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: How to find a dentist
If you’re trying to find a dentist to take you as a patient and you are either a trigeminal neuralgia patient or you feel like you might be a trigeminal neuralgia patient, what I would recommend is if you have a support group in your area to call your support group and see if they could recommend a dentist or a handful of dentists.
Just be aware that trigeminal neuralgia is not a very common disease and a lot of dentists are not very comfortable with it, mainly from lack of knowledge. It’s not on the forefront. So don’t be surprised if you call a dentist and tell them that you have trigeminal neuralgia or they may not really know what it is or they may not be very familiar with it.
I would probably recommend that if you have trouble finding a dentist, at least call and tell them that you have trigeminal neuralgia. Ask them if that would be any kind of a problem. Most dentists, I don’t believe, would have any problem.
There are probably some dentists that see more patients with this. How you find them? I’m not sure how you do that in all areas of the country. You can try your support group. I would check with some oral surgeons. Ask them for a referral. The local dental society would probably have some potential referrals.
So, I don’t think you’ll have much problem finding a dentist but don’t be surprised if not every dentist really is aware of your particular disease or needs. And that’s also a good time to maybe educate them. So, there’s nothing wrong with you educating a dentist. And he may become an advocate for trigeminal neuralgia at that point.
So, just do your best and be upfront with all your information. And whatever you do and this has happened to me personally, when you go in and you meet a dentist and if you do have a toothache or a pain or whatever, for gosh sake, tell them that you have had a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia and don’t make him have to sort that out over ten or fifteen or twenty minutes, give him a heads up.