Saturday, March 19, 2011

My bite feels wrong after a filling. What can be done?

This one is almost too obvious. When a filling is placed often dentists ask their patients if the bite feels right. Since most patients are numb they can have difficulty judging whether the bite is correct. When their anesthesia wears off it easy for them to judge if their teeth are meeting properly.

A high bite can cause a patient significant pain and should not be ignored. Aside from causing a 'tooth ache' it can even lead to a fracture of the tooth since it is bearing the bulk of the pressure exerted from a patient's jaw muscles.

If the bite is off after a filling is placed, the dentist should be called and a short appointment made so that he can adjust the bite. This usually involves the dentist having the patient bite on articulating paper so that the 'high' spots on the new filling can me marked. These are adjusted using with the dental drill. This process can be repeated until the patients bite is correct. The whole process usually takes several minutes and requires no anesthesia.

76 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:05 AM

    Thank you i just got a filling done in the back and noticed my bite didn't feel right

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  2. Thank You, I went today and Yes I couldnt tell because of the numbness and then later when it slowly wared off I began to notice it was Uneven so now Im nervous Im going to have to wait a long time for my Dentist to make me new appointment and it being like 1-2 weeks away. Urg the struggle is real

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  3. Anonymous4:40 AM

    I've been back to my dentist several times after an initial filling on a tooth with no pain (recommended by the dentist) and although my bite has improved I still feel my teeth no longer rest naturally together 4 weeks on; Before the filling my teeth all locked naturally together in such a way when I closed my mouth then and bit down they stayed firmly on top of one another. Since the filling, and subsequent adjustments my mouth feels like it doesn't close completely, but since the adjustments it does feel that the pressure is not only on the tooth above the filling (I would liken my new mouth to a toy donkey's bite, where the teeth just clap together and don't interlock or slide over one another). The dentist seems unable to restore my happy interlocking teeth, what can I do? what type of dental expert would I need to get it resolved (to return to teeth which fit neatly like I had before the filling)?

    I note that my dentist cavalierly told me he was just going to smooth off the tooth above because "its a bit sharp" with drill already in my mouth and giving me no time to say otherwise, I feel fairly certain it was supposed to be the shape it was in order to lock correctly to the tooth below (which he didn't alter after the filling initially saying he wanted to restore the tooth to 10 years previous, even though he was a new dentist and didn't know how my teeth where 10 years ago).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are still prematurely contacting the tooth with the new filling than adjusting the bite is still in order. This can be accomplished by adjusting the opposing tooth or by adjusting the new filling. If adjusting the filling further may weaken it too much than sometimes a small adjustment on the opposing tooth is not a bad idea.

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    2. Anonymous5:08 AM

      Thank you. I think perhaps my problem might stem from the change in the height /shape of the filled tooth causing another earlier tooth (2 teeth forward of the filling) that had root canal and crown (many years ago) to now bear some light pressure from my bite when my mouth closes on that side (as through the day I want to bite less on that side). The original dentist who placed the crown did explicitly state at the time that he was placing it such that pressure would not be applied. I wonder if polishing a fraction off the bottom of the crown would not resolve the issue? My dentist has said the tooth he adjusted looks to meet correctly though. This is the worst dental experience I have had, my prior experiences I left and within 48 hours I returned to relatively normal mouth operation.

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    3. does it hurt to get adjustment

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    4. Were you able to ever fix this??? I am in the same shape. 3 weeks out from a cleaning and a "replaced filling." My mouth fit right before. And now it does not. I am aware of my teeth 24/7. And the problem does not appear to be the actual tooth with the replaced "new" filling, but rather a tooth up and two over which now touches first when before it dit not. My top and bottom teeth now click and slide into position. No longer match! It's driving me insane.

      I went back for an "adjustment" but because the tooth that was drilled is not the problem, she sanded off a "sharp corner" above. That did not help. The 'hit' is somewhere else.

      I am wondering if the filling is not high ENOUGH. Like it's now causing other teeth to be the first contact. OMG even while sleeping I am aware of my mouth. What can I do?

