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Toothy1111 · Apr 24, 2008, 08:19 PM

I have had a filling replaced in my last molar (#27) 3 weeks ago. Since that time, I have had pain, sharp and exact, on the linguinal surface on the tooth in front (#26) when I chew food especially a seed which causes me almost to jump. If I chew soft food on that side, my upper jaw bone will ache for hours after, though a small ache. Now, I am starting to grind my teeth at night and I believe my teeth are shifting especially the front upper teeth. They feel funny to chew food in front and also do not mesh when I close them.
I went back today to the dentist who did this previous work, and she told me that it was a cuspid fracture because of the symptons. She told me it could heal on it's own and that I should apply toothpaste to the area. Then she left as she told me she was late for her next appointment.
After she left, it occurred to me, that during the filling on the last molar, she tightened the spacer? And I felt a pain (eventhough I was frozen) that made me jump a little . This pain was felt between the two teeth and at the time I thought it was my gum that she irritated but now, I am thinking that the fracture was caused by the tightening. Is this correct?
And can anyone please tell me if I should get this stablized or will it heal on it's own?
Thanking you in advance for your thoughts.

flossie · Apr 25, 2008, 04:24 AM

Did your dentist take an x-ray of this tooth? Perhaps you have an abscess OR you might need to have the filling adjusted if it's too high. If there is a cuspal fracture then the filling should be redone removing the fractured cusp and including it in the rest of the filling. This tooth is then a candidate for a crown. A fracture will not fix itself.

Call the dentist and ask her to take an x-ray for an infection at the root tip and also have her check your bite.

Toothy1111 · Apr 25, 2008, 12:15 PM

Thank you Flossie for taking the time answer my question... But the problem is with the tooth beside where she worked! This tooth was fine before she worked on the one beside it, then as she tightened the spacer, I felt a sharp pain, the dentist said, "oh, you shouldn't feel that" as I was suppose to be frozen.
It is not an absess or a replaced filling on the tooth that is giving me problems. I didn't have any work done on this tooth and it was totally fine before. The pain is acute onset even since she worked on the tooth beside it. I can pinpoint the exact spot on the linguinal side of that painful tooth beside the tooth she worked on.
The dentist said that an x-ray is not very likely to show a fracture. She did the test the area with a white wedge and asked me to chew.
So, what should I do for this tooth causing pain that is most likely a fracture?

flossie · Apr 25, 2008, 02:47 PM

If the cusp is fractured you need to have a crown put on the tooth. I'm not sure what you mean when you said she "tightened the spacer". If the cusp is fractured it will probably have to be removed, a filling placed and a crown done. Does the tooth that is bothering you have a filling in it already?

Toothy1111 · Apr 25, 2008, 04:37 PM

By 'tightening the spacer', I mean that when she was preparaing the area to replace the filling beside #26, I felt the stainless steel band being tightened, and that is when I felt a sharp pain that had me jump. Then she proceeded to remove the #27 filling and replace it.
The painful tooth #26 does have a med/large filling in it already from work years ago.
Do you know if the fractured tooth can heal itself, like she said?
Thank you.

flossie · Apr 26, 2008, 05:38 AM

No, it cannot heal itself

twinkiedooter · Apr 26, 2008, 06:20 AM

You might have to have the tooth removed - the one that is causing the sharp pain. Having teeth crowned is very expensive and is not always a good fix in the end if it does not work. Apparently there is something touching a live nerve that causes you the sharp pain. Dentist needs to do more to discover the cause of this pain. Anytime you have pain it is not good.