Need Some Serious Dental Advice...

[Verdy]

Hi all

I'm not sure if any of you have had this happen to you, hopefully some of you have, but I'd appreciate any help/advice you could give me, I'm quite concerned but I'm not sure if I should panic or just sit tight for now, so here goes. About a week ago, I started to notice some mild pain in a molar that I had a filling in, I didn't really pay attention to it thinking it might just have been some sensitivity. A couple days ago however, I was eating a granola bar with almonds and when I bit into one of the almonds I felt sharp pain on the same molar, I think I may have chipped the filling since I can't really see anything wrong with it other than a tiny black dot near the back. The problem is that my dentist is abroad, I visit him once a year when I go to Honduras, and unfortunately I won't be seeing him until July-August of next year. I don't have a dental insurance plan, and I'm worried that if I let it just stay like that, something else might happen. I've been eating with the other side of my mouth to prevent any more damage and pain, but I'm unsure as to whether it will be okay or if I should do something. I've considered trying out one of the drug store filling kits, but I thought to ask around here first and see if anyone else has had a similar experience. I'd appreciate any type of advice any of you have to offer! Thanks!

 

[MissGotRocks]

I don't think I'd wait to have the tooth checked out. You might be having a problem with the nerve in the tooth and if that's the case, you could need a root canal. Those kinds of problems can lead to infection if left untreated. Probably wise to have a dentist take a look at it.

 

[Verdy]

I don't think I'd wait to have the tooth checked out. You might be having a problem with the nerve in the tooth and if that's the case, you could need a root canal. Those kinds of problems can lead to infection if left untreated. Probably wise to have a dentist take a look at it.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of, I didn't have any type of pain before, just until I bit into something hard and I guess the filling might have chipped, I don't feel much pain if I eat things that aren't too hard, but if I start chewing on say hard candy or something similar it does hurt some. I'll give my dentist a call and see what he says, dental problems are the worst!

 

[MissGotRocks]

It could be that the filling has deteriorated over time and just needs to be replaced. I hope that's all it is - dental problems always crop up at the worst time!

Hugs and good luck to you!

 

[merilenda]

I would get it checked out asap. I have severe anxiety of the dentist and this caused me to put off some problems for years. I finally bit the bullet and had work done earlier this year (and got some great support from PS'ers). If I had it checked out sooner, I would have saved myself a lot of money and a painful procedure. I know dental work is expensive, but I think it's cheaper to nip things early than to wait. Good luck!

 

[mary poppins]

Sorry to hear of your dental problems. They are so unpleasant and usually expensive.

Speaking from similar experience, I would go to the dentist as soon as possible. Fillings don't last forever and need to be replaced if they break, leak or crack. If you have a break, leak or crack, food can get under the filling and cause further decay. If you catch the problem in time, a dentist can just replace the filling. Wait too long, additional decay will lead to a root canal because there won't be enough tooth left to fill.

Get a recommendation for a local dentist. Ask if the dentist or billing person if they can give a cash discount or payment plan.

 

[Verdy]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I can say that I don't feel any type of discomfort when I brush, floss, or drink hot/cold beverages, which I guess is a bit of a plus, I'll get in contact with my dentist this week and see what he recommends, I'm terrified of major dental procedures and a root canal would be a nightmare. I checked out the molar with a small flashlight a while ago, and it seems that the filling has some loosened up a little, I'm not sure if it's really chipped or not, but there's definitely something going on. I actually had the filling replaced last year but my dentist didn't really say anything big was wrong, he just smiled and said he was going to drill out the old filling and put in a new one. This is one lesson that's going to last me a lifetime, no more hard foods for me!

 

[Kaleigh]

Ohhhhh how I don't love anything involving my teeth....But have been there, done that.. So you have a big hug from me.. You need an Xray.. See what is deteriorating, is it close to the nerve?? Do you need a root canal??

Best to just get this done before you have a larger, more complex problem...

I bit down on a caramel crunch Ice cream.... My tooth broke off. I was so scared, but my dentist fixed it, no root canal... But the X ray was key in showing me that,,,,

Best of luck.. Let us know how it goes...

 

[Verdy]

Ohhhhh how I don't love anything involving my teeth....But have been there, done that.. So you have a big hug from me.. You need an Xray.. See what is deteriorating, is it close to the nerve?? Do you need a root canal??

Best to just get this done before you have a larger, more complex problem...

