Diagnosed With Trigeminal Neuralgia? Here's How To Have Pearly Whites!

Posted on: 17 August 2016

If you have trigeminal neuralgia, you may have been neglecting your teeth and rightly so since the condition, known as the suicide disease, can be triggered by forces in your mouth. Obviously, you never want to do anything to cause the pain, but if doing nothing has changed your pearly whites to an awful shade of yellow. Here's what you can do about it.

Speak with your Neurosurgeon or Neurologist

Before you attempt to go under sedation and have dental work of any kind done, speak with your neurosurgeon or neurologist. He or she will probably want to do a full exam on you to see if your medication needs to be adjusted, especially since you are undergoing sedation. Talk to a dentist like Accent On Dentistry - Rowena R Martir DMD as well so they are aware of your condition and can work with your doctor to find the best treatment.

Get Sedation Dental Care and Teeth Whitening

Since you are extremely sensitive and at risk of intense pain, you'll need sedation dentistry for everything. The pain can come on so suddenly and so strongly that any equipment or tools in your mouth could cause you additional harm as your body naturally tenses up due to the pain. Sensations in your mouth might also trigger the pain. 

Schedule Sedation In Between Medication

As everyone with trigeminal neuralgia knows, taking the preventative medication too late could result in the pain being triggered. Therefore, it's extremely important that the sedation for the dental work is scheduled immediately after a dose of your medication so that the dentist has enough time to treat you and you have enough time to wake up and recover from the sedation before your next dose is due.

Avoid Foods and Drinks that Stain

After your teeth have been whitened, it would be a great idea for you to avoid tobacco products, and food and drinks that easily stain teeth. You probably already avoid drinking hot or cold coffee and tea if temperature changes tend to trigger your pain. But pasta sauce, balsamic vinegar, wine, berries, and chocolate are other things that can discolor your teeth. Ask your dentist or oral hygienist for a list of other things that can discolor your mouth. Also, your dentist can give you a prescription for a mouthwash that can wash away stains if you do eat or drink something that stains teeth.

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