Can deep filling close to the nerve cause sensitivity?

Question

Hi doctor,

I recently broke a part of my back tooth besides an old filling. My dentist removed the old filling a week ago and repaired everything with a white filling. Since then, I have been getting a sharp pinch to the center of my tooth if I try to chew with it. There is no pain. It is a little sensitive to cold and hot. My bite seems fine and nothing feels off about it. So, I do not think it is a high filling. The filling inside my tooth is deep. There is a lot more depth than my other teeth. So my question is, is this something that requires a crown or root canal to fix the pinching problem when chewing, or will it possibly go away? Could it be that the filling is too close to the nerve? Also, when he did the filling, he got some of the filling material on my top teeth and I could not get it off by cleaning it. Is there any way to get that off of there? Or am I stuck with the rough texture?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The sensitivity is indeed due to deep filling very close to the nerve for comfort. Usually, if it is very deep some dentists put a base below the permanent filling to prevent temperature difference inside the mouth to transfer it to the nerve. If it is not possible, then the other option is to do a root canal treatment and a ceramic crown over it. If the dentist has filled the cavity using glass ionomer cement that is GIC material, then it does have a fluoride release feature, which forms fluorapatite crystals between the nerves and the filling, thus stopping the sensitivity.

Observe for one week whether you get relief from the problem, else you need to go back to your dentist and tell him this problem. Mostly he will suggest root canal treatment or sometimes calcium temporary filling for a few weeks before filling it again permanently. The filling material, which is stuck on the top teeth will abrade away in a few days, so do not worry about it. Also, when you are going back to the dentist, please ask him to correct it.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes, that is an important detail, which means that the root of that tooth is already infected. The only treatment now possible is root canal treatment and a ceramic crown over it. Else, you will have to extract it. It is always better to go for root canal treatment. You need to start antibiotics and some painkillers while undergoing RCT.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.