help! post filling sensitivity, numbness fracture?

[sonibug13]

Several weeks ago I went to the Dentist and had several filling done on molars on the lower left side of my mouth. Hours later I was eating some almonds and experienced sharp pain from one of the teeth. The next day also while eating almonds I felt the sharp pain again. As days past I noticed the tooth ached, especially after being touched on the top and pressed by my tongue. The sharp pain would appear on and off while chewing anything. Drinking cold water made it ache with sometimes numbness or pain would radiate down my left lower jaw line. After a week I went back to the dentist alarmed. She had me bite down on a q-tip, (no pain then), examined and x-rayed it, and couldn't see anything wrong. She said it was possible there was a tiny fracture in the tooth and the filling weakened the tooth further and I had fractured my tooth by eating something hard. If that was the case I would need a root canal or extraction. She advised waiting and seeing, but wanted to proceed with filling the rest of my cavities in my mouth.

This alarmed me because this had been my initial fear in going to the dentist in the first place. That they would do invasive work and weaken my teeth. I don't understand how if there was a fracture there in the first place, she didn't see it. Now 2 weeks from when I last saw her (3 weeks from original filling) the pain is slightly better but I still experience temperature sensitivy at times I notice slight numbness on my lower jaw line. I've been eating mostly on the right side of my mouth.

Does anyone have any idea of what's happening? The dentist said the cavity wasn't huge but of "moderate" size. Have my nerves been damaged by the filling? I'm scared to go back. Help!

 

[rob wain]

the good news is that you don't have an infection or an abscess and it is unlikely to develop into one so long as it's managed carefully.
The temperature sensitivity is most likely due to the bite being high or internal stresses in the tooth caused by the filling. A fracture is possible but not particularly likelt as the filling isn't very big and the dentist has checked with the qtip for fractures.
Have the dentist check the bite and chewing contacts very carefully. If this doesn't work then remove the filling and place a sedative temporary filling.
best of luck