN. It isn’t the tooth it is the nerves in your jaw that are included in the trigeminal nerve. you might want to visit with an oral surgeon to see if there is anything he can do for you.
I have avoided the dentist since I was diagnosed in 2014. When I had a difficult flare up in June my face swelled. My neurologist said TN doesn’t cause swelling and was sure it was a tooth problem. Although my face and gums have swollen before. So I had to get a dentist to see me quickly. He was very kind and understanding but could find nothing wrong with my teeth. He seemed to understand TN so I decided I would go back for a cleaning. They were so gentle and the cleaning did not cause any pain. Unfortunately though they found a infection on one of the X-rays. So I had to go back for root canal. It was horrible. They worked on the tooth for awhile but couldn’t get to all the tunnels so they packed the tooth and sent me home for two weeks while the medicine in the packing did its thing. Needless to say the TN raised its ugly head that night. My face swelled up so big. I missed work it was awful for a good week. Feeling much better I had to go back Thursday to have it finished. They messed with that tooth for over 2 hours. It hurts so bad. I have missed work again and have been in bed in pain. Increasing gabapentin and hope this ends soon. I am definitely going to try and find another dentist. This has been awful. I just don’t know how to be sure they really get it!