What should I do about trigeminal neuralgia of the teeth?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on September 26, 2024
00:00
00:00

Trigeminal neuralgia in the teeth is generally caused by lesions in the areas controlled by the trigeminal nerve, leading to pain. This pain has trigger points, which could be a particular patch of skin or triggered during face washing, producing paroxysmal, electric shock-like pain. It is important to differentiate this from tooth-related nerve pain. Sometimes toothache may resemble symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia. If dental treatment does not relieve the pain, it might be trigeminal neuralgia related to the teeth. Trigeminal neuralgia requires medication, and there are many types of treatments available. If medicinal treatment proves ineffective, surgical treatment or acupuncture may be employed. In severe cases, nerve tissue blockage can be performed to temporarily relieve the pain.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
47sec home-news-image

Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia

At present, there is no consensus on the specific causes of trigeminal neuralgia. Most scholars believe that the main cause of trigeminal neuralgia is still due to the presence of a local responsible blood vessel around the trigeminal nerve, which compresses the trigeminal nerve, leading to abnormal discharges of the trigeminal nerve. This results in sudden attacks and sudden stops of severe, knife-like or burning pain, also known as trigeminal neuralgia. In terms of treatment, it mainly involves active drug therapy and some physical therapies, such as massage, manipulation, physiotherapy, and acupuncture. Most patients who experience poor results from conservative treatments can opt for microvascular decompression surgery, which often achieves good therapeutic outcomes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
36sec home-news-image

Where to massage for trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a stubborn and hard-to-treat condition in clinical practice. Sometimes symptoms can be alleviated through massage. Which acupoints should be massaged? For severe eye branch pain, you can massage Jingming, Sibai, Yangbai, and Touwei acupoints. If the pain is in the maxillary branch, you can massage Yingxiang, Quanliao, Xiaguan, and Tinggong acupoints. For severe mandibular branch pain, massage Chengjiang, Dicang, and Jiache acupoints, meaning the massage technique should progress from gentle to firm.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Hong Mei
Neurology
50sec home-news-image

Is occipital neuralgia the same as trigeminal neuralgia?

Occipital neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia are different; these are two distinct diseases with different onset times, affected areas, and pain characteristics. Occipital neuralgia generally occurs in the back of the head and is associated with cervical spondylosis, neck muscle tension, spasms, injury, trauma, and inflammation, typically triggering pain in the distribution area of the greater occipital nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia generally affects the distribution area of the trigeminal nerve, causing very intense pain, which may be like lightning or a burning sensation. It is typically triggered by washing the face, brushing teeth, or touching and can start and stop suddenly.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
33sec home-news-image

Is cold compress effective for trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of intense recurring pain in the facial areas distributed by the trigeminal nerve. When an attack occurs, the pain is unbearable for the patient. Clinically, besides immediately taking medication or opting for surgical treatments after stabilization, applying a cold compress can also alleviate symptoms. Placing a cold towel on the painful facial areas can relieve spasms and pain, improve local swelling, raise the pain threshold, and subsequently reduce the sensation of pain.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
58sec home-news-image

Is trigeminal neuralgia dangerous?

Trigeminal neuralgia manifests in the regions of the face covered by the distributions of the trigeminal nerve, featuring recurrent, severe pain. The onset of the disorder is sudden and it resolves quickly as well. The pain is usually described as cutting, electric shock-like, burning, or tearing; it is a stubborn, difficult-to-treat pain, colloquially known as the "king of pain" and "the foremost pain in the world," which reflects the extreme level of pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia is generally not fatal, but it inflicts significant harm on the human body, making sufferers feel as if death would be preferable. It causes substantial psychological and physical obstacles and can even trigger the onset of some cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, potentially leading to sudden death. Thus, trigeminal neuralgia is considered a rather dangerous disease.