Slight pain on filled tooth and strange sensations on roof of mouth 2 weeks after filling adjustment

[MilesAlma]

Hello, everyone. I posted here a few days ago, and you all gave me such kind responses. Thank you so much. It makes it a little easier to share what I’m going through.

I had four composite fillings placed about a month ago (both molars and premolars on the upper left side of my mouth). The fillings were initially so high, I was unable to close my mouth (the right side couldn't touch down at all). I immediately made an appointment for an adjustment, but couldn't get seen by my dentist for about ten days. I tried to avoid chewing on that side, but the pain was enormous, in spite of my efforts.

About two weeks ago, the dentist shaved the fillings down enough for both sides of my mouth to touch. It got rid of a lot of the pain, but I was still a bit sore and I noted that the fit where a filled tooth met another felt "tight." The dentist told me the occlusion paper didn't show any abnormalities on that tooth and refused to file down the filling any further. I was sent home.

Since the adjustment, the pain from the high fillings has mostly faded away. Most of the time I can chew comfortably on food--no pain whatsoever whether it's soft, hard, or chewy. Occasionally, I get a slight twinge of pain in the roof of my mouth near one of the filled teeth, which quickly fades away. I'm getting some other strange sensations as well.

While eating, I feel a pressure on the roof of my mouth on the left side (where the work was done). It feels ”heavy.” This same pressure is present when I yawn.

I've run my tongue against the affected side constantly and looked at the filled teeth in the mirror many times. I can't seem to find anything wrong with them. I haven’t noticed any sensitivity to heat while drinking hot tea. I could not say 100% about whether or not any particular tooth is especially sensitive to cold, since all my teeth are a bit cold sensitive. I can say that cold fruit or cold water (refrigerated items) give me no issues. Ice water or beverages served with ice, I can “feel” the cold, but it doesn’t make me jump or feel especially painful. In fact, the “sensation” of cold fades immediately after I take away the fluid.

Since I've never had fillings before, I'm not sure what is normal and what is not. I’ve been online, trying to research an answer, but I can’t find anyone whose post-filling situation sounds similar to mine. As such, I’m really nervous that I might have a serious issue. I dread the idea of returning to the current dentist to fix the issue—but she was the one that placed the fillings, so it seemed right to allow her to correct any issues. (Note: This dentist—dentist #1—originally wanted to place 9 fillings, but the types of spots she was filling along with her refusal to show me the remaining 4 or 5 teeth she wished to fill (either on x-ray, with pictures, or with a mirror) before making an appointment made me anxious enough to get a second opinion. The new dentist told me I had no decay (just staining). Part of me is terrified that if I return to dentist #1 again, she might pressure me to fill the remaining teeth, which I have absolutely no intention of doing. I cannot return to dentist #2 because she is currently not taking new Medicaid (my insurance) patients, so I’d have to pay out of pocket for everything).

Is this something I should return to the dentist for, or should I wait a little longer to see if the pain and sensations fade?

 

[Gordon]

I'm lost. Which dentist did the fillings No 1 or No 2?

It sounds like the fillings might need some further adjustment, the attitude of the dentist who adjusted them is a bit odd.

 

[letsconnect]

You can voice your concerns here: https://dental.dhcs.ca.gov/Members/How_to_Avoid_Inappropriate_Care/

Hopefully, they'll be able to put you in touch with a more suitable dentist that takes your insurance.

@Gordon it was dentist No 1 who did the fillings, dentist No 2 (who sounds much better) gave a second opinion but they're not in the Medicaid network.

 

[MilesAlma]

@Gordon Dentist #1 did my fillings and the adjustment. I went to Dentist #2 for a second opinion on the remaining teeth Dentist #1 wanted to fill--Dentist #2 saw no cavities or decay and recommended sealants on my remaining molars.

@letsconnect Thank you very much for the help! I called the line twice, but the operators were in a bit of a hurry. I'll give it another try this week and hopefully get a good recommendation. I've also been searching the Medicaid site for providers as well--crossing my fingers and hoping to locate a trustworthy dentist soon.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Sounds like the fillings need a bit more fine adjustment. Dentist No 1 sounds like they need avoiding.

 

[MilesAlma]

Hi everyone. I've got an update.

I went in this morning to have another adjustment with Dentist #1. I made it clear over the phone before I headed over that under no circumstances would she be doing ANY fillings on my teeth. She was only allowed to fix the four fillings she put in.