I bit down on a caramel crunch Ice cream.... My tooth broke off. I was so scared, but my dentist fixed it, no root canal... But the X ray was key in showing me that,,,,

Best of luck.. Let us know how it goes...

Thanks Kaleigh! Glad I'm not the only one who's scared of the dentist! I actually had an x-ray about a week or so ago during an evaluation for braces, the dentist didn't mention anything, I did tell her that I had fillings on three of my molars, but she said everything looked fine, and that there was no need to worry. I've never had this happen before, but hopefully it will get resolved soon, as of now I have no pain other than when biting/chewing hard foods, so I'm taking that as a good sign for now!

 

[SC86]

Seems like you got some good advice already. I also had some tooth problems thus year and I hadn't renewed my dental insurance (stupid me). I'd really recommend that you go to a dental school at a major university with a walk in center. They charge significantly less since it's not a private practice. Final year dental students and professors work there.....it's not just some "cheap" dentist!

 

[Haven]

Okay, after my ordeal this summer with a nasty wisdom tooth, all I have to say is:
The only thing scarier than the dentist is the PAIN you may have to endure by avoiding the dentist.
Seriously, get thee to the dentist. Early and often. If you wait until you can't wait any longer, it will be too late.

I nicknamed said wisdom tooth "The *sshole" this summer. It was THAT bad.

I hope you find some answers and relief soon!

 

[Verdy]

Okay, after my ordeal this summer with a nasty wisdom tooth, all I have to say is:
The only thing scarier than the dentist is the PAIN you may have to endure by avoiding the dentist.
Seriously, get thee to the dentist. Early and often. If you wait until you can't wait any longer, it will be too late.

I nicknamed said wisdom tooth "The *sshole" this summer. It was THAT bad.

I hope you find some answers and relief soon!

Oh Haven, your post made me laugh so hard my mother asked me if I was having a fit. I do feel bad for you though, wisdom teeth are nasty things, I've had several friends/family members go through that entire ordeal and it's just horrible to watch, let alone have the actual experience. I will see about going to the dentist as you and many of the above have recommended me to, thanks again for all your wonderful advice everyone!

 

[Miss Sparkly]

It could very well be sensitivity in the tooth. I have had fillings in every single tooth including three crowns and a root canal (I was a bleach addict as a teenager combined with not brushing well ruined my teeth). Now we are in the process of removing all of the white fillings and replacing them with silver as the white do not properly bond with my teeth. My filling can take months before they feel okay, including sharp pain upon biting down. As my dentist put it, adding a filling is trauma to the tooth and different teeth take different amounts of time to heal. Just keep an eye on it and see if the pain worsens or changes.

 

[ame]

Can you go to a local dental school? It might be more cost-effective.

 

[kenny]

Yes, get thee to a dentist.
Unlike much of the rest of the body, teeth don't self heal.

I love that saying, "Ignore your teeth and they'll go away".

 

[fleur-de-lis]

FYI many dentists will negotiate a cash rate which is lower than insurance rates because they don't have to do all the paperwork to get paid.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Not to scare you but I had a similar experience and it turned out the dentist exposed the root in two places while doing my filling without realizing it. I ended up having to have a root canal and crown. Like another poster said do not wait. I actually went back and nothing showed up on the x-ray (strange angle or something). I ended up going to a different dentist because I could not last one more day in pain. There was a while between the filling and root canal and my root was VERY infected. I hope the filling just needs to redone (which is possible). Good luck.

 

[partgypsy]

Yes I would follow someone's advice and have a real dentist look at it. There is just no way to tell what is going on until you go in there. I had something similar happen, where it only hurt when I chewed on that side, but knew something was up. I figured I chipped something, which I figured could either be sanded out or possibly a crown. I delayed a week and went in, and found out I had cracked my tooth all the way down to the root. Unfortunately there was nothing to be done other than to pull the tooth, had I kept waiting I could have gotten a nasty infection. My older brother (like you) doesn't have insurance and had tooth pain, kept ignoring it, and ended up in the hospital with an infection in his jaw needing intravenous antibiotics. Hopefully that's NOT what you are dealing with, but it's not something you should delay getting medical treatment for.

 

[Verdy]

Tacori E-Ring - That sounds awful! Sometimes doctors fix one thing and end up busting another one.

