Tooth pain after filling
With silver-mercury amalgam fillings, some
post-operative pain is expected. Since these fillings are metallic, they can
conduct hot and cold to the center of the tooth quite easily, and the teeth tend
to remain sensitive to temperature for up to eight weeks.
When newer composite fillings hurt, the sensitivity is generally unexpected. These
fillings are ordinarily very gentle to the teeth, plus the composite material tends to
insulate the tooth rather than conduct heat or cold. So when you do experience
pain, we look for other explanations.
Possible causes of tooth pain after a filling:
 | Some sensitivity is normal after any tooth has been worked on, especially if there has
been tooth decay. Decay irritates the tooth, and working on that tooth irritates it
further, to where it can cross the threshold into a painful sensitivity. If this is the
only cause, expect the tooth to be getting gradually better, usually within a couple of
days, but it can last for several months. As long as the tooth gradually improves, there
should be no cause for alarm. |
| The technique for doing white composite fillings
on back teeth is very demanding, and many general dentists aren't
properly trained to do this. The pain after a new filling could be
because of improper technique. For referral to a dentist who has proper
training for placing these fillings, please see our
cosmetic dentist referral page. |
| The decay could have been close to the pulp of the tooth. In this situation, some
bacteria will always be present in the thin porous dentin between the filling and the
tooth. With the tooth being irritated from being worked on, it creates a situation in
which the tooth can easily become infected. If the sensitivity persists, it indicates that
the tooth is not recovering from this tooth infection and will
need a root canal. Click here to read more about
root canal treatment. |
| If the tooth is sensitive to biting down, it may need only a simple bite adjustment. |
| With composite fillings, there is an unusual kind of sensitivity that sometimes occurs.
With this sensitivity, the tooth is not sensitive when you clench your teeth together but
will experience a sharp pain when food is chewed. It is not clear what causes this, though
it seems to be related to possible bonding failure or contamination of the bond. Some
theorize that it is caused by tiny air bubbles that form at the interface between the
tooth and the composite that will then hurt when they're compressed. Curiously, it tends
to occur most often in smaller fillings. When it occurs, replacing the filling with
another composite filling usually eliminates the sensitivity. If left untreated, the
sensitivity may go away over a period of several months, or it may get worse.
The latest technology in placing composite fillings involves the use of what are called
"self-etching primers," which appear to practically eliminate this type of
sensitivity. |
| There are other possible causes for sensitivity or pain after new fillings. A dental examination
may be required to discover another source of the problem.
|
Click here for more information about
pain to cold in your teeth.
Click here for more information if your tooth is sensitive to sweets.
Click here for more information about tooth
sensitivity to air.
Or read our page with general information about
toothaches.
Read an unusual case of pain in
the jaw that the dentist, endodontist, and ENT specialist were unable
to diagnose. |
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