Hi. i have bilateral facial numbness and some pain with it. Have been told it is neuropathic pain, not TN. I'm a bit of a worrier and thought i would post as i have toothache, x-rays appear fairly normal but i have a large silver filling of 10 years and dentist thinks it may be worth taking the filling out though also said it is so close to the nerve that it may need root canal treatment. My fear is of the anaethetic or the root canal treatment making my neuropathic pain worse. Anyone have any knowledge of risks involved with this? I have read a lot about the possible link with dentistry and facial pain.

Hi. You mentioned neuropathic pain. Did your dr. clarify the type? I was DXed with trigeminal neuropathy. Dental work makes my trigeminal neuropathy flare terribly. My dr. told me to avoid any unneeded dental procedures. Do you absolutely need to have the dental work done? Have you asked the dr. who DXed your neuropathic pain what his/her thoughts are on this dental work and the risks involved? That would be a good place to start. Everyone is so different that it would be impossible to know how you would react to the procedure. BTW, I would never have a root canal with trigeminal neuropathy...I would opt to pull the tooth.

No he didn't really clarify the type. He said that i have a benign malfunction of the central nervous system and then went on to explain nerves sending false signals to the brain and within that used the term neuropathic pain. I find the whole differntation of types of facial pain rather confusing though it's clear in my case that i don't have classic TN symptoms. What is trigeminal neuropathy?

Sorry you're going through all of this. I know it can be a real pain (no pun intended! ) and quite frustrating. Perhaps you can call your dr for clarification. That might assist you a great deal by shedding some light on what is going on with you and what his dx was. Then you won't have to play the guessing game. What type of dr are you seeing? Does he specialize in facial pain? Did he put you on any meds for the pain or offer any solutions to alleviate the pain? I would recommend a dr that specializes in facial pain. Many docs have never heard of it, believe it or not. Go figure.

There are many different types of facial pain and not all present as TN. Have you looked at the stickies for various links that can provide you with a great deal of information on the different types of facial pain and classifications. There is some good information there. My symptoms do not present as TN. They are constant and bilateral. I saw an orofacial pain specialist after countless dr's and dentists before I was properly diagnosed. I hope you find some relief and keep us posted.

So sorry you have TN. Before you even consider a root canal, please post byranna for some good information. There is a dental thread. Hope you get the proper DX and treatment. ginnie