A 58-year-old woman came to her dentist with atypical pain on the right side of the mandible.The pain diminished with the use of carbamazepine, paracetamol and diclofenac, and eventually disappeared completely. Magnetic resonance imaging, undertaken at the advice of a neurologist, showed no structural lesions and confirmed the diagnosis of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition which often can be diagnosed on the basis of the clinical history and the specific symptoms. The condition can be divided into idiopathic and symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia. It is important to consider a possible trigeminal neuralgia in case of atypical pain in the oral region in order to prevent unnecessary dental procedures.