Temporary filling casuing pain, should I be concerned?
Russell T
Obviously I appreciate that it is very hard to offer any kind of
guidance over the internet, so I shall try and ask purely for
hypothetical possibilities. My brief history:
2 years ago I had an abscess in my upper-right 2nd premolar. My
dentist prescribed antibiotics, filled in my root canals and then
filled in the core of the tooth, leaving the external tooth in place.
This September, the outside half of the tooth fractured off, taking
the internal tooth filling with it. There looked to be less than half
of the external tooth remaining.
My dentist built up a large filling; it was a dense silvery grey
material, I believe around a supporting lattice work. I was due a
regular check-up at the beginning of December so he said we would make
a final decision on long-term treatment then.
Monday just gone (mid-November), the large filling dropped out, again
leaving just the remaining part of my tooth. My dentist put another
filling in, this time white material. We made appointments to fit a
crown, but the initial appointment isn't until the start of January.
At present I am suffering from quite bad pain around the tooth which
has persisted since Monday. The pain isn't as bad as when I had the
original abscess, but the maximum dose of Ibuprofen only takes the
edge off it, and it is disturbing my sleep. I didn't suffer any pain
either between the original abscess and the fracture, or with the
first filling after the fracture.
How concerned should I be by this pain if it persists? Is it likely
just the new filling rubbing the tooth fragment and root or should I
be worried that I have a fresh infection under the new filling? To
the point, should I go back and bug my dentist again, or will he just
tell me to put up with it?
Given that the first filling only lasted eight weeks, should I be
worried about the new one not lasting until January? Having this
filling fall out over Christmas would be a pain, especially as I won't
be at home for more than a week.
Thank you for any guidance you can offer.
Russell
Steven Bornfeld
You're right--it's hard to tell what is going on. However, leaving an
endodontically-treated tooth without a permanent restoration as long as
you have is fraught with potential problems. It is possible that the
root canal system could be re-infected during the time the tooth is
cracked and exposed. It is also possible to have a root fracture.
Certainly this should be checked out promptly.
Steve
Russell T
> endodontically-treated tooth without a permanent restoration as long as
> you have is fraught with potential problems. It is possible that the
> root canal system could be re-infected during the time the tooth is
> cracked and exposed. It is also possible to have a root fracture.
> Certainly this should be checked out promptly.
Thank you for the response. It turns out that I did have a fresh
infection in the tooth, I am currently working through the antibiotics
and it is clearing up.
Russell