Dentist #1 came in after finishing work on another patient. She asked me what was going on. I described the pressure and the pain to her. Immediately, Dentist #1 says "I remember placing your fillings. They were very shallow. You shouldn't be having any pain." She gets out the occlusion paper and has me bite down and grind. She looks at the teeth and goes "There's so little to fix. You shouldn't be having these issues." She grinds down the two molars, has me bite and asks how it feels. I say it feels better, but needs more improvement. She uses the paper again, grinds the molars down--she asks me how I feel once more. I say it feels better, but I notice one of the premolars still feels a little off. I ask her to do a check on the premolars as well. She has me bite down, but says she doesn't see any issues.

Dentist #1 asks me if I only need the adjustment, or do I want to have more fillings placed today. I tell her I don't want any fillings--the adjustment is good enough. Dentist #1 goes "Remember to make an appointment to get the rest of those teeth filled at a later date." She rushes out of the room.

It's a few hours since the adjustment and my bite has settled into something new. It feels a little more even and comfortable, but I'm still concerned about the "tightness" I feel on the premolar when my teeth rest together.

I'm dreading the idea that I might need to return to get another adjustment from Dentist #1. She doesn't give me the knowledge I need to make informed decisions about my teeth, disregards my pain, and doesn't devote much time to my concerns. The only reason I keep returning to her is because she's the one who put these fillings in, so I feel like she's the only person who should make adjustments.

My questions are these: First, if it needs to be done again, how long should I wait before adjusting the fillings?

Second, do I ABSOLUTELY have to go back to Dentist #1 for the adjustment, or can another dentist do it instead?

 

[Gordon]

1) Give it a few more days till things settle down a bit, it'll make it easier to pinpoint the area that needs attention
2) No you don't

 

[MilesAlma]

@Gordon Thank you very much for taking the time to reply! Dentist #1 pretty much left me in the dark, so I'm glad to have information.

Unfortunately, it looks like it might be another week before I can go back in. The tightness and pressure on the premolar hasn't improved, but the rest of my bite definitely feels much better. I'm no longer getting "heaviness" on the roof of my mouth. Perhaps the additional time will help things settle and improve a bit more. If needed, I'd like to go to a new dentist to have a final adjustment done (since Dentist #1 always seems in a hurry and keeps trying to push to place additional fillings, even when I refuse), but I'm a bit nervous about having someone else touch the fillings.

My two molar fillings are extremely visible--the color of the composite is lighter than the surrounding tooth and they show up nice and bright on X-Ray. The two fillings in my premolars (which feels like the problem area) aren't as visible--the composite's color is identical to the rest of the tooth, and the fillings don't show up clearly on X-Ray (according to Dentist #2).

If I go to a new dentist to have an adjustment, will that dentist be able to tell the difference between the composite and regular tooth structure? In other words, will the new dentist be able to see the fillings well enough to shave down only the composite and not the rest of the tooth?

 

[Gordon]

If I go to a new dentist to have an adjustment, will that dentist be able to tell the difference between the composite and regular tooth structure? In other words, will the new dentist be able to see the fillings well enough to shave down only the composite and not the rest of the tooth?

Probably, but it won't matter, they need to shave down the high spots which will be marked up with some marking paper, they shouldn't be touching anything else. If the high spots happen to be tooth surface then they still need reducing slightly (it can happen but it's not likely!).

 

[MilesAlma]

Hi everyone.

It's been two weeks since the second adjustment, I've got no more pain on chewing and my bite feels pretty even. However, a few new symptoms appeared.

The "heaviness" or pressure in the roof of my mouth returned, but only when swallowing. It's not happening when I chew or yawn anymore. I thought it might possibly be from clenching, so I've done my best to keep my teeth apart during the day. This helps immensely.

My biggest issue is the filled premolar I discussed in my previous post. It is the only tooth that still seems high. It almost feels like it takes a tiny bit more pressure than the other teeth on that side. I decided to look closely in the mirror so I could pinpoint the area of the filled tooth causing concern. After I visually checked where the tooth took the most pressure, I used a small mirror to see where it was located on the biting surface. The area taking the pressure doesn’t seem to be on the filling, but on an unfilled portion of the premolar.

