Something here is not adding up for me: if your dentist placed an MO filling on tooth #3 in April of 2014, why is he taking a new set of BWs now 6 mo later? Is it because he treatment planned the MO filling one year ago when he took the previous BWs and you never followed through with treatment?

Secondly, a cavity is unlikely to form in less than 6 months. If the dentist saw something on the xray that looked suspicious (like a cavity) with the filling that was just done 6 mo ago, it should be redone at no charge to you (assuming you've stayed current with your cleanings). Most dentist give a one year warranty on their fillings, but you need to check with him. Or are you saying the cavity formed on tooth #2?

Lastly, if the dentist feels the tooth is cracked, an inlay would not be the correct choice of treatment. A crown is the correct treatment to treat a cracked tooth.

It sounds like you need to sit down with your dentist and get a few things clarified. I would ask him if there is a warranty on the filling he just placed. If the tooth does in fact need an inlay, perhaps he will credit you back the price you paid for the filling. Either way, if you approach him in a friendly, non-confrontational manner, I'm sure he'll work with you to find a good resolution.

cavities are always larger in the tooth thanthey appear on the xray. Angulation of the xray may make it more difficult to see an early cavity.

Sensitivity to biting pressure which is relieved upon release is generally a cracked tooth, which requires a restoration such as an onlay or crown to remedy. Cavities are always slightly larger than they appear on xrays. It sounds like you are getting the right treatment.

Dental decay is always larger than it appears on X-rays. If the dentist opens the area up and it is only slightly larger than a predicted small cavity, a composite filling would do since a composite inlay will require an extra visit and you will have a much larger bill. However, if it is definitely a larger cavity, then an inlay would do. And, if it had a crack area with symptoms, then either an onlay or a crown would be the choice.

Dental inlays are stronger than dental composite or resin fillings, however the preparation of placing an inlay is not as conservative as placing dental bonding filling, if you did have a crack, inlay is a better restoration. Since the new xray showed evidence of crack or decay, and that was never showed up on your previous xray of tooth #3, then there must be a possibility of crack. If it was decay, probably it was into enamel and for some reason,possibly due to lack of oral hygiene the decay extended to dentin now. Having said that, xrays are 2 dimensional picture and consequently decays can be really larger than what xrays, show. The fact that you do not have any sensitivity is a good sign that the tooth is restored properly.

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Inlays are better restorations than composites. They do reuire more work and a lab cost so they are generally more expensive as well. Regarding your question about a cavity occurring so quickly, I am not sure how long it was between the time you got the 2 fillings, but cavities can form within a few months in rare cases, but what oftentimes happens is that they are present, but don't show up on x-rays until they become a little larger. Also, you asked why the dentist said it was larger once he removed the fillings if I understood correctly. Any time a filling is removed, the hole that's left becomes slightly larger because of the shaving of the walls. However, a composite or filling may be placed in either case. Hope this helps.

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If the cavity was small, a composite filling would be a good way to restore it. Two small composite restorations on this tooth is not unusual, because of it's shape. It should not pose a problem.

Cavities can form on teeth over time. How long it takes before it goes through the enamel coating of a tooth depends on many factors. Also, X rays do not always find cavities between teeth; especially if the teeth are not straight, or the x ray machine is not positioned right.

If you are still unsure, talk to your dentist about your concerns. He should be happy to explain things better to you.

I believe that if your tooth is in fact cracked, getting a temp crown is a great solution to see if your doc can alleviate your problem. If the root cause of your tooth's problem is causing cracking (i.e. occlusal trauma) vs. causing decay (i.e. dental caries) then this is a great plan. It seems like your dentists has gone through all the necessary precautions to rule out any decay related possibilities. An inlay can help in some cases such as yours, but I believe full coverage crowns are most beneficial in the case of a cracked tooth.

It is not uncommon for the decay in the tooth to be clinically larger than what is seen on a radiograph (X-ray). If it's a large preparation, then an inlay may be the better long term option for success of the restoration. It is a judgement call on the type of a restoration to place, dependent upon the clinical preparation of the tooth.

If you are feeling biting discomfort, and the dentist determines it is a cracked tooth, then a full coverage restoration, like a crown, would be best.

It is possible to have more decay than will show on an xray. So it is likely that the decay was there but too small to be noticeable. The type of restoration will be determined by the size of the restoration needed in that area. Pain on biting is often a sign of a cracked tooth. In that case coverage of the affected area may be appropriate in which case it would be an onlay or crown.