      Is there a way to stick an entire sheet of carbon paper in my mouth and mark where my top-bottom contact is happening first? All my life my mouth was fine (I'm 54) and now it's not.

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  4. Anonymous3:58 PM

    I returned from the dentist's office today and as soon numbness has passed I realized that 2 teeth are joined together with 1 filling. Is it a normal practice to join 2 teeth together? I am not sure I will be able to floss properly, plus I feel a pressure on my gums.

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    Replies
    1. Its very unlikely your dentist joined two teeth together when doing one filling. It maybe that it is hard to get floss through. Hopefully in a day or two you will be able to floss,but if not go back to your dentist for help.

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    2. Anonymous9:25 PM

      I really need help my bite keeps being off after a filling this dentist didn’t get it the right way!

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  5. Hi I went to the dentist in November of 2017 to get a filling since then it has been change three times due to the sensitivity and tooth hurting when I eat. I got the filling redone two weeks ago I no longer have the sensitivity to hot and cold but when I eat food it hurts. She readjusted today and says there is no more high spots but what can be causing my tooth to hurt everytime I eat. I only feel this pain when I’m chewing foods like peanuts or anything hard. But if I just close my mouth hard I don’t feel anything

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  6. If it was a large filling then the tooth holding it can be stressed when biting hard. You may need a crown to make this symptom go away.

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    Replies
    1. From what I was told it was not a large filling.

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    2. Also if it is a large filling will that feeling every go away ? And if it is a small filling can a crown help with it.

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    3. hard peanuts can sometimes be a challenge for a composite filling since they can cause flexing of the filling but without a direct examination of your filling and bite I really can't say for sure what should be done.

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    4. the same problem I have been having, i got my fillings last year in July 2018 and upto now I am not able to eat . Even when the dentist change the composite filling the second time .
      I got an x ray done and you cant even notice the fillings, hence they arent that deep, What should I do? My teeth next to the teeth that were filled also seem to be hurting . My mouth feels like it cant chew any hard stuff. Any on the other side , the tooth with fillings has become sensitive and i am told to apply sensodyne. But that helps a little but the pain doesnt go away . Please help me. I have filled 3 teeth up in my mouth

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  7. Anonymous11:33 PM

    5 years ago I had my wisdom tooth #31 extracted and I was ok with it after the year I had 3 fillings done and noticed I had an open bite, i told the doc that I had an open bite and she said it was normal as long as I could bite in the back. Me not knowing anything I said ok and now after 4 years I moved to a different state and been to two dentist office because I just can't stand the open bite... They said I need a jaw surgery to fix the open bite I asked can I did it with braces they said not 100 % if I had a normal bite 5 years ago and before I had the fillings done why did this happened I don't understand... Answers?

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  8. it sounds like your jaw repositioned itself for some reason. Without a set of study models and a detailed examination, I don't think anyone can say exactly why this happened.

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  9. I recently went to a new dentist - I have had six monthly check ups for years. My new denist said I had to have major dental work - I have had a lot of stress in my life and he said that stress can cause all sorts of dental problems. My dental work is in the vicinity of $20,000 using a Prosthodontist and Endodontist - root canal/bridge/crowns. My main query is I have a great deal of trouble getting my bite to feel right. The Prosthodontist has worked on the bridgework and checked it and says that it looks correct to him. Do I need to just get used to the bridgework and does it feel "not right" because it is new or should I keep going back to him to work on it. The Prosthodontist I am using is highly respected and been working in his field for many years - thank you

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  10. I had a bridge recemented today and it was fine when I put it in then he tried it in and was fine when he put cement in it and was high I told him and he said it was fine now that I have been hitting it all day it hurt what can I do till I can get in

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  11. if the bite is still high tomorrow, make sure to get back in as soon as possible.

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  12. My son had 5 small fillings done about 6 weeks ago. Afterwards, his bite was not right and he went back to the dentist where they adjusted a high spot. Since then, his bite still has not been right (teeth together on one side but large gap on the other side). He's been back to the dentist 4 times and they say nothing's wrong. We don't know where to go from here. Should he see another dentist? A specialist?

