I think I'm going to cry
Ugh. I started having tooth pain on Saturday (of course on the weekend, not during the week when I could actually call my dentist). At times I wanted to cry as the pain radiated from my jaw to my cheekbone to my temple. By Monday I had figured out it was pain in response temperature sensitivity. About 3 months ago I had a deep cavity filled and apparently that tooth was very angry with me. Since I apparently did not read my benefits very well, I chose the HMO over the PPO dental insurance, so my dentist (one of the few in my area) is only in town on Fridays and Saturdays. So I went to the UCLA Dental Center because I remember them saying they took my insurance (they don't.) Sigh...3 hours and $100 later, they tell me they can't really do anything for me. The dental student shaved down my filling a tiny bit, but said basically to just wait until I get back from my trip and go to my regular dentist for a possible root canal. I was able to get an appointment for my dentist this Friday (the day I leave for New York) at 8am. At this point I'm not sure what he can do for me, as I don't think having a root canal the morning I leave will be a good idea.
Then I found this website which at first made me feel better. JustAnswer.com lets you ask questions that the pose to experts (in this case dentists) and you pay them $9, $15, or $24 (I think, I chose $15. Not sure if you get "better" experts if you choose higher amounts) when you get a satisfactory answer. So this is what he said:
From the description of your symptoms, it would seem the tooth will most likely need root canal treatment due to "irreversible pulpitis".
An important piece of information missing here for me is whether the tooth had felt "fine/okay" immediately after the filling was placed? Or was the tooth always "off" and uncomfortable right after the filling was placed?
Scenario 1:
Because if the tooth was perfectly fine, bite was fine, and no thermal/pressure sensitivity developed within 1 week of the placement of the filling, then that tells me that the overall contour of the filling placed was actually great. But the nerve has since become inflamed and likely infected.
Scenario 2:
But if the tooth never felt okay after the filling, felt too high when you bite down on it, then it is possible that this filling was in "hyper-occlusion" and needed to be adjusted. And because it was allowed to remain too high for 3 months, the socket is now bruised, resulting in thermal and pressure sensitivity.
If you fall under scenario 1, then it is more than likely that the pain will persist and worsen and root canal treatment will be necessary.
However, if you fall under scenario 2, then we simply need to give the tooth an additional 1-2 weeks to see if the pressure sensitivity improves/goes away. Assuming the nerve is healthy and the sensitivity was merely the result of the filling being too high, then the socket should heal on its own within 1-2 weeks and no additional treatment will be needed.
If you want a more definitive diagnosis, then a trip to the dentist will be necessary so that the dentist (or a root canal specialist: endodontist) can perform vitality tests on the tooth in question. He/she will then be able to determine if the nerve was simply inflamed or if it has become necrotic and root canal therapy is indicated.
So I told him it was sensitve to temperature and pressure for the following couple of weeks after the filling was put in and on and off since then. Is that scenario 2 (she asked hopefully).
and he said this:
If during the first 2 weeks, while biting down, you felt as though that tooth was hitting prematurely (albeit only slightly too high), then yes, you would fall under scenario #2.
However, if when you brought your teeth together (without eating/chewing on anything) and the tooth felt fine when you tapped your teeth and or grind your teeth side-to-side, back-n-forth (no discomfort at all), then it would be more scenario #1.
The only way to know for certain is either give it more time (simply wait and see how the tooth responds), or go see your dentist for a follow-up, or an endodontist (root canal specialist) to do a vitality test.
You said you'll be leaving town for a trip. If this trip involves flying in an airplane, then you'll know very quickly whether the tooth will need root canal treatment or not. Due to the lower atmospheric pressure in flight, if the tooth has become necrotic, then you will experience moderate-to-extreme pressure pain while in flight. However, if the tooth is perfectly fine while in-flight, then RCT is not necessary and you should fully recover.
Did I mention I will be flying to New York? and then to London? and then flying back to LA from Paris? *weeps*
So now I'm thinking my dentist better give me DRUGS! Lots of really strong pain-killing drugs!
Then I found this website which at first made me feel better. JustAnswer.com lets you ask questions that the pose to experts (in this case dentists) and you pay them $9, $15, or $24 (I think, I chose $15. Not sure if you get "better" experts if you choose higher amounts) when you get a satisfactory answer. So this is what he said:
From the description of your symptoms, it would seem the tooth will most likely need root canal treatment due to "irreversible pulpitis".
An important piece of information missing here for me is whether the tooth had felt "fine/okay" immediately after the filling was placed? Or was the tooth always "off" and uncomfortable right after the filling was placed?
Scenario 1:
Because if the tooth was perfectly fine, bite was fine, and no thermal/pressure sensitivity developed within 1 week of the placement of the filling, then that tells me that the overall contour of the filling placed was actually great. But the nerve has since become inflamed and likely infected.
Scenario 2:
But if the tooth never felt okay after the filling, felt too high when you bite down on it, then it is possible that this filling was in "hyper-occlusion" and needed to be adjusted. And because it was allowed to remain too high for 3 months, the socket is now bruised, resulting in thermal and pressure sensitivity.
If you fall under scenario 1, then it is more than likely that the pain will persist and worsen and root canal treatment will be necessary.
However, if you fall under scenario 2, then we simply need to give the tooth an additional 1-2 weeks to see if the pressure sensitivity improves/goes away. Assuming the nerve is healthy and the sensitivity was merely the result of the filling being too high, then the socket should heal on its own within 1-2 weeks and no additional treatment will be needed.
If you want a more definitive diagnosis, then a trip to the dentist will be necessary so that the dentist (or a root canal specialist: endodontist) can perform vitality tests on the tooth in question. He/she will then be able to determine if the nerve was simply inflamed or if it has become necrotic and root canal therapy is indicated.
So I told him it was sensitve to temperature and pressure for the following couple of weeks after the filling was put in and on and off since then. Is that scenario 2 (she asked hopefully).
and he said this:
If during the first 2 weeks, while biting down, you felt as though that tooth was hitting prematurely (albeit only slightly too high), then yes, you would fall under scenario #2.
However, if when you brought your teeth together (without eating/chewing on anything) and the tooth felt fine when you tapped your teeth and or grind your teeth side-to-side, back-n-forth (no discomfort at all), then it would be more scenario #1.
The only way to know for certain is either give it more time (simply wait and see how the tooth responds), or go see your dentist for a follow-up, or an endodontist (root canal specialist) to do a vitality test.
You said you'll be leaving town for a trip. If this trip involves flying in an airplane, then you'll know very quickly whether the tooth will need root canal treatment or not. Due to the lower atmospheric pressure in flight, if the tooth has become necrotic, then you will experience moderate-to-extreme pressure pain while in flight. However, if the tooth is perfectly fine while in-flight, then RCT is not necessary and you should fully recover.
Did I mention I will be flying to New York? and then to London? and then flying back to LA from Paris? *weeps*
So now I'm thinking my dentist better give me DRUGS! Lots of really strong pain-killing drugs!