Screening and diagnosis
If
you've gone to your dentist, an examination of your mouth will reveal
whether a problem with your teeth or gums is causing your pain.
If
you've gone to your doctor, he or she will want to ask about your
medical history and have you describe your pain — how severe it is, what
part of your face it affects, what seems to trigger episodes of pain.
You'll also undergo a neurologic examination. During this examination,
your doctor will examine and touch parts of your face to try to
determine exactly where the pain is occurring and — if it appears you
have trigeminal neuralgia — which branches of the trigeminal nerve may
be affected.
Your
doctor may exclude other possible conditions based on your medical
history, the examination and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of
your head.