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  13. Anonymous5:15 PM

    Hi,
    A couple of weeks ago i went to the dentist for my 6 mon. check up and discovered I had cavities on three teeth (3, 4, & 5 of my upper right teeth). A couple of the cavities were located between 3 and 4 & 4 and 5. The dentist gave me 3 shots of anasthetic and waited until i was numb to work on me. After it was done he asked me to check how my bite felt. At the time i thought it was fine but I was too numb to be completely sure. After i left and the numbness wore off i immediately noticed a sharp pain on one tooth whenever i had to bite on anything that required more chewing (chips, fries, etc.) i waited 4 days thinking it was sensitivity but it never went away so i went back and the dentist told me i just need a bite adjustment since one tooth was putting pressure on another since the filling was too high. A normal thing after fillings that required anesthetic. He had me bite down on this paper that marked the high areas and he drilled them down without placing me under anasthetic. I also heard this wasnormal so I wasn't panicked. However, prior to getting the bite adjustment i didnt feel any pain or sensitivity to eating or drinking anything hot or cold. I only felt the sensitivity to pressure from chewing. However, AFTER the bite adjustment i not only felt an intense pain to cold and hot drinks/foods, but it felt like he drilled off too much from the fillings because the left side of my teeth (which were fine and thus not worked on) feels like there is more surface area where my teeth touch rather than on the right side where he drilled them to adjust the fillings. I was concerned because of the sudden sensitivity that i didnt have until the bite adjustment and went back to the dentist to make sure everything was ok. It was really bad and when i touched the surface of one particular tooth it stung. The dentist took new x-rays and said the filling was fine (not cracked or anything), so he put gouma (idk if that is spelled correctly) as a type of medicine to deal with the pain. They blew air on my teeth to dry it out (which made them immediately sting) and then placed on several layers. He said it was like a medicine to help reduce the sensitivity but I can tell u right now it didn't do much. They reschedule me to go back in a week but I dont know if this is just normal sensitivity or if i should ask them to redo the filling (i have been told that it helps take away the sensitvity to cold/hot foods/drinks sometimes. Idk if it is true ). They suggested i could redo the filling but they said they would put it the same way which feels kind of pointless to redo since they said my current filling is fine. And yet I have this sensitvity and, like i said, it concerns me not only because I have never had sensitvity before after a filling, but because of the lack of surface area that i feel on my right side now.

    Is this normal to have that lack of surface area since he adjusted the bite? And if not what should I do? Should i ask my dentist to redo the filling to not only readjust this lack and to help with my sensitivity?

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    Replies
    1. Hopefully with time your sensitivity will go away. Sometimes after a bite adjustment, some enamel is removed and a patient can experience some sensitivity on the newly exposed surface. Usually it will go away after some time.

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    2. Anonymous1:04 PM

      I just recently went back as a check up with the dentist and he decided to redo the filling to hopefully remove the sensitivity. However, even after i was numbed with anasthetic i could feel the sensitvity very accutely in the area where he was drilling off the old filling. So much so that i had to squeeze my hands together to deal with it. He noticed and stopped, stating he couldnt continue until after my sensitvity was gone or else he would hurt me. So he put on a temporary filling and said it should help ease my pain. Its been 2 days since then and i dont feel any change. If anything my tooth is still very sensitvite and now even the tooth below it is sensitvite but only to a certain degree. Im just curious if there is anything i can do to make the healing go faster. Avoid chewing on that side? Eat soft foods? Take asprin? I know its only been 2 days but ive been dealing with this for over 2 weeks since the original time i went and i just want for it to start getting better. I can barely eat regular food and even room temperature water affects my tooth.

