lost part of filling in tooth

[carlee]

I have lost some of the filling in a molar & if I try to chew on the tooth there is pain. Is it possible the tooth can be successfully repaired without root canal or extraction? If there is nerve pain in a tooth is root canal always required? Thanks.

 

[brit]

The good news: yes and no to your questions.
The bad news: the longer you leave it before getting help from a dentist, the more likely it is that you may need a root canal or extraction.
Have you got a dentist you like and trust already?

Root canals don't have to be an ordeal btw:

Root Canal Treatment FAQs

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[carlee]

I have gone to same dentist for 30 years & had regular xrays & cleaning. When my dentist retired I tried another dentist which I do not like. What I'm having a problem accepting is that the dentist could not tell this tooth needed attention before it became this bad. He actually broke the filling with the dental pik but I figured it must have been fragile for that to happen. So, no I do not have a dentist I like or trust. I am trying frantically to find one but everyone I ask gives me the name of a different dentist. I've even tried Angie's list for recommendations. What I found hilarious is that the only dentist in my area that had a good review on Angie's list is the dentist I go to & don't like. Thanks for your help.

 

[Amoreyna]

I would talk to a couple really close friends or family members and write down the names of dentists that they use, especially if they have been going to the same one for a few years and are really happy with the work. Then call the offices of these couple of dentists and talk with the staff about what's been going on to get a feel for the practice itself. You can also look at the dentist recommendation area of this forum to see if there are any near you that other's on this board have found helpful and compassionate.

While sometimes finding a good dentist can be a crap shoot at times, it sounds like you definitely need a different dentist and now. You can always schedule the first appointment as an evaluation of the situation. That way no work is done and you can have a good idea of how the office works and if the dentist is competent, compassionate and caring. This also saves you from getting work done right away in an office that you may not be comfortable with, or flat out dislike, and keeps you in control.

You may luck out and only need to have the filling redone but as Brit said, RC's do not need to be an ordeal. They should not be painful or traumatizing. We even have a couple of stories from members on here that found themselves falling asleep during their's! In experienced hands a lot of people find them easier to deal with then some other kinds of dental work, including fillings. While they sounds a bit scary (the whole dental damn thing and drilling the nerve out of a tooth) they shouldn't be and are a a vital way to save the tooth.

As long as you get this attended to soon, you probably don't have a high chance of losing the tooth. Hopefully there wasn't any further complications of decay under the filling (which can cause them to fail) but even if there was, the tooth can often be saved with an RC.

 

[brit]

I would talk to a couple really close friends or family members and write down the names of dentists that they use,.. .

Great advice, bit I would add, don't just write down the names, give your friends/relatives the third degree and ask lots of nosey questions about their experiences with these dentists. This way you find out the things which are most important to you: which may be comfortable local anaesthetic delivery, friendly atmosphere, whatever it is that you would like...., has all the work they have had done lasted and been trouble-free etc etc, is the hygienist very gentle, is local available for cleaning if you want it, whatever you fear ask about it, ask if they think the dentist is a nice person or just in it for the money....

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