How to Identify and Deal With Tooth Pain After Filling

Fillings are used to repair cavities as well as broken or cracked teeth. They are also used if teeth need to be repaired due to constant grinding, nail biting and other incorrect uses of the teeth. Though fillings should eventually help to eliminate the discomfort caused by these problems, there is often tooth pain after filling. There are many reasons for this kind of pain developing and much of it is minor pain, but it is important to know the origin of it, so that proper treatment can be sought out.

To complete a filling, the dentist first cleans out the cavity or area that needs repairing, by removing any decayed material. This will usually be done under a local anesthetic. After confirming that all the decayed material has been removed, the dentist will clean the area of any bacteria present and any remaining debris. Then the filling is inserted. This can take additional steps if a tooth-colored filling is being used. After the filling is in place, the doctor will finish by shaping it and polishing it.

Fillings can be made from gold, porcelain, silver amalgam and tooth-colored composite resin. Each type of filling has advantages and disadvantages. The choice of filling used depends on where the repair is needed and how extensive the damage is, the cost of each particular type of filling, the insurance coverage available and what the dentist feels is the best filling for a patient’s particular case.

It is common for a patient to experience tooth pain after filling. There are different causes for this type of pain. After a filling, there is heightened sensitivity around the tooth, so that pressure, air, sweet foods and temperature can all affect the area and cause some minor pain. This pain should disappear within a few weeks on its own. Avoiding the causes of this pain will also help to eliminate the discomfort.

If the sensitivity increases or does not disappear after about two weeks, the dentist should be contacted. Usually, the dentist will indicate a special toothpaste to desensitize the area, or even apply some desensitizing agent. However, if the pain and discomfort are severe, the dentist can recommend a root canal because this might be an indication that the tissue in the tooth’s pulp is not healthy.

Tooth pain after a filling can also be present when the patient bites or when the teeth touch. Pain experienced after a bite usually means that the dentist has to reshape the filling so that it does not interfere with the patient’s bite. Pain as a result of teeth touching usually means that two different metal surfaces, perhaps a gold filling and a silver amalgam filling, are touching. This type of pain usually disappears in about a week.

There is also a rare chance that a patient is allergic to one of the materials used in the filling. If an allergy is confirmed, then the original filling is removed and a different type is used to repair the tooth.