i have been having a really bad pain in the back of my mouth for about 1 week now. it has been so bad that i took some time off work. i went to the dentist and he did xrays and different test and told me he didn't see anything wrong. it is right around tooth #14 on my upper mouth. i then went to my dr and i told him what the dentist said and he told me i had trigeminal neuralgia. how can he diagnose that condition without an exray or anything? he said based on the dental reports, he is positive. he did a cat scan of which i don't have results back yet. has anyone heard of this problem? all the research i done on trgeminal neuralgia sounds way worse than i am, although, io have been in some serious pain and i even went to er. any comments on this would be appreciated/

Tri****nal neuralgia is caused by degeneration of the nerve or by pressure on it. Any of the three branches of the nerve can be affected. Attacks of the pain caused by it will often cause the person to whince with facial contractions.

neuralgia of the first division results in pain over the forehead and around the eyes; of the second division, pain in the nose, cheek, and upper lip. Neuralgia of the third division results in pain in the lower lip and on the side of the tongue. Episodes of the pain recur over weeks or months, altho there may be spontaneous remissions. Tender areas (trigger zones) and any mechanical activity such as smiling, talking, or touching the face can set off an attack. These trigger points are the part of mucous membrane or skin that is close to the appearance of the nerve involved.

The dx of it is based on the characteristic history of the disorder.

After the doctor confirms the results based on the cat scan, etc., find out what triggers your pain and learn how to avoid those triggers.

Hope this info helps answer your questions.