Hi all. I've been reading up on the amalgams issue and am planning to
go for a consult with a holistic dentist. Meantime, I have a question
that I wondered if anyone here might have some insight on.

My past dentistry has been conventional. I have one tooth with a root
canal that several months ago had a cavity cleaned and filled. The
dentist has been recommending a crown for that tooth but I told him I
was not ready to do that. He filled it with some kind of composite.
Despite the root canal (which happened awhile back), the tooth has
been sensitive since the filling and aches when I prod it with my
tongue anywhere, or especially a toothpick around the base.

When I went for the last cleaning I told the (conventional) dentist
about it, he did another x-ray, couldn't see any reason for issue,
and did smooth out the top of the filling in case it was a bite
issue. This last time he referred to the filling he'd put in as a
temporary filling.

Still sensitive when I prod it with my tongue. I'd wondered about the
composite itself, as to whether it was the issue - porous or
something? I know it doesn't feel smooth when I run my tongue across
it - more rough like a cement.

While I've read about the issues with root canals as regards amalgams
and holistic dentistry, I also don't want to jump whole hog into
radical mouthwork. I *am* however, interested in tooth preservation
wherever possible, and am somewhat wondering whether the holistic
dentistry approach of (as I've heard) laying in successive layers of
hard porcelain as a filling might not in fact be a better approach
for this tooth.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on. I'm wondering what the possible reasons
for the sensitive tooth could be, and best conservative approaches to
treating that for the time being.

Thanks.