Knowledge and experience of dentists with patients with trigeminal neuralgia: A prospective, cross-sectional survey study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and orofacial pain (OFP) patients frequently refer to dentists. It is often confused with odontogenic pain and dental procedures are performed. In this study, the authors aimed to reveal the knowledge and experience of dentists about TN. Methods This is a cross-sectional study that includes dentists who participate in volunteering via an online questionnaire. The questionnaire form contains demographic data, TN treatment, and diagnosis consisting of 18 questions. Results The data of 229 dentists were examined. Almost 82% of the participants reportedly knew the diagnostic criteria of TN and 61.6% reported that they had previously referred patients with TN. The most frequently confused diagnosis was odontogenic pains (45.9%). Conclusion TN diagnostic criteria should be included more often in the education of dentists. Thus, it is possible to prevent unnecessary dental procedures. There is a need to increase knowledge on this subject with further studies involving dental students.