Cracked filling? Looking for your help

[jaycapz]

Hi,
Let me start with I am terrified of the dentist, but I have gotten better. I have found a decent dentist, and after several years I am starting to return regularly. I went for my last cleaning and check 3 months ago, no issues found (first in a long time). However, 3 weeks ago I bit into an olive pit which cracked a filling in my top back molar. Dentist replaced the filling, no issue there. Then a couple of days later i decided time to chew on that side again, i still felt a pinchy slight pain. Not initially, only when I hit a specific spot on tooth. No issue with hot or cold, now only when chomping down. The pain appears to be coming from the tooth next to it, which also has a filling. It doesn't appear to have a crack like I've seen in my other metal fillings. My mind is wandering everywhere from root canals or worse, just cause of my bad anxiety. I am going to call to go this week, again . I'm hoping it's not something worse, could it be just another simple filling replacement? I don't see any visible chips or cracks on surface with my little mirror, or signs of decay at the surface. Hope to God no decay under. I am trying to be logical, this all started the same time I bit down and broke the other filling. My dentist did a bitewing xray, strange he didnt pick up anything. He also never saw anything 3 months ago when they did a full routing check of my existing fillings. Never had pain in that spot before, don't have any pain as i type. Unless as I mentioned, I bite down in that spot.
Just freaking out, can't sleep, working up courage to call within 72 hours. I am looking to get general thought about my situation.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I appreciate it. Gonna go keep freaking out now.

 

[Enarete]

Hey jaycapz,

sorry to hear about what you're going through. I see this makes you really freak out and your mind keeps playing all the worse cases over and over again.
Since you have a dentist and attend your regular checkups and had no issues, I find it very unlikely that you would need an rct 'or worse' out of sudden. Maybe something just needs to get adjusted a bit. The rule is that a person with dental phobia always believes to need more treatment than really necessary, so if you think of rct 'or worse' (by the way, what would, according to your mind, the 'or worse' be?) then you will probably need only a small adjustment of a filling or a filling replacement in the worst case. A logical approach is very good to keep some boarders to the fear.

Hope you get an appointment very soon and can calm yourself down a bit.

 

[jaycapz]

Hi Enarete,

Thanks for the response, and I appreciate the positive tone to your response. There is truth to what you say, our minds always assume the worst. Interesting you say that most who feel they need a RC typically don't. I am trying to get over this fear, that like most I went many years without a dentist. Thankfully (and knock on wood) I have gotten away with only fillings. I have poor enamel on my teeth, so I know 90% of the time I go to the dentist they are gonna find something. Thanks to a new dentist I found, and I guess me as I get older trying to man up and be better about my health. Trying to avoid the unnecessary.

I realize that soon as I feel pain in my mouth, I think root canal (or worse). Soon as I got home from getting the tooth next to this one fixed (replace broken filling), I bit down and immediately though (crap I need a root canal). I hold on to the fact it can't be old cause I was just to the dentist twice and nothing was mentioned. This also started after I bit into the olive pit that broke the filling in the tooth next to this one. I just keep hoping its not a tooth thats so broken they need to go in to do a root canal, and hope its not decay that was missed under the filling that caused it to go out of wack. I do know this tooth with this filling originally was pretty deep. I can't see anything visibly wrong, its not throbbing, now and then a small ache which is so minor its gone within minutes without drugs. I can press on the tooth edges with 0 pain. I just had a hot cup of coffee, then washed my mouth with salt water that was a bit cooler. I wouldn't even know the tooth issue existed. If I chomp down with food, or grind my teeth I get the sudden sharp pain.

Alright, now that I have restated the issue that you already read lol. I still hope that I will be ok. I appreciate your words. My girlfriend, friends and family that I mentioned this to say "i'm crazy". Even though they say, "oh you would know if you needed a root canal" is not true, you could need one without any pain so I have heard. Which is why I also fear it, cause although I can't feel it - its possible.

Thanks again!

 

[Enarete]

Hi jaycapz,

restating issues is great, there is always a new information

You are not crazy, you suffer from dental fear. But it's ok that your family and friends who don't have any dental anxiety tell you this. I bet every member here heard these words many many times.. Anyway - you are not crazy, you just have fears and they make you believe things that are not true and might never happen.

It seems to me that you believe that the need of a rct is something that can happen suddenly and accidentally and that you are quite scared of ever needing one. Where does this come from? And what exactly is it you are afraid of regarding a rct?

Hope you get an appointment soon, keep us posted.

 

[jaycapz]

Re: What does cracked filling feel like?

I called the dentist. I am going in to have it checked out friday. Now I am feeling more pain in my teeth than before, probably cause I am focusing on it. Possibly from me pushing or slightly grinding teeth randomly through out the day. I dont know why, but I do it to remind me of where the pain is or just to test it. Just finished my cup of hot coffee, washed it away with a bottle of cooler water. I don't feel any issues, guess that is for my own comfort. However, when I grind slightly into my teeth then I feel the sudden dull pain. Which disappears instantly or within 2 minutes of when I stop toying with it.

I had a person at my job scare me with the whole, "oh you never know when you need a root canal". My mind is now unsettled, and all I can think about is that my tooth is screwed up royally. I really wish there was a more detailed or specific way to know you need a root canal. It would help, sucks that its all guess work until you go in for xrays and treatment.

I was just there for a cleaning in November, and there to fix another filling last month. I don't get how much luck can suck this much. Everyone says it cant be serious if you were just to the dentist this often, but now I am thinking it doesnt matter and I am freaking out.

 

[jaycapz]

Sorry to bump the thread, I guess this forum doesnt have as many users as it used to. I am supposed to go in Thursday morning, and I am now freaking out.

Can anyone share what I should be feeling if its just a cracked filling? Maybe even a small crack in tooth, which I am not sure but its guess its also possible. I guess ultimately, I am just looking to get a gauge of my odds of needing a root canal.

I appreciate everyones input, just scared at this point.

Thanks!

 

[Kns]

How did it go? Hoping everything turned out ok. Let us know! ?