need dental advice...

[goobernaculum]

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hello dentists and dental students...

several weeks ago, I got a filling on a premolar and on a molar next to it (the cavity spread between the teeth...sucked). Anyhow...it took forever to fill the cavity (I believe the dentist had to somehow get in between the teeth also). Afterwards, he said it would be senstive to temperature for a while. Well...it's been almost a month now and not only is my tooth sensitive to temperature, but it's also sensitive to pressure (i.e.- chewing). It seems to be getting progressively worse. Before the filling, the cavity was causing a gray discoloration between the premolar and the molar. TODAY, I noticed that the discoloration has spread and has concentrated between the premolar and the other premolar next to it! However, no abscess and no funky smells when I floss between those teeth. Just pain and discoloration. Should I get my tail to the dentists ASAP? Thanks!

 

[DrJeff]

Go see your dentist, quickly!!

The 2 most likely scenarios here are as follows, and one's ALOT better than the other 😀

#1 The restoration is too "high". Basically put, you received too much filling material and when you bite on that tooth, it is hitting slightly before the rest of your teeth do, hence its dealing with more biting force than normal. When this happens, you basically get a "bruise" on your tooth and it tends to "overreact" to temperature and pressure. This is the best case scenario, since an adjustment to the occlussion of this tooth will give you quick relief and a noramlly functioning tooth in a few days

#2 The restoration was close to the nerve (pulp) of the tooth, and the pul[ has been actutely inflamed and has started to die. This in loose terms is translated as "you getting an abcess" on that tooth. If thats the case, you're looking at either a root canal and a crown for the tooth, or an extraction with multiple restorative options for the space afterwards.

I hope that it's just simply #1, and believe it or not, your dentist does too!