Experiencing tooth sensitivity or soreness after a dental filling is completely normal, especially after undergoing a deep filling. The numbness and pain should subside a few hours after leaving the dental clinic. However, if that doesn’t happen, it’s time to visit the dentist again!
What is Dental Filling?
A dental filling is the most common dental treatment to get rid of cavities or decayed teeth. During this, the damaged or decayed tooth is filled with a durable material molded to protect your teeth from further infections. Moreover, another purpose that fits well for white tooth filling is repairing chipped or cracked teeth due to grinding or biting nails.
Most common materials used in fillings are silver amalgam, gold, porcelain, or resin in plastic, glass, or tooth-colored.
Although it is one of the simplest procedures, many people are left with tooth pain or sensitivity after filling. The sore feeling goes away with time, depending on the severity of the treatment.
What is the Process of Getting Dental Fillings?
Dental filling is simple and one of the most straightforward ways to eliminate the pain and damage caused due to decayed, chipped, or cracked teeth. Are you thinking of getting it done? Here’s the entire process:
1. Numbing
Before beginning the procedure, the dentist will use local anesthesia around the tooth to numb the area and prepare it for the later stages.
2. Removing Decay
Once the area around the affected tooth is numbed, the dentist will remove the decay in and around the problem tooth by using a small drill that helps chip it away. It’s not a long procedure and usually takes about a few minutes. Since you will be under local anesthesia, you won’t feel any pain or discomfort.
3. Placing the Dental Filling
After removing the decay from the tooth, fillings are placed. There are different types of dental fillings you can choose from, like porcelain, resin, or metal. Talk to the dentist about the various pros and cons.
Does the Tooth Pain Lasts for Weeks After Filling?
Before starting the procedure, your tooth is numbed; therefore, you won’t feel pain and discomfort during the dental filling. However, once the numbing effect goes away after an hour or two, you will notice an unusual sensation in your mouth.
People with sensitive teeth may see a trigger that can cause a short cold shock or pain in and around the area of the filled tooth when drinking cold or hot drinks or eating cold or hot food. Apart from that, you can feel tender gums, pain when clenching teeth, or pain on the filled teeth during brushing or flossing.
What is the Cause of Tooth Sensitivity After Dental Filling?
Some sensitivity and pain post-filling are common, but if it continues for an extended period, there may be an underlying cause that needs treatment. Here are all the possible reasons why your teeth feel sore or sensitive after filling:
1. Pulpitis
In pulpitis, the pulp of your tooth becomes inflamed, leading to pain and discomfort. This happens because a drill is used during filling to remove the decaying part of your teeth. The drill uses heat, due to which, in rare cases, the pulp of your teeth is inflamed, leading to pulpitis.
Pulpitis can increase if the decayed tooth is not correctly filled. In this situation, you’ll see swelling in your gums or a pocket of pus around your affected teeth.
There are two types of pulpitis:
• Reversible: Here, the tooth is sensitive, but the pulp gets better
• Irreversible: The pulp is untreatable, and your tooth will require a root canal treatment
2. Incorrect Bite Alignment
It’s important for the tooth filling to align with your existing teeth properly. After filling, there’s sensitivity for a while when biting down. However, it goes away within a few weeks. But when the filling is taller than the teeth, extra pressure is required to bite down, which causes pain, increasing sensitivity after filling.
If the difficulty in chewing continues for long, or if you have persistent sensitivity, consult your dentist. This incorrect bite alignment can be solved by smoothening the filling.
3. Multiple Tooth Surfaces
Multiple tooth surfaces can also cause sensitivity in your teeth after filling. This can happen when you choose two different types of fillings in your teeth. For example, you might get a weird sensation when your gold filling on the top teeth comes in contact with the silver filling on the bottom.
4. Referred Pain
When there’s pain around the surrounding area of the affected tooth, it is known as referred pain. This is common after dental filling and can cause tooth sensitivity.
5. Allergic Reaction
Many people are allergic to the material used in dental filling. If you find itching or a rash in the nearby area of the filling, contact the dentist as soon as possible. They can detect the reason behind the allergy and even get your filling replaced.
6. Irritated Nerve
Dental fillings cause nerve irritation because the procedure triggers inflammation in the tooth’s nerve. The enamel, the outer layer of teeth, usually saves the inner nerves from this trauma; however, deep fillings get in close contact with the nerves and are the reason behind increased sensitivity and irritation in the affected tooth.
This irritated nerve will go away in a few days or weeks once it heals, and when it gets better, you won’t feel the difference between filled and other teeth.
How to Take Care of Sensitivity After Dental Filling?
Getting your cavities filled up is easy and painless. However, what you have to take care of is the aftermath. Whether it’s a short-term sore tooth or a prolonged teeth sensitivity, you must take proper oral care to curb the soreness.
Here are some ways to take care of sore teeth post filling that can help in reducing the pain and soreness of teeth:
• Brush gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush
• Use a toothpaste meant for sensitive teeth
• Don’t eat or drink hot or cold foods since that could trigger the sensitivity
• Avoid sugary and acidic drinks or foods
• Try to chew from the opposite side of the dental filling
• Over-the-counter medications can help
How Long Tooth Sensitivity After Dental Filling Lasts?
The tooth pain, sensitivity, and soreness shouldn’t last more than two to four weeks post-filling the cavities. If there’s no improvement in your condition, consider visiting a dentist immediately.
If you’re searching for a renowned dentist for white teeth filling in Salem, MA, book an appointment today!
Dr. Anu Isaac, DMD, runs a successful dental practice in Salem, MA. Dr. Isaac strives for quality on a daily basis and this commitment to quality is reflected in her constant pursuit of advanced training. Her firm belief that even experts need to stay updated about what’s new in the dental field, enables her to provide every patient with optimal oral care. As the founder of Coral Dental Care, she is dedicated to creating healthy, beautiful smiles for her patients and also to educating dental and non-dental community with her engaging articles on all things related to oral health, recent dental innovations, and latest treatment modalities.