Pain under new bridge with Hot and cold drinks

[swampiesue]

Hi two months ago I had a new bridge fitted, however when ever I drink anything either hot or cold I get a sharp pain.... a bit like when I was wearing the temp bridge.... is there any way cold liquid could be reaching the teeth underneath the bridge some how.... and If I go back will I have to have the bridge done all over again.

 

[swampiesue]

Can no one help.... I have phoned the dentist but can't get an appointment till Monday... the pain only lasts a second or two and I have no other pain apart from that..... Why am I worried if I have had it for two months you may ask... I am a procrastinator and thought it would go away...Now I have made up my mind to get it sorted my anxiety is getting the better of me and I am worried sick I will lose the teeth and my new bridge...

Please can anyone put my mind at rest....

 

[Gordon]

It's really difficult to say what's wrong without seeing your mouth, or even having a good idea what kind of bridge you have. I'm afraid that for a definitive answer, you'll need to hang off for another couple of days until your dentist can see what's going on.
It's most likely (from the symptoms you describe) that there is a slight amount of sensitivity around one of the supporting teeth for the bridge. That should (note SHOULD!) be fairly easily dealt with by your dentist.

I hope this helps.

 

[swampiesue]

Thanks Gordon... I think maybe it could be a slight problem with the bite but due to the fact I did not see the dentist immediately I was worried I might the delay could have caused problems beyond repair... The bridge is fixed to the very back tooth on the topside ( that I have remaining) and I really don't to lose any more teeth. It is a porcelain NHS bridge one tooth fixed to two teeth either side.. the furthest tooth to the back was originally a crown which was removed to make the bridge.

 

[swampiesue]

Hi went to the dentist today, he pumped air into all the gaps around the bridge and the one that seemed to hurt the most he filled with a material and put a ultra violet light on it... He also asked if I had sinus problems, the answer to this in my case is yes I had pollops remove several years ago and as a result always have sinus problems.......He said, this is very likely to be the cause. He insisted that there is no way the tooth is infected and it is not an abscess. The tooth after the gap was filled feels a little better however the problem still remains I just pray he is right. I am on a limited income due to a disability and NHS dentists are very hard to come by so a second opinion is very difficult.

 

[Gordon]

The stuff the dentist used is for treating sensitivity, sometimes a single application isn't enough, if it's not better go back and get it done again.

 

[swampiesue]

Thanks Gordon, I really don't know what to do really, when you suffer from anxiety it is so hard to be taken seriously, the dentist told as long a I have sinus problems I will have this problem... since having this bridge fitted I have not eaten on this side as it seems to feel uncomfortable, I assumed it was due to the fact it had been so long since I have done so...(Nearly a year) Today how ever I have noticed a VERY slight tenderness in the back tooth when biting anything really hard... now I am not sure if it is just because I keep testing it as you do or if it was something I never noticed because I had not done it before...Tapping the tooth does not hurt nor does eating most things.You really do start to doubt your own feelings and instincts when things don't seem right due to the fact you tend to over react over most things. Assertiveness is not one of my strong points. I think I will just give things a week or two to settle down and if I still seem to have this problem will go back.

 

[swampiesue]

Went back to the dentist yesterday.... and it appears my bite had been too high on the new bridge in several places... added to that I am grinding my teeth... Dentist has filed the bridge down, which feels a lot better but still not sure if it is right as the pulp has been irritated and have been told not to eat on this side for a couple of days... I might have to have root canal treatment if the nerve is dying... I have to go see him again next week... He has also suggested it might be a good Idea to have a tooth guard made, to help with the grinding.

