Our brain is a complex structure, consisting of countless nerves and neural pathways. These nerves can encounter abnormalities or injuries. Such incidents can result in chronic conditions. One of such conditions is trigeminal neuralgia, which is a painful disorder. It affects the trigeminal nerve, which covers the face and upper jaw area. Because touching the face can trigger spasms of this disorder, people can mistake it for a dental problem. Nonetheless, it is a neurological disorder, which has nothing to do with oral health. Although there is no cure available for this condition, several pain managing solutions are available.
Life with this disorder
Trigeminal neuralgia can result in frequent attacks of shooting pain in the face. This pain is similar to a burn or an electrical shock. The duration of an attack can vary between a few seconds and a few minutes. An attack can affect a person for an hour or more.
Daily life with facial neuralgia can be can quite hard. The worsening of this condition can result in difficulty eating and speaking. It can also make committing to an oral hygiene routine quite hard. Additionally, the patient remains worried about the next episode of facial pain.
Reasons for trigeminal neuralgia
This condition is usually the result of a blood vessel or a tumor pressing onto the trigeminal nerve. This contact generates pressure on the nerve, damaging its protective coating. This situation can occur as a side-effect of sinus or oral surgery, a stroke, head trauma, or a complication of multiple sclerosis. While this condition can affect people of any age, people above 50 and women are more prone to developing it.
Trigeminal Neuralgia and Teeth
Doctors and surgeons need to consult a thorough medical exam to diagnose this problem. After you discuss this problem with your doctor, he or she will refer you to a neurologist, who may perform an MRI to confirm the location of the problem and formulate a treatment plan.
There is no set treatment plan for every individual with this disorder. Ordinary pain relievers and opioids are not effective in reducing pain. Anticonvulsants, however, may help reduce pain to an extent. Your neurologist may prescribe a muscle relaxant or other medication to help control painful episodes.
Surgery and other options
Surgeons will go for an invasive treatment procedure only when available drugs and medications fail to show any results. Even then, they will want to go ahead with a minimally invasive procedure called microvascular decompression. This procedure has provided complete pain relief to over 75% of patients.
In some cases, the surgeon may choose to damage a nerve to ensure pain relief. This treatment option sounds a bit strange, but damaging a pain-generating nerve may prove to be the best way to provide permanent relief to the patient. Such a treatment plan usually involves radiation to damage that nerve.
Another treatment under investigation is the use of botox, which is derived from the botulinum toxin. This non-surgical treatment option may freeze facial muscles, providing pain relief.
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