Sore tooth from a filling

[mock-turtle]

Hi, I would really appreciate some advice on this matter! It's quite worrying and I hope someone isn't going to say I need a root canal or something! I'm not sure if it's an emergency or not!

Well I had my first filling about a year ago. A few months after having it, I started to notice sharp pains through that tooth as I chomped down on something crunchy, ie. crisps. It was fine with softer foods. I thought it was a cavity forming on the same tooth, and being a nervous patient I switched the side of the mouth a chew on and avoided the dentist.

Finally I plucked up the courage to go to the dentists a couple of weeks ago and couldn't believe it when he told me I didn't need a filling! All that worrying for nothing I thought! He didn't take an x-ray, but after telling him it was painful to chew hard things on it, he tapped and poked at it for a bit. He still could not find a problem.

So I started to try and chew on it again and was happy to discover it wasn't as sore as it had been. However, I still get a short sharp pain through the filled tooth when I eat someting crunch/hard. Has he damaged my tooth? Damaged the nerve? Is it the filling?

It is not sore to touch or chew most things on. Could it be sensitvity related to the filling but could go away? It has been like this for a year. What should I do?

Many thanks in advance.

[Ebull]

It could be a number of possible causes. First, if the filling is slightly high, everytime you chew on it, it could be sensitive. The dentist would have probably checked this with articulating paper, you know, where he tells you to bite down and tap your teeth together. Second, it could be a hair line crack through the tooth, in which case everytime you bite on it in just the right spot the tooth will flex a little in the area of the crack and cause a sharp pain. Sometimes these cracks are not always apparent. Also if the filling was really deep and close to the nerve of the tooth, its possible it could be sensitive for a while. Or its possible the dentist could have left some decay behind when preparing the tooth for the filling. Your best bet is to go back to the dentist and tell them it still hurts. If you don't have much confidence in that dentist maybe seek another opinion. Good Luck!