Michael E. Foster, D.D.S.
Foster Family Dentistry
5704 Hwy. 290 West
Austin, TX 78735
512-892-2273
http://www.fosterfamilydentistry.com/DrFoster.htm
Transcript: Dental care for the classic trigeminal neuralgia patient
The most important thing is for patients to have good quality home care. You’ve got to take care of your teeth and that’s good brushing, flossing, whatever your dentist recommends. And you need to go see the dentist on a fairly routine basis. Be that one, two, three times a year or whatever you or your dentist feels is the most appropriate for you.
If you’re a classic trigeminal neuralgia patient, then there are times where you’ll be in remission and that’s obviously the best time to go. And when you make an appointment, if you’re having an episode, I guess that’s probably the best thing is to call and say it’s probably not a good time but just remember that you know you are taking the dentist’s time so try to pick your appointment times when you would probably not have any attacks. And should it happen then they’ll understand that. If there’s certain times of the day, week, month that you can typically be sure that you would not have a problem, then I would recommend that you go see the dentist at that time, schedule your appointments.
I would not do any extra dentistry that isn’t absolutely necessary. You know you’re routine dentistry, fillings, and you know should you need root canals, crowns or that type. I’d be a little bit hesitant on elective dentistry, cosmetic type dentistry things that you don’t absolutely need to have unless you have an understanding that you know this could trigger some episodes.
You need to be well medicated, non-stressed, probably in most cases early in the morning when you’re at the least tired. Make sure that you’re taking your medications and maybe even talk to your physician and you might want to up your dosage of medication the night before just to be well medicated. Your dentist will probably have you take some analgesics before the appointment and I would imagine have you take some afterwards just to help make sure that the nerve is pretty well calm.
Make sure that you’re dentist knows that you’re a trigeminal neuralgia patient. They have a lot of issues going on; a lot of work with patients, and frequently patients don’t want to mention that. They feel like that if they don’t talk about trigeminal neuralgia, it won’t come back. So, sometimes you know it always helps to refresh the dentist’s memory that you are a trigeminal neuralgia patient so that he won’t get off on a tangent and possibly be talking about doing you know extra procedures or longer procedures than really what’s required at that point in time.
So the best thing I can say is if you’re not hurting, make sure that you stay that way and go to the dentist and take care of your teeth because they’re there for a lifetime. And make sure that you inform the dentist that you are a trigeminal neuralgia patient.