My dilemma is I am disabled but not on means tested benefits so have to pay for my dental treatment..Due to the fact I did not return straight away with the bridge problems I have to start paying all over again.. I don't want to have a tooth guard made and then find the root canal fails and I end up losing the tooth and my bridge anyway..and if that happens what happens to my one filed down tooth other the other side. Also will this new bridge ever feel right I am so fed up I wish I had never had the thing done and kept the gap. I have never had these problems before

 

[swampiesue]

Just to add to this I have tried eating on the side now and the bite STILL just does not feel right....I am constantly grinding my teeth together trying to find out what is wrong, causing more trauma to my teeth and pulp.. I am hardly eating due to the stress and am totally miserable. Is it up to me to discover why the bite is still wrong so I can tell him or will the dentist work it out for himself..... The bits of blue paper just don't seem to tell all...He has ground down my lower teeth and my lower gold grown and it is still not right...I don't want my own teeth ground down any more, The new bridge is upper right ....I have an appointment Wednesday and just don't know what to say to him.....

 

[Gordon]

Basically you need to tell them the facts as best you can, you don't need to apologise for it, it's not your fault!

"Mr Dentist, that new bridge still doesn't feel right when I'm chewing. I think you need to check the bite again. I don't want you to damage any of my other teeth by grinding them to make them work with the new bridge."

Hope this helps.

 

[swampiesue]

Thanks Gordon, Will do just that.... to be honest with you the whole thing has been a nightmare from the time the teeth were ground down and the temp bridge put on.... that was a dreadful fit and I had to wait 4 weeks till I had the perm one fitted... After I had the perm one fitted, I developed a double ear infection that would not shift, caught a cold ( another month wasted) when I finally plucked up the courage ( and strength) to go to the dentist I only waffled half the story and got sent away to use toothpaste on my gums twice a day. As you can see from my thread it was a bite problem after all. Now I am worried sick I am going to have to RCT that will fail and I will lose the teeth holding the bridge and end up with false teeth.....

ALL BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO BE AN INCONVENIENCE !!!!

 

[Gordon]

I know what you mean, I'm terrible for not being assertive enough at times. I think a lot of dentists are actually.

 

[brit]

I know what you mean, I'm terrible for not being assertive enough at times. I think a lot of dentists are actually.

Only the nice ones Gordon AS a patient I can't say I've noticed 'lack of assertiveness' as a characteristic of most dentists. I do know how Swampiesue feels though, I am unassertive in dental environment (unlike on here) and so have to go to dentists I know won't take advantage of this...i.e. are nice people in the first place.

How does Swampiesue go about getting a second opinion in NHS on the quality/appropriateness of this bridge? She also got less than stellar-care at the start of her course of treatment as per other thread.

 

[olanda]

sorry if this has already been suggested, i haven't read all your posts, but could you not ask to be seen by the 'head'/lead (whatever they're called) dentist at your nhs practice for a second opinion if the matter isn't getting any better?

i'm pretty sure that's what my old nhs dentist did if there was a problem with any of the treatment there.

 

[swampiesue]

Hi Olanda, to be honest with I don't think seeing another dentist in the same practice is a good thing to do as I think I read on here somewhere, dentists are somewhat offended by such a question and probably quite rightly too....I really don't want to upset anyone especially as he might be doing every thing correctly.

 

[brit]

Hi Olanda, to be honest with I don't think seeing another dentist in the same practice is a good thing to do as I think I read on here somewhere, dentists are somewhat offended by such a question and probably quite rightly too....I really don't want to upset anyone especially as he might be doing every thing correctly.

I think that is the accepted route for an NHS second opinion. I myself left an NHS dental practice after 20 years (of seeing lots of different dentists) when the latest one who looked about 10 years old couldn't deal with a sensitivity issue I had.
When I phoned up to say why I was leaving, the receptionist offered me an appt with the senior dentist (but I didn't like him anyway - had seen him occasionally over the years - his gruff manner made me nervous whereas the Associates at least were pleasant) - it was easy for me to refuse this offer as I had already been elsewhere and had it sorted. I then stayed at the second practice for 12 years.

I can see why Swampiesue may not want to do this without having found an acceptable alternative care option but if the guy is suddenly being kind, he might be relieved to get a second opinion from his boss.