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  14. Anonymous2:10 AM

    Hello,
    So I'm 13 years old and i have just got a filling yesterday. I did the bite test and although it felt a little high, I still said it was okay (the last time I got a filling it was also a little high but it reduced as time went on). Anyway, I got home with my mum and I wasn't allowed to eat due to the filling still setting. It is now the next day and I can clearly feel that the bite is not right but I can't go to my dentist as my mum and dad will bot be at work for some time. I have another appointment in 5 days to extract another tooth and I have been reading many articles about high fillings. When will the symptoms of high fillings start? (E.g, the pain, sensitivity ECT.) Thank you for taking your time to read this.

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  15. you may or may not have symptoms (pain) especially if you don't bite down hard on the high bite. Do mention it to the dentist when you see him for your next appointment.

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  16. Hi. Couple weeks ago a student dentist put 2crowns in my back lower teeth. They adjusted them whilst i was there but on way home I felt adjustment wasnt right. When I put my tongue on 2crowns that are together .. it feel like a big lump of high filling. I know they closed gap up in between to stop food fm getting caught too much (I can still floss). However it just feels strange. Have appoint 2moro so hopefully he can correct it.... but I heard supervisor say not to shave too much off one side. Spose all I can do is hope Dentist does a good job (& not make it worse). Id really prefer the supervisor take over at this point but Im afraid to ask as the student dentist is quite nice & I dont want to hurt his feelings. What should I do. I just want it fixed properly !!

    Thank you ... Sue

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    Replies
    1. Possibly you could ask your student to call over a faculty before adjusting the crowns? When they are both present you can talk to both at the same time and express any concerns you have.

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  17. Anonymous1:35 AM

    Hi i recently got two fillings done. But, ever since then my bite has been feeling wrong. It is not the same as it was before. I had never had any issues with my teeth. I went back to the dentist and told him if he could redo the fillings but he said he couldn’t or else my teeth would need to have a root canal done. I am so scared and don’t know what to do. I had never been in so much discomfort in my life. My bite feels so uneven and i cant even chew on my left side because then i feel I’m putting too much pressure on my teeth that had the fillings done. Can it be fixed? Or am i going to have to live like this forever? Please help! Thank you.

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  18. It is hard to diagnose from a distance but I'll try: if you feel the pressure when you close your mouth, but have no food in your mouth, the bite probably should be adjusted. Also check how you bite feels when you slide your teeth side to side. If you only have discomfort when you are eating, it your tooth may need some time to become more comfortable.

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  19. Anonymous3:01 PM

    i recently got a couple of fillings on my upper jaw. At first the fillings were too high so I went back to get them adjusted. However, now they feel as if they're too short and cannot touch or lock with the teeth from my lower jaw. All the pressure is put on the left side of my jaw. Can this be fixed?

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  20. Anonymous1:32 PM

    Could you tell me how many mm counts as "high filling"?
    I think I have an approximately 0.2 mm higher filling (the edge of the filling goes 0.2 mm above my normal tooth surface approximately by looking at and feeling it).
    Is that still within the tolerable threshold?
    Will that amount naturally erode down as I eat and grind my teeth?

    Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. It would be best if you just go back to your dentist and let him adjust the filling for you. Waiting for it to "wear" down is probably not the best option.

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  21. Anonymous1:28 PM

    I just got fillings for 2 for each side, top and bottom. When I put my teeth together, they feel different than before I got the fillings, but it's comfortable. But when I eat, I feel like I am grinding my teeth, and it worries me that I might make multiple fillings loose. There is no pain, or sensitivity to temperatures. Is this something that I should get looked at, or will it eventually get better?

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  22. I just got a filling on my top tooth, fourth from the middle, and it was painful after a few days so the dentist had to redo the entire filling. I went back again because my bite was off and she smoothed it over a bit. She told me not to come back for another month so I could have time to get used to the tooth, and it's been a month. The original filling feels weird still and the opposing tooth on the bottom is not painful and i can see 2 small brown holes on the top of it. What do you think is going on with my teeth? Should I look for a new dentist?

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  23. If your bite is not high, than waiting a month maybe a good idea. If after a month you have symptoms from this tooth you can call your dentist or seek a second opinion; both are viable options.

