What should I do? - Dental Health Message Board

Gackscraper · 07-30-2005, 12:45 AM

Ok, I'll try to make this brief.... About a year ago, I went to a new Dentist and got a checkup. Everything was fine but there was one filling that he didn't like the looks of. I had gotten the filling about a year prior to that and had no problems with the tooth what-so-ever. He told me how the silver filling material was actually covering the gap between the next tooth a bit and it would make it difficult to floss. He also told me how great the tooth colored material was. Well, he talked me into replacing it. Big mistake! Every since then my tooth has been sensitive to cold and if I bite on anything moderately hard, I get a dull pain. I just learned to eat on the other side of my mouth and kept him informed about it. I never had any constant pain, just when I ate on that side. Well, about 2 months ago, I get this sinus infection. After unsuccessful treatments, I get a CT scan that shows Right Maxillary Sinusitis. The doc gives me some strong meds and painkillers and everything seems fine until tonight when I get this massive tooth ache in that exact tooth he worked on. Through a daze of pain it dawns on me that the right Maxillary Sinus cavity is right above this upper right molar that he worked on and I may have an infection in it causing the sinus infections also. I'm going in tomorrow morning for emergency dental with him and I can't help but feel that I'm getting a bum rap. I'll probably need a root canal and will be out $1000's when the tooth was fine in the first place. Should I call him on it and say I'm not paying for this because you're the one thats caused the problem in the first place? Do I have a leg to stand on? I should probably mention that I haven't had any x-rays to even see if there is an infection. Thanks everyone for listening.

[Please do not use cuss/slang words or characters that depict them. Thanks - Well-come Moderator.]

thepenster060 · 07-30-2005, 05:09 AM

Sorry to hear of your tooth problems. It's hard to give an opinion because i don't know how deep the cavity was in the first place. I do know though that the restoration should not overlap the tooth next to it. (as your prior dentist placed it) A tooth ache can happen at any time. talk to your dentist. if your not happy with him/her maybe you could get a second opinion......hope this helps.

Gackscraper · 07-30-2005, 07:27 AM

Thanks for the reply. You mentioned a cavity. Well, thats why I'm a little miffed. There was no cavity. The only reason he changed the filling is because it was overlapping the gap slightly and he was afraid that it would be difficult to floss. I understand that there is a problem with the overlap, but should I be liable for all these $$ because it 'might' be difficult to floss right there? I guess I trusted him when I was sitting in the chair and he looked me in the eye and said, "I really think we should change that filling, you may have problems flossing right there and these tooth colored fillings are really great." Of course, trusting ol' me said, "Ok, if you think we should." Oh, BTW, I never remember having difficulty flossing.