Can Trigeminal Neuralgia Be Caused By Dental Procedures?

[mlisaoverdrive]

I'm in excruciating pain that's barely being suppressed by Vicodin; I hope someone can help.

I visited my dentist for the first time in six years around mid/late Sept. to have a crown repaired, and I’ve had several visits since then.  I’ve noticed that the dentist has considerable difficulty numbing the left side of my mouth; it usually takes three rounds of injections before he can work, and he usually calls his partner over to do the third round.  

I asked his partner why it was so difficult and she mentioned anatomical variations.  I think she mentioned that her partner had tried a field block, while she was performing a
major nerve block.

My most recent visit was around Dec 1st to have a lower left front tooth prepared for a crown.  I had mild to moderate pain on that side until night before last when, after eating and brushing my teeth, I experienced the most excruciating pain.  It seemed to be concentrated in the left upper back jaw, near the ear, and the left lower front jaw…around the area where the temporary crown was installed.  It lasted for minutes, I can’t be sure, and then it faded.  Later on, I ate something else, rinsed with mouthwash and the excruciating pain came again.  This morning, at 3:15 AM, when I took meds with water, I felt the pain starting to return and took ½ of a Vicodin tablet, which kept the pain from becoming too severe.  I had to take another half an hour after that.

It's 8:45 AM and I just took another 1/2 vicodin tablet; the pain started up when I tried to chew something on the right side of my mouth.

Please help...or let me know where I can go to for help/answers.  Thank you, in advance.

[JainMD]

Hi,
How are you feeling now? What is your name? How old are you?
Firstly, yes dental procedures especially of molar tooth might cause trigeminal neuralgia.
What I feel you might be suffering from is trigeminal neuralgia, in which pain is distributed along the course of nerve on face.  
The Pain which is severe in nature, stabbing type, lasting for few seconds to minute and which has a triggering factor to it describes pain of trigeminal neuralgia.
Physical examination of the patient is normal. Most patients cause is nerve irritation along the course of distribution of nerve.
Comprehensive pain management care is helpful.
Carbamazepine is drug of choice, but along with Baclofen it serves good result for episodic pain. There are other newer anti-convulsants like toprimate which could be tried, but it depends on neurologist comfort with the drug.
Hope this helps.
Keep me informed about your disease progression and what the dentist have to say about this.
You can visit a neurologist and confirm the diagnosis and start with the management.
Bye.

[littlejay]

Hello, and I understand why you are in overdrive!!I have POST t traumatic trigeminal neuralgia due to a  oral surgeons malpractice. yes it can happen form dental procedures.post traumatic simply means end of the road TN,.it can happen due to trauma, or a compression of the nerve, mine was done by  a man, write me
JJ

[littlejay]

I am in a post traumatic trigeminal survivor. There is nothing to be done for this , besides very aserious MCS procedure, or other stimulation procedures, which can have terrible   side effects, or permanent damageSeizures, death have happened. . It also can cause cognitive problems. I had this PTTN done to me  by an oral surgeon.  In 2005/6.    I recently found (saw the document myself,   ) he , was sued by another individual for malpractice during her oral surgery, in 98. It also was written about in Law Health of 2001. It was buried. I am now in the courts, the expert witness reports submitted, and he has been served, me the 1 lowly percent of those who are able to have Proof, to get a law suit accepted by the court.    He   did surgery that never should have been done, not doing proper imaging,or following protocoll,  but he then Knew that he messed up , and lied to attempt to cover /conceal his act, there fore making it criminal, but we know that a doctor cannot be arrested. I want to change that in this country. The people are told by the insurance companies of ALL OF THE FRIVOLOUS LAW SUITS OUT THERE, when in actual fact 1 percent are ever taken. And only , because the Attorney knows they will win. This is such a nightmare, but I still live on to get the truth out, somehow I will be known as a result of this . I have read literally 100s of entries hundreds of them , written by desperate people who have been harmed by the medical community, in some  cases, compression in others and there is no help.Many many injection injuries, leading to TN, or PTTN resulting,  Nothing that works, for long.
Jay-Jay

JJ

[KTT269]

Hello, I have my wisdom teeth removed on 10/2006. The dr put on his records that he removed 5 teeth, but told me that he removed 7. One month later on 11/2006, another dr in the same office went in the area and scrapped the area where the dr removed the teeth and made it worse. As a result, I was eventually sent to a neurologist and was diagnosised as having trigeminal neuralgia. I then got an attorney on the case, and after almost two years of them having the case they told me the expert couldnt prove anything. I am in so much pain everyday from TN. Can you please help me with an attorney before it is too late???

[dianemc714]

I too have Trigeminal Neuralgia due to a combination of a root canal that was performed on an infected tooth, and a tooth extraction which followed right after (same tooth).  Within two months I had TN.

I saw many doctors and neurologists for help and was put on many, many drugs. Initially, I was taking carbanzbine(sp?), along with another nerve drug, oxicotin, moraphine, steriods, the list goes on and on.  Luckily, I finally saw a neurologist familiar with TN.  He took me off of all of the drugs the other doctor had me on, and put me on Tegretol NR, 400mg, twice a day.  I've been pain free and mobile ever since and it's been over three years now.  Also, with the carbanzabine(sp?), it appeared that when I took that, I would then have awful attacks of pain shortly after taking that medicine.  Get a referral to a doctor familiar with this condition directly from the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association, http://www.fpa-support.org/.  Well worth the effort.    Good luck!