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  24. Hi I had a crown placed over a filling. It cracked a month later and my dentist had to replace the crown. Since my second crown has been placed my bite has been off. He has tried to adjust it several times and my teeth do not touch evenly. If one side is touching then on the opposite side I can stick my tongue on top of those teeth. I also have pressure when I bite hard foods on that tooth specifically. Example apples or peanuts. I mainly chew on the opposite side. I do not have any sensitivity or pain just pressure on that tooth with those foods. What should I do? My dentist said he can’t do anything else and that I need to go elsewhere.

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    Replies
    1. It seems like your dentist can't solve your problem. Why not follow his or her advice and get a second opinion? Either it is or isn't related to a bite problem and a second opinion may help clarify why you are experiencing your symptoms.

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  25. I think my tooth filling was trimmed to short and two thin. My whole face was hurting from the pain. I put that dent tek home filling on that tooth to build it up more and the pain stopped. Is this a thing or am I imagining this can fillings be to short. Or two thin and cause pain.

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    Replies
    1. If a filling is "low" instead of "high" it usually is not responsible for pain. If the filling is "under filled" ie, not covering the tooth preparation it can cause sensitivity. In that event placing a temporary filling over the exposed tooth structure may relieve sensitivity.

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  26. High Filling? Can my tooth crack?

    Hi! Thanks for all the answers and help here!

    I got my top right molar cavity filled today.

    The dentist filled it and had me bite down on this blue(ish) paper (I guess to see how the tooth rested).

    It felt off from the get go but I wasn’t sure because of the numbing.

    I thought it seemed weird that he was very insistent that if it didn’t feel right to come back. Almost like he knew it wasn’t going to feel right.

    Anyways... now I’m up at 3:13 am a little anxious about falling asleep.

    Can my teeth crack because of the pressure of the high filling contacting the other teeth unnaturally?

    My doctor is not in for two days... how do I make sure my teeth don’t crack while I’m eating etc.

    I’m so nervous!

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  27. Although teeth with high fillings usually don't crack, it could happen, so be careful to not bite down to hard. When eating exercise caution when chewing. Try not to "nail" the tooth with the high bite with full force.

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  28. Anonymous4:33 PM

    hi!
    in the past 4 weeks i have had fillings on the top left and bottom left of my mouth. my jaw has been in bad ain and i have been taking alot of ibuprofen the past two weeks. it is sensitive to hot and cold but when im sitting and watching tv my jaw is in bad pain. what could be causing this pain. does it have to do with the bite or is it something else.

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    Replies
    1. The first thing to try is to have your dentist adjust the bite. If it is high it can cause you symptoms. If that doesn't work, it might be helpful for your dentist to pin down which tooth or teeth are the culprits using a cold challenge on each tooth to see which are the ones that are sensitive. Your sensitivity may go away slowly if you are lucky.

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  29. My dentist did full mouth bite adjustment after grinding a high crown. don’t have sensitivity or pain but I’m having pressure in my ear and sometimes light pain in my ear with excessive chewing. How long it takes for the jaws to get adjusted to the new bite?

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  30. Anonymous7:31 AM

    the same problem I have been having, i got my fillings last year in July 2018 and upto now I am not able to eat . Even when the dentist change the composite filling the second time .
    I got an x ray done and you cant even notice the fillings, hence they arent that deep, What should I do? My teeth next to the teeth that were filled also seem to be hurting . My mouth feels like it cant chew any hard stuff. Any on the other side , the tooth with fillings has become sensitive and i am told to apply sensodyne. But that helps a little but the pain doesnt go away . Please help me. I have filled 3 teeth up in my mouth

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  31. Three strikes and your out? Why not go to another dentist to let them try their hand at helping you. One time could happen to any dentist, but striking out three times seems like its time for a new "batter".

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:41 AM

      Thank you for your reply, much appreciated. Kindly advise on what I should do? A new dentist says , it is my wisdom teeth causing pressure? could that be a problem or I get new fillings again ? Please help me .

