Pain with shallow filling, any suggestions?

Question

I am a dental EFDA. I had an OL #14 filled with composite. Over a month this tooth has ached now off and on. Sensitive to only cold, pain is starting to linger longer , I feel pressure in cheek area where root of the tooth is. No infection seen on X-ray, filling was shallow barely into dentin. I would hate to have an RCT but it feels to me that’s where this is heading just from the symptoms. IDEAS? Replace filling with a base? Or place temp filling? Or just do the RCT? Amalgam perhaps? Help.

Amber Garcia, DDS · Answer

Anytime a tooth is touched with a drill you run the risk of irritating the nerve. Typically, that irritation is reversible. Sometimes it is irreversible and a root canal is necessary. Consult with an endodontist and have some nerve testing done to see what's going on.

John A. Merrill, DDS · Answer

Lingering and spontaneous pain are common symptoms to a tooth nerve that is dying. In these early stages it may not be evident on an x ray. The diagnosis is irreversible pulpitis. This means that the nerve is inflamed and has little hope of recovery. Root canal therapy or extraction are your only options.

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