Tooth problems arising from terrible filling

So about 2 years ago I had a filling completed in one of my lower back teeth. The filling wasn't so much a "filling" as it was the complete "filling in" of the concave of the tooth to a point where when I clenched my teeth I could very noticeably feel it pushing up on the teeth above. She said the feeling would "go away".

Recently I've been waking up with deep pain from the tooth above the filling, and I can't clench my teeth without pain directly where the tooth above makes contact with my terrible filling.

What are my options in dealing with the original bad job? I do not want to go anywhere near that same dentist again, but it wasn't cheap in the first place and it wont be cheap to replace and I don't want to let them off the hook for such shoddy work at the same time.

Any advice welcome!

davo10

Sergio Georgini wrote: »

So about 2 years ago I had a filling completed in one of my lower back teeth. The filling wasn't so much a "filling" as it was the complete "filling in" of the concave of the tooth to a point where when I clenched my teeth I could very noticeably feel it pushing up on the teeth above. She said the feeling would "go away".

Recently I've been waking up with deep pain from the tooth above the filling, and I can't clench my teeth without pain directly where the tooth above makes contact with my terrible filling.

What are my options in dealing with the original bad job? I do not want to go anywhere near that same dentist again, but it wasn't cheap in the first place and it wont be cheap to replace and I don't want to let them off the hook for such shoddy work at the same time.

Any advice welcome!

What exactly was wrong with the filling apart from the fact that it was big/deep? Teeth with deep fillings often give trouble down the line because of their proximity to the nerve not because they are a "bad job".

I don't think you understand the problem. The filling itself is fine, it's the fact that they sloppily filled in so much of the tooth that the tooth above didn't 'sit' any more and is having constant pressure put on it from the protruding filling.

I.E. Work they've done has caused me other problems which are now going to cost me more money.

LasseBrown

Another dentist might take something off that filling to make it fit. Unlikely that they would go as far to confirm the other dentist did a bad job... A hint in that direction may be, but not outspoken.
Two years is a long time, you can only hope that there is no permanent issue with the upper jaw now.

davo10

Sergio Georgini wrote: »

I don't think you understand the problem. The filling itself is fine, it's the fact that they sloppily filled in so much of the tooth that the tooth above didn't 'sit' any more and is having constant pressure put on it from the protruding filling.

I.E. Work they've done has caused me other problems which are now going to cost me more money.

Is it a "terrible filling" or "the filling itself is fine"? Teeth have periodontal ligaments (tiny fibers which act like "shock absorbers") between the roots and the jaw bone. These allow the teeth to shift position to absorb the loads placed on them. After two years the tooth has shifted position to accomadate the load placed on it, if it hadn't your other teeth would not be meeting when you closed them together for the last two years. Anyone who has had orthodontic treatment will tell you that orthodontists often add filling material to the tops of back teeth to raise the bite and allow movement of other teeth, it feels weird/sore for a couple of days and then it become in-noticeable as the teeth shift position. You may have a problem with the tooth but two years after a filling was placed, it's unlikely to be caused by the filling being too high when it was put in.

davo10

davo10 wrote: »

Is it a "terrible filling" or "the filling itself is fine"? Teeth have periodontal ligaments (tiny fibers which act like "shock absorbers") between the roots and the jaw bone. These allow the teeth to shift position to absorb the loads placed on them. After two years the tooth has shifted position to accomadate the load placed on it, if it hadn't your other teeth would not be meeting when you closed them together for the last two years. Anyone who has had orthodontic treatment will tell you that orthodontists often add filling material to the tops of back teeth to raise the bite and allow movement of other teeth, it feels weird/sore for a couple of days and then it become in-noticeable as the teeth shift position. You may have a problem with the tooth but two years after a filling was placed, it's unlikely to be caused by the filling being too high when it was put in.

There is so much filling in there that the tooth above has literally nowhere to go except be pushed upwards. It's annoyed me for 2 years and recently has become painful. My back teeth on that row don't meet any more, just the tooth with the filling and the tooth above, the others can't touch each other until you start getting nearer the front.

I had no issue at all until this filling.

So, any more diagnosis that absolves a painfully shoddy job, doctor?

So back in topic, how exactly does one go about getting recourse from an Irish dentist?

LasseBrown

LasseBrown wrote: »

Another dentist might take something off that filling to make it fit. Unlikely that they would go as far to confirm the other dentist did a bad job... A hint in that direction may be, but not outspoken.
Two years is a long time, you can only hope that there is no permanent issue with the upper jaw now.

That's a very good point. I plan on attending a different clinic/chain that I presume would be in competition with local dentists and remain neutral, but knowing this place there's probably some sort of bollox dental association rules that forbid you from doing such.

davo10

Sergio Georgini wrote: »

So, any more diagnosis that absolves a painfully shoddy job, doctor?

Yes.