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    2. Anonymous4:44 AM

      The new dentist I went to , cant seem to figure out what the problem is.. First he says its the wisdom teeth and now he says i get a remove my old filling and get a new one.
      All the pain started from me getting tooth fillings. Please help, what could be the exact reason for pain? Shall I remove my fillings and get a new filling

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    3. Anonymous4:56 AM

      Also a new doctor said there is nothing wrong with my teeth as seen in the x-ray . So i decided to chew on hard stuff, and since them the my teeth are hurting like crazy , and I am starting to have migraines when i chew on that side. What should I do ? Please i really need your help . Please

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  32. Anonymous12:31 AM

    The filling my dentist did on the biting surface of my molar is not shiny. It also feels flat (no attempt to match the natural surface of the tooth). I just want to know if the biting surface filling should feel shiny like all the other non-filled teeth? I don’t like the feeling of it being different from the others. I’ve asked her to polish off other fillings before, and they never feel any shinier, just less... sharp. Even another filling she did is uneven and the tooth surface slopes downward. Am I just over thinking this, or should another dentist be fixing these issues? I get upset think about it.

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    1. Usually if there is a slight textural difference between the surface of a filling and tooth structure, it isn't a big problem. Some composites are more polishable than others and the degree of polish depends also in part on the technique that the dentist uses to polish it.

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  33. Ive had 2 fillings done back teeth both next to each other never hurt before was just a check up. The fillings are small but 1 week after the filling one filling is in paon when ever im biting. Ots a horrible sharp pain with bite. Ive been back to him 3 times and hes readjusted the bite and xray shows nothing wromg. What can i do

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  34. Possibly remove the filling thats bothering you and have a sedative filling placed.

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  35. I have 2 vertical hairline cracks on my front incisors. 2 months ago when i went to my dentist to have a filling done in one of my molars. She commented that my top front incisors looked a little crooked and she used a drill to slightly file down the crookedness. Will this have an affect on ny hairline cracks? Since the teeth she filed had a crack, i m worried sick.

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  36. Anonymous12:37 PM

    Hi Dr,

    I went for a Xray on my #37 tooth suspecting there is a crack, after xray, the dentist told me that there isn't a crack based on the xray done. However, the tooth nearer to my tongue was chipped off. I was given a choice to ignore or to do filling. So i decided on the later.

    Then the dentist suggested that she will not put local anesthesia so that i can still feel and gave an accurate bite but i will have to bare with the pain. So i agreed.
    After the filling was done, the pain didn't go off for 2 weeks. And for the 3rd week, i was better but then the 4th week, the sore came back. The gum around when the filling was done is also sore. My jawline also experience soreness.

    I went back to the same dentist and told her i still experience pain after 1 month. she did a electro pulp test for me and then concluded that i might need a root canal. I am very puzzled. Is there a possibility that the filling was badly done or if there is a biting issue that the dentist did not address when i re-visit? It is also normal to experience pain after a filling for so long ?

    Regards
    WMH

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  37. Anonymous12:59 PM

    Hi,

    This is regarding the jaw pain in the other side of the mouth after the filling.
    I had refilling on tooth #19 last Monday. I had few other fillings on the left side of the mouth 9 months back.
    I never had any dental work done on the right side. I have some discomfort and pressure like feel on the right side lower end jaw from yesterday. Is the bite issue on the left side causing the discomfort on the right side?
    I also have some other symptoms with my filling tooth. I feel tingly and sensitive whenever I chew food. Also feel sensitive when I drink cold water.

    I didn't go to my dentist again for the bite check. Whether the bite issue is the reason for the discomfort on the right side? I feel some pressure and discomfort more in the right side when upper an lower teeth touch together.
    Any inputs?

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    Replies
    1. It is possible that after you had a few fillings on the left side now your overall bite is slightly different and causing some discomfort. Why not go back and ask your dentist to see if he or she can figure out if any tooth needs an adjustment.

