Cavity filled a few weeks ago; pain when chewing...any help?

Question

I had a small amount of decay under one of my sealants. The doctor used sand to blast it out and gave me what he called "an adult sealant" to fill in the hole. It's on the surface of the crown on my upper back molar. When I chew for longer periods of time on that side (gum, tough meat, etc.) I start to get a dull pain that quickly shoots from the crown toward the gum each time I chew. I'm then forced to chew on the left side.

I've never had any kind of a filling before so I'm clueless (I'm also pissed at my old dentist who put my sealants on in such a way that decay could occur underneath). Is this normal?

I'm going back to campus on Sunday... should I have this checked out before I leave home?

Answer 1

first you should know that tooth decay can occur underneath a sealant if the oral hygiene is not so good,and after some period of time leakage can happen in the gap between sealant and tooth structure,which causes recurrent caries.so its normal and that's why u need follow up sessions after sealant therapy.

and about your pain,maybe the new sealant is over filled which can cause dull pain,so go to your dentist and get it checked...........good luck.

Answer 2

Well I've actually never heard of using sand to blast out decay and just use an "adult sealant". Most dentists will drill and place a tooth colored composite filling. It may be that the filling or sealant is too high and is irritating your nerve when you chew on it. A small  filling should not cause you pain. I would definately go back and get the filling/sealant adjusted.

In the meantime your doing it right just avoid the area to prevent more irritation. I would assume your dentist took xrays to determine how big the cavity was before he filled it? If not then request he take one to make sure it isn't a larger cavity.

Your old dentist or dental assistant should have checked the area for sticky pits before putting sealants on so yes, they were wrong for not checking properly prior to placing the sealants. Hope this helps!