In January, my dentist filled a front tooth with composite. He had to smooth out the filling a month later, but after whitening my tooth at home, I felt shocking pain in the tooth. I stopped bleaching and felt the same pain last week when biting a banana. I can’t chew anything soft. Even lukewarm drinks increase the sensation. I am sure that my dentist will want to redo the filling. But could this tooth need a root canal, too? I am getting anxious about what could be wrong. Thank you. Dana from TN
Dana,
If you feel intense pain, you probably need to see an endodontist (root canal specialist). It is good that you stopped teeth whitening treatment because it could further irritate your tooth.
Your tooth is not merely irritated from a new filling. Although you might have some sensitivity after a filling, it does not last for months. It will gradually improve.
Lingering Pain After a New Filling
Lingering pain after a new filling means that the tooth is infected. It does not mean that your dentist necessarily did anything wrong, though. When removing the decay, sometimes bacteria infect the tooth pulp (living tissue and nerves). A tooth is already irritated from dental work, and when bacteria is pushed through it, an infection can flare up.
Preventing tooth discoloration after a root canal
When a dentist performs a root canal on a front froth, they must remove root canal filling material from inside the crown. It will prevent the tooth from discoloring and needing cosmetic treatment to conceal the discoloration.
Schedule an Appointment with a Specialist
After an examination, an endodontist, or a dentist skilled in root canal treatment, can tell you what to expect with root canal treatment. Afterward, the tooth will be weak and may need a crown.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Ryan Perry, DDS of Baton Rouge, sponsors this post.
Although I had not seen a dentist in more than five years, I knew I needed help when my bottom left second molar cracked. I asked co-workers about a dentist they like because none of us have dental insurance from the job. And we all need affordable care, so I looked at Google reviews for recommendations and chose a dentist. I probably should have asked my co-worker if he ever had major work done with this dentist and not just a dental cleaning. Anyway, the dentist prepared my tooth for a crown. While I wore the temporary crown, it hurt when I chewed, and it was sensitive to cold. Maybe it was too tight or something because it made my gums sore. I got the permanent crown in earlier this month, and the symptoms got worse. The dentist took another x-ray and did a cold and pressure test, and tapped on my tooth. The cold sensitivity went away quickly, but I felt no pain with the pressure test. And he tested my bite, which of course hurt because it hurts when chew. The dentist said the pressure sensitivity is expected for up to three months. So he wants me to wait. Now my tooth is sensitive to hot food. Is my tooth nerve dying.? I hate to see another dentist, but I am not a fan of pain either. What is going wrong? Thank you. Myles from GA