Well, today I had a chat with my dentist and he asked me to feel around with my tongue, look at it closely, use a couple of techniques to see if anything had been exposed, and thankfully I ended up answering 'No' to most of his questions. I don't feel a hole anywhere, and he recommended that I use a Sensodyne Iso-active toothpaste for about a week or two to see if maybe it's just sensitivity. I told him I would and that I'd call him back if anything were to happen. Fortunately he reminded me that the cavity that was filled in was very small, about the size of this period . and that he hadn't exposed much of anything the last time he filled it in. Based off of what Tacori-Ering posted, I asked him about a possibly exposed root and he said that the two fillings hadn't gone very far into the molar, so the chance of that was very slim to none. I really hope there's nothing serious going on, but if the pain gets worse or if I start noticing other symptoms I'll definitely find a local dentist or dentistry school to check into. Thanks for all of your wonderful words everyone, I'll keep you updated if you're interested!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Tacori E-Ring - That sounds awful! Sometimes doctors fix one thing and end up busting another one.

Well, today I had a chat with my dentist and he asked me to feel around with my tongue, look at it closely, use a couple of techniques to see if anything had been exposed, and thankfully I ended up answering 'No' to most of his questions. I don't feel a hole anywhere, and he recommended that I use a Sensodyne Iso-active toothpaste for about a week or two to see if maybe it's just sensitivity. I told him I would and that I'd call him back if anything were to happen. Fortunately he reminded me that the cavity that was filled in was very small, about the size of this period . and that he hadn't exposed much of anything the last time he filled it in. Based off of what Tacori-Ering posted, I asked him about a possibly exposed root and he said that the two fillings hadn't gone very far into the molar, so the chance of that was very slim to none. I really hope there's nothing serious going on, but if the pain gets worse or if I start noticing other symptoms I'll definitely find a local dentist or dentistry school to check into. Thanks for all of your wonderful words everyone, I'll keep you updated if you're interested!

THAT's what my dentist had me do too! Try Sensodyne. Honestly if you are still having pain I would insist on him redoing the filling. Apparently my roots are very long so my filling was not deep either. All the x-rays I have done, NO ONE ever mentioned this. My last visit (to my new dentist BTW) they showed me a close up and they are right. So, that does not mean a root couldn't have been exposed. Not to be an alarmist but my pain got much worst to the point where I would have given up military secrets. Tooth pain is horrible. So don't let yourself suffer to long if Sensodyne isn't helping. I don't have dental insurance either but I would have paid TWICE to be pain free.

 

[Verdy]

Tacori E-Ring - That sounds awful! Sometimes doctors fix one thing and end up busting another one.

Well, today I had a chat with my dentist and he asked me to feel around with my tongue, look at it closely, use a couple of techniques to see if anything had been exposed, and thankfully I ended up answering 'No' to most of his questions. I don't feel a hole anywhere, and he recommended that I use a Sensodyne Iso-active toothpaste for about a week or two to see if maybe it's just sensitivity. I told him I would and that I'd call him back if anything were to happen. Fortunately he reminded me that the cavity that was filled in was very small, about the size of this period . and that he hadn't exposed much of anything the last time he filled it in. Based off of what Tacori-Ering posted, I asked him about a possibly exposed root and he said that the two fillings hadn't gone very far into the molar, so the chance of that was very slim to none. I really hope there's nothing serious going on, but if the pain gets worse or if I start noticing other symptoms I'll definitely find a local dentist or dentistry school to check into. Thanks for all of your wonderful words everyone, I'll keep you updated if you're interested!

THAT's what my dentist had me do too! Try Sensodyne. Honestly if you are still having pain I would insist on him redoing the filling. Apparently my roots are very long so my filling was not deep either. All the x-rays I have done, NO ONE ever mentioned this. My last visit (to my new dentist BTW) they showed me a close up and they are right. So, that does not mean a root couldn't have been exposed. Not to be an alarmist but my pain got much worst to the point where I would have given up military secrets. Tooth pain is horrible. So don't let yourself suffer to long if Sensodyne isn't helping. I don't have dental insurance either but I would have paid TWICE to be pain free.

Thanks Tacori E-ring! I'll try out the Sensodyne and see how it goes, hopefully it will stop the pain but if not, then there's not much to do after that, a visit to the dentist it is! The pain I feel isn't constant, just when I bite down on certain things like hard candy, almonds, ice, etc. I tried eating with that side today and felt no discomfort whatsoever, and I'm hoping that's all there is to it. But I'll take your words to heart and be on the look out for anything else.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Good luck! Fingers crossed you won't need to go to your dentist until your next cleaning!