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.

My mother had a bridge put in where her front top 6 teeth were. She said it was hurting her. Later she found out that there was nerve that was left exposed. She had to have surgery to fix it.

Hi james,

You are wise to question conventional medical or dental practices simply because very often the doctor/entist will only consider doing the standard of care which means he/she neglects to further inform the patient of other treatment options.

Fillings are done on teeth to repair a piece that is missing due to a cavity or a chip with the hope that the tooth will be stable for a long time. Root canals are done so the patient can "retain" a tooth that is no longer vital or stable. Sounds like you have found that out already with the root canals that you've had in the past.

My suggestion would be to see the dentist or another one.... have them check the filling to make sure it has not fractured and that it seals the area that was drilled open..... and also to check the occlusion (bite) to see if the filling is fitting properly into your bite and make the necessary adjustments. These things should be done before anyone even thinks about doing a root canal or an extraction. If the tooth is healthy but the filling is not done very well, have a new filling done.

The dentist comment hat you may need to live with it ....is ridiculous. The tooth, filling and bite should be checked without question. Also, it is best to take care of this issue asap because if the filling is open or it is too high, the pressure from eating on it or grinding your lower tooth into it can cause the tooth to become very irritated and die..... So please don't wait

Keep us posted!

Bryanna

Hi Sadie,

What type of surgery did your mom have??

Bryanna

Thank you very much for that great advice.