Revisiting the dentist about a problem with previous work?!
Question: I had some cavities filled a few weeks ago, but I'm having a lot of pain with one of them. If I were to go in for another visit about this filling, would I be charged? I realize not all dental offices are the same, but what is your opinion? And if I had to have the filling redone or something, would I have to pay for that? It seems to me that if he made a mistake I shouldn't have to pay for the same filling twice. What do you think?
Answers: I had some cavities filled a few weeks ago, but I'm having a lot of pain with one of them. If I were to go in for another visit about this filling, would I be charged? I realize not all dental offices are the same, but what is your opinion? And if I had to have the filling redone or something, would I have to pay for that? It seems to me that if he made a mistake I shouldn't have to pay for the same filling twice. What do you think?
You may need a simple adjustment to eliminate the pain. If you can gently close your teeth together and you feel this one tooth touch first, or hit harder, then all you need is an adjustment.
I don't know how deep or how large the fillings were, or what type of pain you are having, but leaving a restoration too high is a common problem and is mainly due to the patient being numb and not biting correctly to transfer a mark. It's easily fixed if that is what is wrong.
Yes, the dentist will look at the tooth and will adjust it at N/C. If the filling must be removed and a sedative filling placed, there will be a slight charge for this and later when the tooth settles down, a new permanent filling will be placed at N/C.
Additional information: From what you have described, it sounds like the nerve is dying in this tooth and in order to save it you will need a root canal treatment. The decay may not have been deep, but sometimes the bacteria will still reach the pulp causing the nerve to die. Be sure to call your dentist tomorrow and tell them the tooth has woke you up at night throbbing on it's on, they may be able to work you in tomorrow or at the very latest the next day. If they can't work you in immediately they may phone in a prescription for an antibiotic and a pain medication to get you started and out of pain. It may not be too painful yet, but give it a few more days to build.
Make sure you let them know this tooth is dying; hopefully they will be able to see you immediately. If not, be sure to request an antibiotic and a pain medication and start them immediately. The antibiotic will take two days for any noticeable effects, but you can get your blood levels up by taking an extra 500mg the first day. The pain medication will offer you some relief and can be taken with an Ibuprofen 600-800mg dose. It would be advisable to take the Ibuprofen either two hours before, or two hours after the pain medication to avoid stomach up set.
Sometimes when a tooth flares up like this, we treat it with an antibiotic therapy, to help the tooth settle down and heal. There are times that this is all the tooth will need, just a boost to help it heal. This doesn't happen all the time but I've found it helpful in many cases. Discuss this treatment with your dentist; he will be better able to judge the tooth based on how deep the decay was and what the x ray shows now.
An exposed nerve would need root canal treatment. You can't just cover an exposure up, the nerve would need to be removed and the canals would then need to be cleaned, enlarged and filled. So they were incorrect with their advice.
I would be going out on a limb here, but since you said there was no mention of this tooth having deep decay or being close to the pulp, I would attempt to treat the tooth with an antibiotic therapy first and see how the tooth does. Sometimes the tooth won't recover, but there are many times that it will recover and last for several months or several years. I always think antibiotic therapy is worth a try to save the tooth, if at all possible.
Additional information: Having a root canal procedure with your dentist will cost considerably less than if you see an endodontist. Also, the price will vary with each dentist, as well as city to city and state to state. The cost is also dependant on how many canals a tooth has, a single canal tooth or anterior tooth is much less and a three or four canal molar tooth is considerably higher. On a high average, a molar with four canals, needing a root canal will cost approximately $800.00-900.00. An anterior tooth with one canal is approximately $700.00. This is only for the root canal procedure; after the completion of a root canal, most teeth will require placement of a crown, post or pin for stability and a build up material to replace any missing tooth structure which can afford the tooth it's much needed extra support for the longevity of the tooth. After the nerve is removed from the tooth, it will become brittle due to lack of nutrients and it can fracture easily, this is why the crown is so very important. So the expense can reach $1500.00 to $2000.00 to save the tooth. But keep in mind that extracting the tooth and replacing it with a three unit bridge will cost about the same or possibly even more, and you would not have your natural tooth. Discuss all of your options with your dentist; he will help guide you in the right direction and hopefully he has a payment plan set up for his patients that will give you some financial relief. Also discuss doing the procedures in steps, first the completion of the root canal, then place a build up material and post if needed, then wait six months or a year for the crown portion if at all possible. If you stand a greater chance of fracture, do the crown immediately, you don