Hi Stacy,

I think the filling may be in a weird spot. On the xray (which is only 2 dimensional) it appears that it has taken the place of one of the cusps on the tooth. If you can picture the pointy cusps on the tooth, there are say 4 of them on this tooth. He removed one and put a filling there. This type of restoration is prone to fracture because the cusps take a lot of abuse when chewing. So even if it had a hairline fracture in the filling you would get some sensitivity to temperatures and/or discomfort or pain or a feeling of something loose depending on how you bit down on it. Am I being clear on that explanation? If the restoration were to be redone, he could extend the filling into the biting surface of the tooth a little bit to give it more retention.

Also, if this restoration is not fitting properly into your existing bite then as you grind/clench or chew you are hitting into it unnaturally and that would cause the ligament to become inflamed which could also cause the tooth to feel loose. This situation eventually leads to an irritated nerve and then onto an infection.

Healthy oral products are often found in health food stores, some really big drug stores and online. I buy many products online from vitacost.com. They have a great selection and great prices!

Bryanna