teeth sensitive after fillings

[finboy]

i had 2 fillings put in a couple weeks ago, and i've noticed that they are really sensative to heat/cold, for example drinking a glass of milk = nighmare.

not i've had other fillings like this but apperantly these were quite deep, i understand that some discomfort would be normal after fillings, but a couple weeks after with lots of pain seems a little excessive i think.

anyone have any idea how i can take care of some of the pain before i get back to the dentist this week? so far tylenol isn't doing much, and i don't want to be popping 2-3 tylenol every time i eat :rofl:

[1-Cent]

Maybe you should... you know... go back to the dentist? What are you looking for here? Someone to tell you if you raise your right arm above your head and rotate your left ankle while you eat it won't hurt so much? GOTO THE DENTIST :banghead:

[FiveFreshFish]

I prefer this stuff to Tylenol for tooth pain.

http://www.anbesol.com/tooth/images/prod_img.gif

[yeerj]

My gf is a dental assistant and this is what she told me.

Cold sensitivity is normal especially if the fillings are deep. However, hot sensitivity is not usually a good sign. If the pain from heat is lasting quite a long time (ie 1 min or 5 or 10, etc.) you should really go back to the dentist because the nerve in your tooth may be dying. Even if the sensitvity to heat is not lasting a significant length of time you should still go back to your dentist to have the nerve tested just in case.

By the way you should take advil for the pain because it decreases inflamation in the tooth and this may help more than tylenol.

If you want to go to my gf office let me know.

Also if your nerve is dying this may lead to a root canal so you're better off to get your tooth checked out now.

[NickGT]

I had a similar problem on my last filling. Apparently the bite after the filling wasn't entirely right and he had to take his little grinding tool to the filling and fix it. It was insanely sensitive. I guess over time it'll fix itself but I wasn't prepared to wait. I went in with no pain, and left in pain pfff... Hate the dentist, but nothing feels quite as good as when you've had your teeth cleaned. :angel:

[finboy]

Originally posted by finboy

anyone have any idea how i can take care of some of the pain before i get back to the dentist this week?



Originally posted by 1-Cent
Maybe you should... you know... go back to the dentist? What are you looking for here? Someone to tell you if you raise your right arm above your head and rotate your left ankle while you eat it won't hurt so much? GOTO THE DENTIST :banghead:

read ;)

[finboy]

Originally posted by yeerj
My gf is a dental assistant and this is what she told me.

Cold sensitivity is normal especially if the fillings are deep. However, hot sensitivity is not usually a good sign. If the pain from heat is lasting quite a long time (ie 1 min or 5 or 10, etc.) you should really go back to the dentist because the nerve in your tooth may be dying. Even if the sensitvity to heat is not lasting a significant length of time you should still go back to your dentist to have the nerve tested just in case.

By the way you should take advil for the pain because it decreases inflamation in the tooth and this may help more than tylenol.

If you want to go to my gf office let me know.

Also if your nerve is dying this may lead to a root canal so you're better off to get your tooth checked out now.

ouch, dieing nerve isn't what i want to hear :(, hopefully they can get me in by the end of the week or i'll get the number of your gf's office from you, thanks :)

[B18C]

Sounds like you need a root canal. :(

[1-Cent]

Originally posted by finboy





read ;)

I did... why are you waiting a week? I've never had a dentist turn me away for a problem that HE CAUSED. I've been in your situation and I've gotten in the same afternoon or at latest the next day, be more assertive or you've got nothing to complain about :dunno:

[BlueFrenzy]

I'm a dentist and I'll tell you this now. Some people will experience sensitivity for a long time (weeks) especially with large/deep fillings. It should ideally be getting better with time as your tooth/nerves have to adapt to the "trauma". The other thing is that depending on what kind of filling you got, it may cause more/less sensitivity. Silver fillings tend to have less sensitivity associated than compared to white ones. White ones are a polymer that shrink when cured with the blue light ... this forms a micro gap that can lead to sensitivity. This is an unavoidable part of using the filling ... so there is a certain technique that goes with using these fillings (layered incrementally).

Now with that aside, there is the possibility that the filling does not have a tight seal. Ideally, the filling should be flush with the tooth ... any large gaps can cause sensitivity. I said that micro gaps happen with white fillings and that it is technique sensitive. These micro gaps are undetectable with the human eye/hand (you need an electron microscope to see it). If there are BLATANT gaps between the filling and tooth then this is poor technique on the dentists part, and not "design flaw" of the filling.

With deep fillings, there is the unfortunate possibility that the tooth may be dying ... so in this case, a root canal. The dentist probably did his best to avoid hitting the nerve, but there are also circumstances where the cavity already progressed into the nerve. This means that the nerve is infected also likely a root canal.

