Greetings from the UK. I have a quick query.

A few months ago I went to a dentist who identified an area at the back of a top lateral incisor tooth that needed filling. The work was done but ever since then, whenever I eat anything and food comes into contact with the back of that tooth I get a sharp stabbing pain in the area where the filling was done. It's as if the dentin is somehow exposed, or the filling doesn't cover all of the affected area. or something.

I get a similar response to cold water/drinks in the affected area also. I should also say that the pain then goes away after a few seconds. It is not constant but it severely interferes with my enjoyment of food (LOL) as I'm constantly watching out for stabbing pains to that tooth and I am also unable to bite with it.

The dentist has told me that this is not a major problem and that I may need to "live with it". She says an extractions would be inappropriate. If necessary, she says she will do another filling and has raised the possibility of a root canal. I've had several root canals in the past and didn't like them one bit. They were painful and never seem to last. But here in the UK there is a huge amount of pressure for interventions that "save teeth" and presumably a filling or a root canal will do that. But I'm growing sceptical of conventional dentistry - maybe I shouldn't be?

Should I go for a new filling? Or a root canal? Are there any other options? Anyone know of dentists in the UK with alternative treatments/ideas?

Many thanks in advance.