Deep filling

[Khan]

I had a white filling done last week. The dentist told me that it was a big deep filling and that the bacteria may have infected the nerve. Since then I get pain on biting on that tooth.

I have tried to eat with the teeth on the other side of my mouth but occasionally when I do bite on the white filling, I get severe shooting pain in my jaw.

I’m very worried that the bugs have reached the nerve. What does that mean for my tooth and why am i getting pain on pressure since the filling was done? Will I have to lose my tooth?

[Dr Vahid Motahar]

HI,

Thank you for your question.

No you certainly do not need to loose your tooth. It is very common to have , as we dentist call it, sensitivity on biting or to hot and cold with white fillings specially if they are very deep restorations. The symptoms you have been having does not necessary indicate that the bugs have reached the nerve if it is only a short sharp shooting pain/sensitivity that you have. If this change to a throbbing pain that interrupts sleep in the middle of night then infection has affected the nerve house and you need more treatment.

One one has the typical sensitivity discomfort with a white filling we just suggest to monitor it for a while because usually it subsides unless it is too severe a sensitivity. If it is the latter then you need to have the filling replaced which is not ideal specially when the filling is very deep. So I suggest just monitor the tooth a bit more and if there is no improvement then we would be very happy to see you and assess the tooth for you.