What can be the cause of the tooth pain?

My husband has been having tooth pain in a lower molar. It has a filling which appears to be intact, no swelling, or infection visable. It's extremely sensitive to cold and a little to heat. It started as some mild sensitivity about 2 weeks ago and has continued to increase. It's painful to chew with as well. It usually only starts hurting when aggravated by cold or chewing, not any other time of the day. Tylenol or Motrin help, but sensodyne, anbesol, and a tooth desensitzer don't. He's been told by one dental hygenist he needs a root canal, another that it sounds like a bad filling. How possible is it that it's something other than a need for a root canal. We are waiting for the appt. with the dentist. He also feels some pain on the top molar/molars, but can't tell if it's really pain from another tooth, or if it's just some referred pain.

What can be the cause of the tooth pain?
It sounds like you know your stuff pretty well. The pain on the top teeth is very likely referred pain from the lower, as you said. Get the lower fixed and see if it resolves.





I bet the x-ray of the tooth will show a recurrent cavity up under the filling. The symptoms you describe sounds like one of two things: reversible or irreversible pulpitis. It means the nerve is on its death bed, and may nor may not get better by replacing the filling and removing the decay. if it gets worse and worse, the pain gets more spontaneous, or it wakes him up at night, there's a good chance he'll need a root canal. The pain is coming from pressure within the pulp, and the pulp tissue needs to be removed. My guess is that it at least needs a big filling, and the dentist will try not to have to do a root canal, but it may be unavoidable in this case. Everything you said sounds pretty textbook for tooth pain - I'd be very surprised if it were anything else. Good luck.
Reply:if it is a metal filling i bet you thats why! i had a metal filling in my lower molar and a root canal and still have sensitivity to cold and pressure !
Reply:It sounds more like it is a crack in the filling which can only really can be seen by an x-ray. The Dentist should be able to tell you more.