Episode 2: The Tooth That Snapped — When Fillings Fail and Pressure Wins

This is a True Case episode of Trust Your Teeth — where we unpack real stories of dental problems that didn’t happen overnight. Because most damage doesn’t come from one big mistake... It comes from small issues, missed over time — until something finally breaks. Today’s story is about Sarah. The kind of patient who did everything right. She brushed. She flossed. She showed up for every dental appointment, every six months. And still… she ended up one step away from a root canal. Sarah was the kind of patient every office appreciates. Consistent. Proactive. Responsible. Over the years, she’d gotten a few fillings — like many adults do. Nothing unusual. A little wear here. A little cavity there. Quick fixes. Problem solved. She followed every rule. Brushed. Flossed. Never missed a cleaning. And everything seemed fine… until one day… it wasn’t. Eventually, Sarah started noticing a dull ache when she chewed. Then one day — a sharp twinge of pain, right after lunch. She went back to her usual dental office. They took X-rays… and found a cavity underneath one of her old fillings. No one talked about why it happened. No questions about pressure. No mention of how her bite might be affecting things. Just one option on the table: “You’ll need a root canal.” Sarah wasn’t in constant pain. She didn’t have swelling. And no one had ever warned her this could happen. But something felt… off. The visit was quick. The staff barely made eye contact. No one explained why the filling had failed — just that it needed to be drilled again, deeper this time. It felt rushed. Like a box being checked. So Sarah paused. And instead of going straight into treatment… she looked for a second opinion. She came to us — not looking for a miracle… just wanting to know if there was a better way. When we looked closer, the problem wasn’t just the filling… It was what had caused it to fail. Pressure. Sarah’s bite was slightly off — just enough to put more stress on that one tooth. Over time, that pressure caused the filling to flex. Tiny gaps formed at the edges. Food and bacteria snuck in — silently. It wasn’t just a cavity. It was the result of years of stress the tooth wasn’t built to handle. We didn’t rush into a root canal. Instead, we relieved the pressure — and rebuilt the tooth in a way that protected the nerve. The cavity was cleaned out. The nerve was still alive. And Sarah’s tooth? Saved. Fillings don’t last forever — especially under pressure. Even if you brush. Even if you floss. Even if you see the dentist every six months... If no one’s looking at how your teeth handle pressure — then no one’s seeing the full picture. This kind of damage doesn’t happen all at once. It builds quietly. Until one day… you’re told your only option is a root canal. But sometimes, it’s not the tooth that failed. It’s the approach that missed the warning signs. In our next episode — part of our Essentials series — we’re going to break down one of the most misunderstood procedures in dentistry: Why Root Canals Happen — and How to Avoid Them. Because the truth is… most root canals don’t start with pain. They start with pressure. With small cracks. With fillings that weren’t built to last — or bites that were never fully checked. By the time you feel pain, the nerve is already in trouble. And once the nerve is gone… the tooth changes forever. Follow the podcast so you don’t miss it. And if you’ve ever been told you “just need a root canal”… Pause. Ask why. Because trusting your teeth... starts with knowing the truth.