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    2. Thank you for the reply. Appreciate it. i did go back to my dentist to check the bite. I have sensitivity and tingly pinch/needle like feel pain whenever I chew on that tooth. Also, I have dull or pinch pain on that tooth on and off. I went back to my dentist. He said I am not biting on the filling and bite looks ok. Also, he said, he is guessing that I might have a crack underneath and it needs a crown. He didn't do any x-ray to check for crack. He is simply guessing that there might be a crack.
      I still have pain and discomfort when I chew food on that side. Also, sharp needle like pain which comes on and off. What could be the reason for this? I have already tried refilling on this tooth and having the same issues. I never had any issues in any of the teeth and did the filling as it was very very small.
      What should I do for the pain and sensitivity? When I chew done crunchy or hard foods on that side, I don't feel the chew itself and tooth hurts a lot.

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    3. Your symptoms are consistent with a tooth that has a crack in it. You may or may not have a crack. Also some patients with exposed dentin on the occlusal surface of a posterior tooth have the same symptom. It is not really possible to make a diagnosis via the internet but if you came in as a patient and I could not visually confirm a reason for your pain, I might remove any filling in the tooth to examine for the presence of an internal crack line.

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  38. I had my 2 x upper left back molars fillings redone a couple of weeks ago. My bite hasn't felt right since. I've been back twice, but each time there is an adjustment, it just deflects the incorrect bite to another part of my mouth. Now my RHS molars connect, but nothing on my LHS. The last two days, I've noticed general numbness down the side of my left face/neck. It feels like it does when the pain killing needle is wearing off....not painful, but annoying and numb feeling. Everything was fine before this. I go to the dentist every 6 months and over nearly 60 years, I have had fillings, crowns, even an implant, but this one is very annoying and persistent.
    Is this nerve numbness a common complaint? I haven't mentioned this to my dentist yet, as after my 3rd visit, she told me to be patient and that these things can take 2 weeks to 2 months to settle.

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    Replies
    1. Nerve numbness on lower jaw and neck is not a usual complaint. I am not sure why having work on upper teeth could cause numbness in the neck. Ask your dentist about your numbness or possibly go to an oral surgeon for an opinion? With out examining you I really can't offer any more advice.

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  39. Gisela.....your story sounds identical to mine!! In fact, I had to read it twice to make sure it wasn't my original post!

    It's been 3 weeks for me now, and it's still not as it used to be, but I feel it is SLOWLY adjusting. I did go to another dentist for a second opinion, which I think helped.

    He checked things out but made no more adjustments. He did another couple of bite tests, and checked the new fillings too. He was more reassuring and said the body will adjust over time and made the analogy of holding a human hair, yet if it was in your mouth, it would feel huge and very annoying.

    As I am going away, he suggested if it was still annoying me, to take an anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen, and take it 3 times a day for a few days to help things settle....and to help me not focus on it.

    I am a similar age to you, but I did have braces in my 40's, so I'm relating this to how that felt. Every time I visited the orthodontist, he would tighten things up and that would change my bite and drive me crazy for a few weeks.

    It's so annoying. This other dentist also suggested a splint or something for my mouth at night, as I might be grinding my teeth in my sleep. I'm also finding if I just chew on the opposite side to my fillings, everything is happier, but if I chew on the filling side, I get a slight ache.
    I hate to say it, but try to keep busy and take your mind off it....I did some tedious gardening and found that helped!
    Good luck and let me know how you get on. There is nothing worse.....

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  40. I went to have a filling done on july 6th. Everything was fine. then 4 day later I woke up with my jaw sore and this weird zinging pain when I clenched my teeth and bit down.I got a headache that wouldn't go away tht whole day. Dentist said cavity was pretty deep and it may just be sensitive. Drinking room temperature water made my teeth hurt, air, made it hurt and feels like my jaw is not resting. could this be due to the bite or my nerve? Its not excruciating but def uncomfortable and painful at times.

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  41. It could be from the bite or it could be from a pulpitis (the nerve). There are other possible reasons. Its hard to diagnose without an actual examination. That being said, if the bite is not high in normal occlusion and not high in excursions than it must be from another reason. Another possibility is if it is a large filling you may be experiencing cuspal flexing when biting or you may have developed a crack in your tooth. Sometimes removing the filling and replacement with a sedative interim filling can eliminate the sensitivity. If it doesn't than your tooth may need a root canal due to an irreversible pulpitis.

