I have a dentist I’ve been going to for years, and last month I needed two old fillings replaced, so I asked him to put in the white fillings. Now, whenever I eat and I hit those fillings, I get a sharp pain. I went back to him and he said the bite looked fine, but he adjusted it anyway. What’s going on?
- Dave in Denver
Dave,
When your dentist doesn’t offer white fillings as an option, it’s generally not a good idea to ask them to do white, because these fillings require special training. One thing that happens is that if they aren’t bonded on correctly, you can get this strange sensitivity where they only hurt when you chew. In our office we use special techniques including self-etching primers that eliminate this sensitivity. When they are done properly, white fillings are very gentle, usually with zero post-operative sensitivity, unlike amalgam fillings which can be sensitive to cold for weeks afterward.
I’d ask your dentist to re-do the fillings and this time to cover the floor of the cavity with a glass ionomer base before he does any etching or bonding procedures. That should take care of the problem.
Related information:
Dr. Goldstein’s cosmetic dentistry credentials.
Bonded all-porcelain crowns also require specialized procedures to do them properly.