Now I'm afraid the dentist might have shaved down my other fillings a bit TOO much, causing the filled premolar to take slightly more weight than the other teeth (hence why the tooth still feels high and Dentist #1 refused to adjust it). I've tested my bite in the mirror, and I know the other filled teeth (the two molars and remaining premolar located on the upper left side of my mouth) touch the bottom row of teeth at roughly same time as the troubled premolar does. Further, the teeth on the right and left sides of my mouth also feel like they all touch at the same time. None seem to meet earlier than the others.

At this point, I’m not sure if the premolar in question seems strange because I’m still adjusting to the new bite, if I’m clenching too much, or if my fillings are just a bit too low (I'm hoping this is the least likely scenario). I'm feeling frustrated and lost. I've gone to the dentist more in the last three months than I ever have in my entire life, and each time, things seem to get worse. I was blessed to have a series of great dentists before I moved and all I've ever needed are my biannual appointments, where my concerns are always noted and addressed. It feels like everything has snowballed since I met Dentist #1, and now I can't get things back under control.

From the little I've read about low fillings, it seems the only way to fix them is to redo them. I just had these fillings placed two months ago, and I know each time a filling is redone, more tooth structure is removed. The idea of having 3, or even all 4 redone so soon is scary. I also can't imagine Medicaid will pay for the teeth to be refilled if I see a different Dentist about the problem, so now I feel trapped into returning to Dentist #1 to get the problem fixed for "free," if she'll even stay in the exam room long enough to listen to me.

Would anyone be able to tell me what my problem might be? Do I need to go to the dentist to get it fixed? If so, how would I communicate this issue to a dentist—tell them I suspect my fillings might be low, or simply tell them my symptoms and let them gather their own conclusions? How will the dentist go about testing to see if the fillings are low?

 

[Gordon]

See my last answer.

They need to shave down the high spots which will be marked up with some marking paper, they shouldn't be touching anything else. If the high spots happen to be tooth surface then they still need reducing slightly (it can happen but it's not likely!).

 

[MilesAlma]

Hi everyone. I've got an update for you!

I waited another week for a bit more progress before I decided to call up Dentist #2 (the Dentist who gave me second opinion on Dentist #1's proposed treatment plan) and ask if she could take a look at the filled teeth. I also went ahead and asked for a cleaning even though I'm about two months early. My appointment was early this morning.

Dentist #2's hygienist was incredibly thorough with her cleaning. She did periocharting before starting (I'd never had it done before), then followed with ultrasonic AND handscaling, alongside polishing. She spent a good 45 minutes working. After she finished, she let me look in the mirror and I was incredibly surprised and happy to find a lot of the staining on my teeth was gone, leaving me with shiny white teeth. My cleaning with Dentist #1 wasn't nearly as thorough as this, so I felt incredibly satisfied with the result.

Dentist #2 came in, sat down and had me explain my symptoms. She said it sounded like my fillings were still too high and that she would check the bite. If the bite looked fine, she'd look elsewhere. Dentist #2 had me bite down on some occlusion paper, and before I even opened my mouth, Dentist #2 said she felt a hard "bumping" sensation on the film as my teeth met. She opened my mouth, said the fillings were high then looked at the opposing teeth. Dentist #2 handed me a mirror and explained that not only were the fillings high, but some of the teeth were hitting very hard. She said she'd file down the fillings, but also wanted to sand a tiny bit off the opposing teeth to make contact softer--not too much, just a touch of the drill to round out sharp edges. I asked her if grinding down the other teeth was really necessary. She said it'd reduce the pressure between the teeth and lessen the chance I might crack a tooth. I allowed her to proceed. As she worked, Dentist #2 reassured me that she was only "touching the drill" to the lower teeth and not taking off too much. She checked the bite two more times, urging me to grind hard in all directions to get a good read. Dentist #2 asked me if the bite felt alright after she checked one last time. She then said to wait a few weeks for my mouth to adjust to the new bite and, if things still felt strange after, to come back. Dentist #2 also urged me to get a nightguard, as she suspected some of my symptoms were likely made more intense by grinding or clenching.

The pressure or tightness on the premolar that I mentioned in my previous posts is now pretty much gone after this last adjustment. I'm feeling a lot more optimistic, but slightly nervous because of the unfilled teeth Dentist #2 shaved down. I've only heard of Dentists filing down high fillings in order to adjust a bite, not opposing teeth. Did I make a mistake allowing her to do so?

 

[Gordon]

No you didn't make a mistake. It was the best way to even out your bite and prevent further long term damage. The amount of tooth surface removed is insignificant.