Expert: Lawrence Spindel DDS, www.lspindeldds.com - 10/26/2008

Question
thank you for your quick response on my problem with this resin filling..i find it odd that when it gets late my filling in my mouth becomes more sour and metallic..its happening again tonight.also i contacted the only holistic dentist in Massachusetts today..they do blood tests to see what a person is sensitive to..it also takes a week for it to come back.. I'm wondering if its worth it or should i expect this to really subside? it very frustrating and i never expected a permanent filling to be like this. last night it kept me up all night. my husband thinks i should give it more time. if i have it redone it could happen again. is it important to use a sealant over the bonding material? maybe this is the problem and what I'm tasting.  please let me know..sorry to bother you but my dentist isn't very accommodating to me. thanks Ellen

Answer
Dear Ellen,

I am sorry you are having such a frustrating experience. It is not usually necessary to place a sealant over a composite restoration. Your complaint is not a common one to patients who have had a composite restoration placed.

I do not think the problem is related to the specific material that was used. Conceivably, a filling can have a space or void in it which can accumulate bacteria with time.

If you are truly convinced that the problem is related to your filling, you can have the filling removed and replaced with a glass ionomer restoration, the type that is used for kids teeth. This would only be a temporary measure to  to see if your sour taste goes away. If the taste disappears then I would try to  replace the glass ionomer filling with another composite or gold restoration.

I hope I have answered your question and please feel free to contact me again with any dental questions.