Dear Dr. Hall,
I recently had a small filling placed in tooth #14. At first, the dentist thought that the small crack in the tooth was anatomy, but since I was complaining about sensitivity to cold, the dentist filled it with a small, white filling. The filling was fine for two months. One day, my tooth was sensitive to sweet and cold. A few days later, warm or hot was an isssue, too. I returned to the dentist and she suggested that I see an endodontist for a root canal. Is there no other alternative for me? Maybe a different filling? Or is this what needs to be done? Thanks in advance for your time.
– Allison from North Carolina
Dear Allison,
If your tooth is sensitive to heat, you need to see your endodontist. The tooth needs root canal treatment.
But I would also ask your regular dentist to put a good strong temporary crown on this tooth before you split it clean in two. Like I’d have her do that tomorrow. A stainless steel crown would be good. And reduce the tooth so you don’t bite on it. There’s a really good chance that you have a nasty split in this tooth. These teeth can be saved if you get a crown on them right away. See my article on saving split teeth.
Sensitive to cold and sensitive to sweets – that signals that the pulp of the tooth is irritated. Sensitive to heat – that signals that the pulp is about dead.
– Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
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