Shooting pain after filling

[Danny84]

Hi I'm new here and just wanted some advice really.

I was having toothache for awhile and plucked up the courage of getting it seen to, I had a feeling it was a cavity anyway. The Dentist took x ray and said you have a cavity like you suspected but it is a deep one and close to the nerve. He talked me through what he would do and said i'll put a filling in there but it is deep and if I have any trouble you can ring us. So I had the filling on Monday morning and thought that might be the end of it but I'm getting this shooting pain, like a jolt when I touch the tooth or catch it in my mouth and it's an unpleasant feeling I'm guessing this is the nerve inside but I would of thought it would have settled down by now.

How long do I give it to give them a ring do you think? My own opinion is I think I need root treatment and I wondered why they couldn't have done this in the first place instead of filling a deep cavity, is there a reason they don't go down that option? It would save alot of hassle and time in the long run if they just took the root out then fill it. Has anyone had this problem?

Thanks
Danny

 

[Great Lakes Dental]

Hi Danny,

From the story you've recounted, it sounds as though your Dentist has recommended & performed the correct treatment. Where appropriate, a Filling is a better initial option then a Root Canal.

A Filling allows much of your natural, living tooth to remain - less the decayed portion that is removed & filled by your dentist.

A Root Canal (as it sounds, involves removing the blood vessels, nerves & pulp tissue) which leaves your tooth feeling pain-free, but its' now no longer living. As a consequence your dead tooth will require a Crown to protect it's remaining, brittle structure.

Since your Dentist recommended and performed a filling, that indicates that he/she believes that he/she can save your tooth.....You should be happy and thankful since the treatment your Dentist has recommended is both: better for your wallet and your long-term oral health.

Now in terms of your discomfort, think about this way. Imagine having someone drill a hole through your femur bone, fill it with a foreign material and send you on your way. In those circumstances, would expect the pain to be gone in 48 hours? Certainly not! As your Dentist explained, your root canal was deep (and therefore close to the nerve), that means that every time your tooth comes into contact, the material is putting pressure on your nerve (causing a sharp pain). The pain that you're experiencing will subside, but it could take days, weeks or in some cases months.

If you notice an infection (swelling, bleeding, puss, bad taste or foul odour occurring inside your mouth), at that point go back and have him/her take another look.

I have several short videos on my website that may help you better visualize what's happening: http://greatlakesdental.ca/dental-videos/#dentistry

Hope this help.

Dr. Jennifer Thomm
Cosmetic Dentist
Great Lakes Dental
Sarnia, Ontario Canada

 

[Danny84]

Thanks for replying to my message it's much appreciated.

I've had a filling before and i've never had any pain when the numbness wore off which made me think it might be something different, I was expecting the pain to go away quite quickly. I will give it more time and see if it eases up over the next week or two.

I'm going to check out your website on that information, thanks again for explaining it.

Danny

 

[Great Lakes Dental]

Hi Danny, I thought I'd follow-up and see if you were still experiencing pain or sensitivity on your tooth?

 

[Danny84]

Hi Danny, I thought I'd follow-up and see if you were still experiencing pain or sensitivity on your tooth?

Hi, yes it has improved quite alot since the last time I posted here, I'm no longer getting that shooting pain feeling so it seems to have settled down. I do still get a strange feeling when eating on that side almost like biting on foil or metal, I was doing some research on the internet and thought it might be galvanic shock which seemed like my symptoms but it's not causing me pain anything like it was a week ago. I think I just need to give it abit more time and see how it goes, thanks for posting.