Wellness

[drizzellla]

I regularly visit my Dentist. And have had MUCH work done to my teeth. I went to my Dentist for a regular check up and cleaning in July 2017. I was scheduled for another check up in January but because of the weather/snow the Dentist office cancelled. A month later I noticed one of my filling was discolored and I thought it was a cavity. I made an appointment. They said it was not a cavity just the filling somehow became discolored. But they noticed one tooth had a large cavity. And told me to make an appointment and get it filled. Went back and got it filled. Dentist said since it was so large that I will probably be back for root canal and crown. 

My first thought was - how did I have such a big cavity, if I was just in for Xrays and cleaning 7 months ago. 

So I have been living with this filling for several months - no problem. Until yesterday - I ate a piece of pizza. And the hot cheese sent my nerve throbbing. After awhile the throbbing stopped. And the only time it hurts is if I use that tooth to eat. The pressure from chewing makes it hurt.

Does this mean the nerve has to come out? Or will the nerve go back to the way it was in time?

[Hooty]

@drizzellla, I had a similar visit with my dentist, about a tooth that she said needed filling (I had no idea I even had a cavity, but the tooth gave me no trouble)!  She also told me at the time of the filing, which she had to go deep, that if that didn't work, I'd have to have a root canal!  Well, ever since I have had the tooth filled, when I eat on that side, sometimes it hurts, I'm beginning to think, maybe the nerve was damaged because of he deep filling!  It is very confusing!

[2blonde]

@drizzelllaThis definitely sounds like you need a root canal.  What I don't understand is why the dentist didn't suggest that in the first place instead of filling it, and also why it wasn't mentioned the last time you had your x-ray.  Big cavities don't just pop up from nowhere.  My dentist would never have handled it that way.  I'm not sure I trust your dentist.

[2blonde]

@Hooty I'm afraid this also sounds like an eventual root canal.  Most likely the pain will get worse over time.  If the cavity was that deep, it seems to me the dentist should have seen that on the x-ray, and advised a root canal and crown in the beginning.

[Hooty]

@2blonde, she said while she was filing it, she didn't realize it was that deep, and x-rays were taken the week before!

[SandPiper]

I had the same experience. I went for my normal checkup and he told me I had a cavity to schedule an appointment to have it fixed. He found the cavity when he did xrays. I had the cavity filled and same thing as you, the tooth was sensitive and just didn’t feel right. I’m thinking my bite was off so I go back to the dentist. After checking the tooth he says “no wonder you have sensitivity, the tooth is cracked. WHAT?????....he tells me it has to come out. I should decide on a bridge or implant. So I decided on an implant. Which took nearly a year to complete. But that’s another story.....

So I suggest you go back to the dentist. Maybe you will be lucky and the bite is off and it’s a simple adjustment and you don’t need a root canal. 

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@drizzellla wrote:

I regularly visit my Dentist. And have had MUCH work done to my teeth. I went to my Dentist for a regular check up and cleaning in July 2017. I was scheduled for another check up in January but because of the weather/snow the Dentist office cancelled. A month later I noticed one of my filling was discolored and I thought it was a cavity. I made an appointment. They said it was not a cavity just the filling somehow became discolored. But they noticed one tooth had a large cavity. And told me to make an appointment and get it filled. Went back and got it filled. Dentist said since it was so large that I will probably be back for root canal and crown. 

My first thought was - how did I have such a big cavity, if I was just in for Xrays and cleaning 7 months ago. 

So I have been living with this filling for several months - no problem. Until yesterday - I ate a piece of pizza. And the hot cheese sent my nerve throbbing. After awhile the throbbing stopped. And the only time it hurts is if I use that tooth to eat. The pressure from chewing makes it hurt.

Does this mean the nerve has to come out? Or will the nerve go back to the way it was in time?

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Sorry you're having problems but if you have that big of a cavity, your tooth is still at risk for breaking whether the nerve is dead or not. It could break at any time and you may have just been lucky for 7 months.  Try as you might, there's no way to totally avoid chewing on that side and food particles will still get into that cavity. If you are having nerve pain something needs to be done.  I doubt it will go back to normal on its own.  A root canal doesn't remove the root, it essentially kills the nerve so it doesn't have any feeling anymore.  Even with root canal, that's not a guarantee your tooth will be fine indefinitely.  After root canal teeth can become more brittle over time and suseptible to breaking.  That's why crowns are usually done as part of the treatment.  I've been there and the sudden, unexpected need for treatment s*uck*s because it's rather costly.  

ETA - depending on where the tooth is, you may have the option of extraction.  My understanding is that this is easier when it's the last tooth rather than in between teeth, due to the fact that all your teeth support one another.  If you leave a gap, other teeth beside and directly above/below will likely shift.  I chose this option with a bottom back tooth and haven't suffered at all from it.

[2blonde]

@Hooty  Now THAT would tick me off.  Now you have the extra time and expense of getting the RC and crown.

I love my dentist......he really know his stuff, but for a couple years when he wasn't on my dental plan, I tried a couple other dentists.  OMG...... I had no idea how incapable some dentists are.  When he got on my plan, I was so happy to go back to him.

[LilacTree]

@drizzellla

I have had two root canals in my dental history.  Both had to be eventually extracted.  No dental work is permanent, from fillings to caps and crowns, to bridges, and including root canals. 

I was born with genetically bad teeth, plus in the 50s, keeping up with dental issues for one's children was not a priority, especially for poor people.

Therefore, I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars keeping my teeth in my mouth because I have always hated the thought of dentures ever since I saw how my parents suffered with them all of their lives (from their thirties on).

I am still doing so!!

Nowadays dental care is a very important thing in most families.  We rarely see children who haven't had braces as soon as their second teeth came in, including all of my grandchildren.  They go to the dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings as well . . . and we all know that is not cheap!!

I wish I had better news re root canals, but I only have my own experience, which was not good.

[drizzellla]

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@2blonde wrote:

@drizzelllaThis definitely sounds like you need a root canal.  What I don't understand is why the dentist didn't suggest that in the first place instead of filling it, and also why it wasn't mentioned the last time you had your x-ray.  Big cavities don't just pop up from nowhere.  My dentist would never have handled it that way.  I'm not sure I trust your dentist.

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I am also not trusting the dentist. And that is why I am not rushing back for the root canal.

I really think he likes that I am a cash customer. He can charge me $250 to fill a tooth. Then send me to his "Dentist friend" for a kick back on the root canal. And then he can charge me another $1,800 for the crown.

I know big cavities just don't happen. He even commented about my last visit. I thought that is why you go every 6 months - so you never have a big cavity.