Popping feeling in tooth

[MountainMama]

I was eating a sandwich, nothing crunchy or hard. My upper left first molar (no 2nd molar behind it) had a sudden popping feeling. It was not painful but felt weird. The tooth has a large metal filling (old), and the filling does go down the back of the tooth.

The tooth doesn’t feel loose, but if I press on the back of the tooth, it has that popping feeling again, almost like it is moving.

I move across the country in less than a week. I do have an introduction visit scheduled at our new dentist on Aug 23.

I am freaking out about this, as I am worried about all the possibilities, like could it be cracked along the back and it is coming apart slightly when I have that feeling?

I don’t really have a choice about getting it looked at. I don’t have time to go to the dentist before we move, and from now until the 23rd is going to be crazy busy. I will be driving across the country for three days with my kids, dog and a cat…not conducive to dental issues.

 

[Kml1998]

@MountainMama it will just be saliva working its way around your tooth

 

[MountainMama]

@Kml1998 doesn’t feel like that, though. I would hope that would be it, but I have never had that happen before.

 

[superjen]

How are you doing? I hope a dentist does reply. I'm NAD, but can you wear your night guard during the day to protect this tooth until you can see a dentist?

 

[MountainMama]

The tooth feels weird but hasn’t had the popping feeling again. Although I have not been chewing on that side because I am worried about it.

Something has changed though, because my nightguard gets “caught” on that tooth now. Usually it comes off easily but now it seems to be hooked on that tooth and I have to maneuver it around to get it off. So maybe a piece of the tooth broke off? The back of the tooth is fragile. I know the filling needs replacing.

 

[Gordon]

Sorry, really don't have a clue what's going on here

 

[MountainMama]

Sorry, really don't have a clue what's going on here

I am just going to baby it until I can see the new dentist. If I push against it with my tongue or chew with it, it feels like the tooth is about to come apart, but not painful, just a feeling of pressure, like a loose tooth. It is weird. Maybe something up with the old filling? My husband said the new dentist is very thorough…he has been to him (first visit for him in 5 years) and he likes the guy a lot.

 

[Gordon]

The filling might be loose in the tooth, if it's a big old amalgam.

 

[MountainMama]

The filling might be loose in the tooth, if it's a big old amalgam.

That seems likely. It is around 20 years old. And yes, very large. Ugh. My previous dentist said I could make it another year before getting it replaced, but now it looks like it will need to be done sooner. I am going to have the constant worry that decay is forming around or under the filling now.

 

[Gordon]

It's pretty unlikely, as long as your diet isn't particularly high in carbs it won't form that quickly.

 

[MountainMama]

It's pretty unlikely, as long as your diet isn't particularly high in carbs it won't form that quickly.

Well, I usually eat pretty well but my diet has been awful the past two weeks, due to moving. We are currently on day two of driving to our new home, and our transmission is giving us issues. It is slipping gears, and not shifting properly.
I am stuck currently until I figure out what is wrong (me, 2 kids, a dog and a cat at a hotel).

The tooth has been hurting all day today, but considering the stress I am under right now, it could be the filling or it could be TMJ related. We had a ten hour drive yesterday, and a nine hour drive today, and are currently stuck 12 hours from our new home. So we have been eating fast food…can’t go to a sit down restaurant with a cat and dog. I did manage to find a smoothie place today and got a veggie wrap!

If we make it to our new place by Aug 20, I can still make it to my new patient dental appointment.

 

[Gordon]

It's not so much what you eat at meal times that's an issue, it's snacking between meals

Hope you get moving again soon!

 

[MountainMama]

It's not so much what you eat at meal times that's an issue, it's snacking between meals

Hope you get moving again soon!

I am not snacking so much. Mostly just drinking unsweetened tea or water. I don’t do carbonated beverages anymore.

 

[Gordon]

No problem then. The odd soda (as you say over there) won't do you any harm as long as it's kept to meal times and drank fairly quickly. It's the sipping for ages between meals that's the big baddy.

 

[MountainMama]

No problem then. The odd soda (as you say over there) won't do you any harm as long as it's kept to meal times and drank fairly quickly. It's the sipping for ages between meals that's the big baddy.

Well, we made it to our new home and I saw the new dentist. He is comprehensive…examines teeth, jaw alignment, and even evaluates respiratory issues. He did x-rays and a 3D scan. He said he wouldn’t replace the fillings yet, and the one does not look loose at all. He didn’t see any decay around it at all either. So I have no idea what that feeling was.

Bad news is that both kids have cavities. Tiny little ones…sons is between a molar and baby tooth. Daughter has two and both are under the wire on her braces. Dentist recommended a water pik for her to use around her brackets.