Dental Neuralgia
Dental Neuralgia
Tooth pain is one of the most common forms of pain, it is usually triggered by caries that cause inflammation of the dental pulp. Pain may also occur after surgery and is usually managed with routine analgesics, such as NSAIDs. However, dental pain can be neuralgic in nature: unlike nociceptive inflammatory pain, dental neuralgia is caused by damage to the trigeminal nerve, the largest sensory nerve in our body. The sensory region of the trigeminal involves in fact: skull, ears, eyes, paranasal sinuses, nose, pharynx, infra-temporal fossa, gums, teeth, salivary glands, mucosa of the mouth and skin.
Dental neuralgia in particular may be due to trigeminal nerve diseases such as trigeminal-autonomic cephalalgia, trigeminal neuralgia or post-traumatic neuropathy, which occurs after dental or mouth surgery. The damage to the trigeminal nerve is, in fact, the most problematic outcome of dental surgery.
Diagnosis
It is important to recognize this type of pain because a delayed diagnosis can cause the pain to become chronic. The diagnosis of dental neuralgia from post-traumatic neuropathy is based on the signs and symptoms and the type of surgery that caused the nerve damage and therefore the pain. Usually the onset of pain is close to the mouth intervention over time.
Symptoms
The pain is not limited to the teeth, but radiates to the other areas of the face. The pain initially appears as strong and excruciating, and becomes progressively annoying and throbbing. Pain can be triggered by a stimulus and remain even after the stimulus is removed. It can be intermittent and not have a regular pattern; it can last for months or even years. This condition can have a significant impact on the quality of life, making some daily activities such as eating, drinking and sleeping difficult. The painful symptom can be accompanied by an altered tactile sensation. An abnormal tingling (paresthesia) and pain caused by painless stimulation (allodynia) may occur.
Treatment
Early neuralgia in the teeth is important to avoid chronicization. The treatment is similar to that for other neuralgic pain conditions and is based mainly on the patient's symptoms.
The first goal of treatment is the control of nerve inflammation. The anti-inflammatories used for this purpose are usually cortisone drugs. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary. Heat can worsen the painful symptom, while applying the cold can give relief.
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