Throbbing Pain After Onlay

[Candace888]

Hi, three weeks ago I had an onlay put on a molar. I was not having any trouble with my tooth but the new dentist that I went to said that my amalgam filling had leaking margins and decay under the filling so we needed to do an onlay to prevent a root canal and crown later.  She did the onlay and since that time I have had toothaches (throbbing) unless I take Ibuprofin 800mg every 6-8 hours.  I have avoided eating on that side of my mouth.  I do have an exposed root at the gumline on that tooth and have very sensitive teeth to begin with.  After a week she had me come back and she filed down the onlay some to make sure that there was no contact with the other tooth.  The tooth below it hurts when the tooth with the onlay starts in as well.  The dentist says that if Ibuprofin is controlling the pain this well, that I probably don't need a root canal but it may be a possibility.  My question is, how long do I wait to go see an entodontist?  I don't really want a root canal, as I know this shortens the life of the tooth ultimately but I'm not sure how much pain and time to endure.  I am also using flouride 2x a day to decrease sensitivity.  Of course, the onlay used up my dental insurance benefit...so I would also like to wait on the root canal until January when insurance will cover it if possible.    Thanks

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

I wouldn't want to call it a vicious cycle of tooth filing.  Just some minor adjustments here and there to see how it goes.  If its improved, I'd continue with another adjustment if necessary.  It sure beats a root canal.  Glad to hear it turned out good.

[Candace888]

Thank you very much!!

[Candace888]

Thank you, I saw my endotonist last week, he said he didn't think I needed a root canal at this point but that during the dental procedure, the ligaments in my jaw were pulled (it was a long procedure, I have a very small mouth and she did a lot of jerking on my jaw) which changed my bite.  He filed a tiny bit on the back molar and took the pressure off those teeth, which immediately made a big difference.  Now, however, the area where the pressure was shifted to has started to ache off and on.  Do I go get my bite adjusted again or does this start a vicious cycle of tooth filing?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

I would give it about 4-6 weeks from the day of treatment.  So right now would be a good indication of whether or not a root canal is needed.  If it doesn't heal by 6 weeks at maximum, I would recommend a root canal.  A cold test should be performed to check the vitality of the tooth.  If there's pain to cold and it lingers for awhile (about 15 seconds or longer) then a root canal is indicated as well.