Some signs to look for:
1) when drinking cold, if the sensitivity does go away within 1-5 seconds, likely a "leaky" filling or you're slow to recover. This is actually a good thing. You can have your dentist try to redo the filling for a better seal. Ask if the dentist is going to put a liner to insulate the nerve. Typical liners include glass ionomer, calcium hydroxide or ZOE (zinc oxide eugenol).

2) when drinking cold, if the sensitivity lasts for more than 10-30 seconds (ie minutes). This is a bad sign ... indicative of a dying nerve. Either the nerve was infected to start with or that the nerve is not viable, so root canal in this case. If you want to be conservative, you can ask to have the filling redone (as above) to see if it makes a difference but likely a root canal.

3) spontaneous/instantaneous pain with out being provoked (no cold/hot) ... also a sign of infected/dying nerve. Root canal.

4) pain on biting down ... this is a high filling so have your dentist adjust the height.

As for your sensitivity you are experiencing ... you can try Sensodyne. Some people find that it gives great relief. Only thing with Sensodyne is that you have to continue using it for it to work. It deposits a precipitate that forms a barrier on your tooth. Think of it like waxing your car. It may take a few days for it to kick in.

Anbesol is useless. It's a topical anesthetic that will only last for a few minutes. You end up ingesting most of it. I'd rather you take Advil or Tylenol. PM or reply if you got any other questions.

[B18C]

Originally posted by BlueFrenzy
I'm a dentist and I'll tell you this now. Some people will experience sensitivity for a long time (weeks) especially with large/deep fillings. It should ideally be getting better with time as your tooth/nerves have to adapt to the "trauma". The other thing is that depending on what kind of filling you got, it may cause more/less sensitivity. Silver fillings tend to have less sensitivity associated than compared to white ones. White ones are a polymer that shrink when cured with the blue light ... this forms a micro gap that can lead to sensitivity. This is an unavoidable part of using the filling ... so there is a certain technique that goes with using these fillings (layered incrementally).

Now with that aside, there is the possibility that the filling does not have a tight seal. Ideally, the filling should be flush with the tooth ... any large gaps can cause sensitivity. I said that micro gaps happen with white fillings and that it is technique sensitive. These micro gaps are undetectable with the human eye/hand (you need an electron microscope to see it). If there are BLATANT gaps between the filling and tooth then this is poor technique on the dentists part, and not "design flaw" of the filling.

With deep fillings, there is the unfortunate possibility that the tooth may be dying ... so in this case, a root canal. The dentist probably did his best to avoid hitting the nerve, but there are also circumstances where the cavity already progressed into the nerve. This means that the nerve is infected also likely a root canal.

Some signs to look for:
1) when drinking cold, if the sensitivity does go away within 1-5 seconds, likely a "leaky" filling or you're slow to recover. This is actually a good thing. You can have your dentist try to redo the filling for a better seal. Ask if the dentist is going to put a liner to insulate the nerve. Typical liners include glass ionomer, calcium hydroxide or ZOE (zinc oxide eugenol).

2) when drinking cold, if the sensitivity lasts for more than 10-30 seconds (ie minutes). This is a bad sign ... indicative of a dying nerve. Either the nerve was infected to start with or that the nerve is not viable, so root canal in this case. If you want to be conservative, you can ask to have the filling redone (as above) to see if it makes a difference but likely a root canal.

3) spontaneous/instantaneous pain with out being provoked (no cold/hot) ... also a sign of infected/dying nerve. Root canal.

4) pain on biting down ... this is a high filling so have your dentist adjust the height.

As for your sensitivity you are experiencing ... you can try Sensodyne. Some people find that it gives great relief. Only thing with Sensodyne is that you have to continue using it for it to work. It deposits a precipitate that forms a barrier on your tooth. Think of it like waxing your car. It may take a few days for it to kick in.

Anbesol is useless. It's a topical anesthetic that will only last for a few minutes. You end up ingesting most of it. I'd rather you take Advil or Tylenol. PM or reply if you got any other questions.

So where are you working? More importantly, do you need an associate next year?
:angel:

[old&slow]

I agree with the dentist...lol

I had some work done a while ago that involved a deep hole and a fix. It was sensitve for weeks....maybe even a couple months.I used Sensodyne and that helped.
It went away finally and been fine since!

hope it works out for ya!

[BlueFrenzy]

B18C

I work in the NE near Marlborough. Ha ha ... I'm an associate myself!! I don't think that the principle is looking to hire anymore people.

[B18C]

Originally posted by BlueFrenzy
B18C

I work in the NE near Marlborough. Ha ha ... I'm an associate myself!! I don't think that the principle is looking to hire anymore people.

That's too bad. Worth a try though