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    Replies
    1. Dr. Referred me to Endo who tested teeth and did cold test on teeth. on the tooth that had deep filling i felt the cold right away but it slowly subdued, but through out the day it was achy and i had to take ibuprofen. I did get bite guard but bite still feels weird on that side. I am scheduled to get root canal and is paying out of pocket and want to be sure this is causing the issue

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  43. Deep Dimples11:33 AM

    Hello,
    Had some fillings done, and have went back 5x for bite adjustment. One of the fillings was a pulp cap and may need a root canal. I don't feel pain in the tooth I do feel cold sensitivity. I was given a mouth guard which helped with the jaw pain, but my bite still feels off, could this be because a root canal is needed. I don't want to pay for one at the moment if it is not causing the weird bite. my teeth feels like they are touching weird.

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  44. Anonymous6:30 PM

    Hello Dr. Spindel
    I went and had some filling done and 3 days later i had to go back to adjust bite. since then i have been back about 5-6x or so to readjust bite but it still does not feel right still feels too high like the tooth that had the filling and the one at the bottom (crown) are just sitting on top of each other instead of fitting together. can this cause my bite to be rearranged? should i just ask my dentist to redo my filling? it will be going on 3 months next month. i am not sure what to do or why this is happening.

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  45. Hello

    I am from South Africa.

    I went to the dentist today, as i had a toothache which came and went for the last few days.

    The pain was radiating from my upper premolars on the right side, i did notice there was a cavity between the aforementioned premolars, I also have a large cavity on my first molar on the right hand side.

    The dentist advised me to have two fillings done, so i agreed to do the upper premolar today and the bottom molar next week.

    After finishing, i did ask the dentist whether it was normal for the tooth to be suddenly feeling strange when closing my jaw, she did say yes, so i didnt bother about it that much


    In the process of doing the filling, i did bite down on the paper given quite a few times, even grinding and further tapping on the paper.

    Now is 10.36pm and i had the procedure done at 3pm it feels like my upper molar is hitting on the bottom teeth and it cant sit properly.

    If i try to close my jaw, my left side of teeth cant close, as the filled tooth seems to almost be too long.

    What should i do??

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  46. I had a large silver filling removed (number 30 tooth) because of a small cavity and it was filled with a white filling to match my teeth. Now my bite does not feel natural anymore. I did go back to the dentist today and he filed some high spots that made a slight improvement but it still feels unnatural. I kept telling him that my tooth feels thick on the tongue side and looks thick on the cheek side would that actually make my bite feel unnatural? My tongue seems to push right against that tooth that I had filled in makes imprints on my tongue.

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  47. Hi, i had a dental fillings but after 2 times comming back to dentist for adjustment i think they over adjusted it as now my front fang on the right hitting very close to my down teeth which doesnt have a fillings but i have a crown behind it too. should i comeback for another adjustment or i should find another dentist what should i tell to the dentist?

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  48. Anonymous5:18 PM

    I had 2 fillings done on my upper left teeth including wisdom teeth. Now after the procedure the bone in front of my year hurts a lot specially after eating. I also have a crown next to the filling and it feels as if everytime i eat the teeth squeak together. Its been a week. Whike closing mouth I dont feel any discomfort but eating causes pain near ear. Also at night the teeth are clenched so tight. Should I go back to the dentist or wait for it to settle?

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  49. Anonymous9:29 PM

    I got a filling on my back molar on the biting surface. I feel like perhaps they lowered something too much as now I feel like I am making too much contact on the second molar. or the one infront of it. ... can they even add material to a filling if its too low? what can be done?

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  50. Kelsey7:55 PM

    My bite feels off, I went in for a second adjustment and was told there's nothing wrong they can see, but it doesn't feel right at all. They want me to wear a night guard but the discomfort increases through the day and is fine at night.

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