Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: clinical aspects and dental procedures.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluation of the characteristics and dental treatments in a Brazilian series of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) patients.

STUDY

DESIGN

Forty-eight subjects with ITN were interviewed and evaluated according to a systematized approach.

FINDINGS: (a) location of the trigger zone, intraoral in 64.58%; (b) comorbidities, 18 patients (hypertension in 9); (c) treatment with dental procedures for ITN according to duration of pain (31), 44.44% (during the first year), 50.00% (1-5 years), 80.00% (5-10 years), and 100.00% (>10 years). There was no correlation between trigger zone location and the frequency of previous dental procedures (P=.667). There was significant statistical correlation between the number of patients who underwent dental treatments and the duration of ITN (P=.004).

CONCLUSION

(a) Demographic characteristics of this sample are similar to those described in the literature, (b) the dental procedures were not correlated with location of trigger zone, and (c) patients with long-lasting ITN had more number of previous dental procedures.