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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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Dental and Oral Health (Adults) |
Pain in jaw and ear after gumline filling12/27/2007 |
I recently went to the dentist after 10 years of not going. Needless to say, I had some issues that needed to be taken care of. I had gum treatments on the upper and lower teeth. I also found that I had a cavity I did not know about. I had the lower gum treatments on November 26th. I then had the uppers done a week later. On December 10th I had a final cleaning and the cavity filled. The cavity was on my lower back or next to back molar on the left side at the gumline. After having it filled, it was sensitive, but I figured that was because it was new. It is now a week and a half later and I am having some pretty extreme pain associated with this filling. I went back to my dentist to ask her about it. She took x-rays and checked it out. She said she saw a "catch" on the filling and filed it down (no numbing or cold water - ouch!). She said the filling was all there and everything was fine. She told me to brush using sensodyne toothpaste and avoid cold and hot foods. I am having swelling, and extreme pain when I drink something hot or cold. I also get just this terrible ache after I eat in the tooth, jaw, and ear. She told me this might take weeks to go away, or it may never go away. What is going on with this filling? I went to the dentist so that I would not have problems with my teeth, and now I have them! Is this pain going to go on forever?
It is not unusual to have some sensitivity after a deep cavity is excavated and restored. If the decay which was removed was too close to the pulp of the tooth, it is possible that the nerve has been injured and infected by the bacteria which caused the decay.
It sounds as though your nerve inside the tooth was damaged by the decay and may be coming non-vital. The swelling could indicate an infection at the apex of the tooth. Usually, you will see a change in the bone surrounding the apex when you view an xray of that area. Your dentist took the xray and evidently did not see any changes. It is possible to have an infection but not see changes around the apex of the tooth.
Call your dentist and explain that the pain and swelling are getting worse. She may take another xray, test the tooth for vitality or refer you to an endodontist, a dentist that specializes in root canals. If the pulp of the tooth is non-vital or infected, a root canal will most likely be necessary to save the tooth. It is also possible that a crown will need to be done on the tooth if a root canal is needed.
If the decay had been on the side of the tooth for a year or two, it could very easily have extended far enough to have affected the pulp. That is why we recommend check ups every six months or less. Decay found at the six month intervals usually does not extend to the pulp unless there are other factors present.
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D Stanley Sharples, DDS Assistant Professor, Clinical Section of Primary Care College of Dentistry The Ohio State University |
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