The pain can strike at any time, but seems to come and go - with some days or weeks being particularly bad, but then also disappearing for months on end. There are about 2,500 new cases of Trigeminal Neuralgia in the UK each year. Generally it effects people over the age of 50, but certainly not exclusively. Sufferers of this condition often complain of being unable to clean their teeth, eat crunchy food, shave or even take a shower because any of these actions can spark off the pain. Trigeminal Neuralgia can take some time to be diagnosed, as initially it can be mistaken as a dental problem.
Many people seem to have had unnecessary dental work before being correctly diagnosed.
This is no doubt because the pain is often in the mouth, and because Trigeminal Neuralgia is fairly rare so may not be the first thing a GP considers. Once a diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia has been made, the first line of treatment is the drug Tegretol. Some people do very well on this drug. Others either have side effects like drowsiness or dizziness, or do well on it for a while but then need to increase the dosage to get any effect. Tregretol does not cure the condition, but controls the pain.