I moved here from Connecticut in July, so I haven’t had time to thoroughly search out a dentist like I want. I’ve had lower jaw and tooth back on the back left side of my mouth for two weeks. The pain comes and goes. I went to a nearby dentist who did an x-ray. She said that a molar that already has a filling in it has a large cavity. She recommends pulling the tooth and replacing it with a dental implant.

Does this sound right? I had no indication that all of this was happening with the tooth because the pain just started two weeks ago and it comes and goes.  Thanks. – Victoria

Victoria – If the pain in your tooth just started, the tooth has only recently become infected. If the tooth cannot be saved, it would be more likely that you would have felt pain months ago. And an x-ray would not be required to see the damage to the tooth. It would be clearly visible, and normally, you would have lost the filling in the tooth long ago.

It is best to seek a second opinion without telling the second dentist about the diagnosis from the first dentist. Your independent second opinion will help you make a decision about the correct treatment for your tooth.

This blog post is sponsored by New Jersey dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.