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.