What should I do?

[eyeballfanatic]

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I know this isn't the right place, but this (to me) is an emergency of sorts:

I've been with the same dentist for my entire life. I went to him for a checkup, he said I had a deep cavity (one that I believe was filled before same tooth), with a silver filling. He refilled/redrilled on Wed. He said he put a medicated barrier on the tooth because the decay was close to the pulp. Before I got ANY of this done, I had no sensitivity at all and only occasional pain (once a month or twice a month). Now after the filling (Saturday, so 4 days after), it is pretty sensitive to cold, and fairly sensitive to air and heat. And its not been decreasing that much. I move on Saturday to a location where I am not comfortable getting dental work done. My general dentist that I've been with says that its a 50/50 chance of RCT. My brother got a root canal from an endo here and it turned out fine. So if anything I want to get mine done here. I won't be back to this location until the end of November for Thanksgiving. So my question is, do I wait until Nov. to see if I need a root canal (but I might get the pain just a couple weeks in, and then I would have to deal with it for months while in grad school) or do I just get it done on Monday or Tuesday because the decay is pretty bad and my brother who was in the same situation didn't have his sensitivity go away until his RC.

 

[theleatherwalle]

I would do the RC now. Tooth sensitivity is a tricky subject. I will let someone with more experience answer your question.

 

[Daurang]

You already knew the answer...you probably need a root canal.

 

[eyeballfanatic]

are rc done in one appt with crown

 

[doc toothache]

If we did endo on all teeth that become hypersensitive after a resto procedure, we would probably need to hire a part or full time endodontist.

 

[uthscsaalum]

I would give it a few more days and have the original dentist check on it for you and let him or her make the call after re-evaluating the tooth.

If you are concerned about someone else working on it for you in the event of you needing a root canal and crown, tell your dentist and he/she might be able to find you some specialists (one for the endo, one for the crown) in the area you'll be so you can feel more confident in the stranger working on your tooth.

 

[eyeballfanatic]

i think if I go to my gen dentist on monday (so 6 days after original filling) get an impression for the crown, and the rc on tuesday that would work right?

im just spooked bc i've NEVER had sensitivity in my life on that tooth

 

[Streetwolf]

i think if I go to my gen dentist on monday (so 6 days after original filling) get an impression for the crown, and the rc on tuesday that would work right?

im just spooked bc i've NEVER had sensitivity in my life on that tooth

No. First of all, depending on the tooth and the anatomy (and skill of your dentist), the RCT could take anywhere from 1-3 visits. Only THEN will your dentist schedule you in for the crown prep/temp/impression and then a visit for the crown insert. Best case scenario is that you get the root canal and crown prep/temp/impression done in one long appointment followed by the insert 1-2 weeks later (depending on the lab).

Did you get a composite (white) filling? Those can have lingering sensitivity, especially if they are close to the nerve. Sometimes it can take a couple weeks to settle down. I usually give it around a month unless you are having extreme pain or if you have pain without a stimulus (e.g. reading a book, watching TV, trying to sleep, etc).

In the meantime try using sensodyne toothpaste. You can also take a very small amount on your finger right before you go to bed and rub it onto the offending tooth. Don't rinse or anything afterward. You have to give it a couple weeks to work though.

 

[eyeballfanatic]

No. First of all, depending on the tooth and the anatomy (and skill of your dentist), the RCT could take anywhere from 1-3 visits. Only THEN will your dentist schedule you in for the crown prep/temp/impression and then a visit for the crown insert. Best case scenario is that you get the root canal and crown prep/temp/impression done in one long appointment followed by the insert 1-2 weeks later (depending on the lab).

Did you get a composite (white) filling? Those can have lingering sensitivity, especially if they are close to the nerve. Sometimes it can take a couple weeks to settle down. I usually give it around a month unless you are having extreme pain or if you have pain without a stimulus (e.g. reading a book, watching TV, trying to sleep, etc).

In the meantime try using sensodyne toothpaste. You can also take a very small amount on your finger right before you go to bed and rub it onto the offending tooth. Don't rinse or anything afterward. You have to give it a couple weeks to work though.

my brother's endo did it in 1 visit, so i figure he'd do mine in 1 visit too, esp bc its the same tooth and same condition (ie pretty decayed) i got a silver filling and my gen dentist said to use the sensodyne toothpaste and I am using it. i dont have EXTREME pain but i do have pretty extreme sensitivity that borders pain. for ex if i drink some cold water the sensitive remains for 10-15 seconds after the water is gone.

 

[wigglytooth]

ok guys, so what's the first rule of SDN? it's not the place to discuss specific dental concerns. sorry OP, ask your original dentist to know for sure 'cause the internet isn't going to know any better. closing the thread.