Unfortunately, damage to the branches of the trigeminal nerve after maxillofacial surgery and dental treatment is common, in most cases the symptoms are transient and patients fully recover sensation over time. Persistent nerve damage causes serious complications, such as neuropathic pain and trigeminal neuralgia. It is well known that people with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia sometimes have their teeth removed unnecessarily. It is less well known that pain, which appears to be due to idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia, is occasionally due to dental causes.
For this reason, it is suggested that these cases undergo a very careful dental and oral examination prior to the start of drug therapy or surgery. This examination must be thorough and can be tedious and time-consuming. Therefore, it should be performed by a dentist who is especially interested in pain and who is preferably associated with a pain relief center. Pain can then be relieved in some cases by procedures such as fillings, extractions, or occlusal adjustment.
In all cases, the neurologist or neurosurgeon will face his or her responsibility more confidently in the knowledge that all possible peripheral causes have been eliminated. In addition, patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia may have difficulty maintaining a satisfactory level of oral hygiene, both before and after treatment. Therefore, special attention should be paid to this as soon as possible. Trigeminal neuralgia usually occurs spontaneously, but is sometimes associated with facial trauma or dental procedures.
Nerve injury can occur due to negligent dental treatment when the trigeminal nerve is disturbed. Patients with neuropathic orofacial pain eventually require dental treatment, either as routine maintenance or during emergency visits. Because pain can be severe, patients can avoid treatment, increasing the incidence of tooth decay or periodontal disease. While it is not comfortable for the patient to receive routine treatment, maintenance may reduce the need for future invasive procedures.
When invasive therapy, such as gross debridement or scaling and root planing, is required, providers should start with the least invasive approach, 27. A considerable number of patients may have concurrent dental problems due to poor oral hygiene or other reasons that may exacerbate TN symptoms. When patients experience pain caused by perioral triggers associated with TN, their first visit may be to the dentist. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to help dental professionals identify quality providers of continuing dental education. Any patient who complains of ongoing pain in the tooth or periodontal structures usually suffers from dental disease.
Nerve injury can occur due to normal dental treatment, so it can't always arise due to negligent care. Diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia involves a physical examination and a detailed medical history to rule out other causes of facial pain. A TN patient should inform their dentist of the condition and any dental procedure should be performed only when the patient is in a pain-free period with the appropriate medications in. Trigeminal neuropathic pain is a condition that occurs when one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve are injured.
When asked if patients would undergo another dental procedure if needed to relieve pain, only 2 out of 10 patients who had initially received partial relief responded that they would repeat a similar procedure. The resulting symptoms may be similar to those caused by dental problems, and sometimes people with undiagnosed trigeminal neuralgia explore multiple dental procedures in an effort to control pain. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition characterized by pain that originates from the trigeminal nerve, which begins near the top of the ear and divides into three, towards the eye, cheek, and jaw. The first thing to do is to see a dental nerve specialist (such as an oral surgeon, microneurosurgeon, or doctor) to determine which nerve has been injured and what caused the injury.
The dentist will ask you about your symptoms and perform a dental x-ray to help investigate your facial pain. . .
