Tag Archives: Trust Your Dentist

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Months of sensitivity in tooth after white filling

More than six months ago I had a large cavity filled with a white filling. Almost immediately following, that tooth became really sensitive to cold temperatures. Heat is OK, but cold just sends me through the roof. I went back to see my dentist because of this, and she said that the cavity was very large and deep, and might be simply irritated. She wanted to wait it out, but I insisted she do something to further protect the tooth. She agreed (reluctantly) to cover the tooth with a temporary dental crown.

Now all these months later the tooth is still bugging me. The dentist says that we further irritated the tooth by placing the crown, and now I may need to have a root canal treatment. Does this sound right to you? She is pretty young, and I am not sure I really trust her judgment.

Mary in Lowell, MI

Dear Mary,

You probably should have listened to your dentist and waited out the initial sensitivity. She is likely right, also, that placing the crown did not help the situation.

One of the most important rules of thumb in dental care is to never, ever push a dentist into doing something they are not comfortable in doing. You state that your dentist is young, so she may not yet have developed a good skill set for firmly and respectfully refusing to do treatments that are against her better judgment but that the patient is insisting on.

A real concern here is your lack of confidence in your dentist. If you cannot trust her, you should seek the services of a different dentist. It sounds as if she knows what she is doing, but everything hinges on your comfort level with her and her care.

Posted as a courtesy for Lafayette Louisiana cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

 

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Different types of teeth sensitivity

I went to see my dentist because one of my molars had suddenly become really sensitive to everything, even air. It is winter here, and when the cold wind blew into my mouth it really hurt! Hot food or drinks were bothering it, too.

Anyway, my dentist diagnosed the problem in like two seconds, and I am kind of wondering how accurate that diagnosis can be. He is always in a really big hurry, and this time was no exception. He rushed in, barely listened to what I was telling him, then started squirting my tooth with air while asking impatiently if it hurt. Then he put some “desensitizing bonding agent” on the tooth, and the pain went away, and he said that it should heal on its own, then he was gone. I only know what he put on it because I asked the hygienist.

The tooth in question has a really large white filling, and when I went in I wondered if that was the problem. Could he really do a thorough diagnosis like I described? I could really use some advice.

Brent in Minneapolis

Dear Brent,

Sometimes it really is quite easy to diagnose pain issues, and from what you’ve written, yours fell into the easy-to-diagnose category. An unprotected, sensitive spot on a tooth will react to blown air with pain, and a desensitizing agent will help with that. If the pain only lasts for a moment and then goes away, that is an indication that the irritated nerve or pulp of your tooth has the chance of healing on its own. If the pain had lingered, your dentist would probably have recommended a root canal procedure, as that would have indicated irreversible damage and a need to remove the nerve.

The real issue here is that you do not trust your dentist. Your letter indicates that you do not appreciate your dentist’s abrupt manner, but more seriously, you do not trust him to provide you with thorough, careful dental care. Good dental care requires trust.

If you want to try and salvage this professional relationship, I would recommend an honest conversation with your dentist. If he responds with impatience or acts annoyed, I think you will have to find a new dentist.