Dental fillings repair and restore teeth following tooth decay or for a cracked or broken tooth. While fillings are meant to be a mode of treatment that resolves pain caused by a damaged tooth, they might end up leading to pain. There are a few reasons for this, and the management may vary depending upon them.
Cause of Pain After Dental Filling
Patients often experience pain or tooth sensitivity after a dental filling. Sensitivity to hot or cold foods or dull throbbing pain is more common than you’d think.
Following are some of the factors that can be causing the pain that you suffer from and what you can do to manage it.
Irritated Nerve Endings
The centre-most part of your tooth is called the pulp, where nerves and blood vessels are present. When a tooth is decayed extensively, the cavity formed by the decay approximates the nerve endings present in the tooth.
Use of dental drill close to the nerve endings, or even the seepage of chemicals used in fillings, can irritate the nerves causing pain and sensitivity.
Pain due to irritated nerve endings usually goes away on its own without doing much. While it may take a few days to resolve pain caused by deep fillings, you may take OTC pain relievers to soothe the pain.
Incorrect Bite Alignment
A filling in a tooth should be level with the surrounding teeth. If it’s not, it can cause pain and sensitivity when biting down. In this case, the toothache and sensitivity will be much worse than if the filling were level.
If you are experiencing extreme pain or sensitivity and finding it hard to close your mouth or eat, visit your dentist and have them examine your bite.
Pulpitis
Inflammation of the tooth pulp is known as pulpitis, a condition that causes significant pain and severe sensitivity. A tooth that has a deep cavity filling or has undergone multiple fillings may develop pulpitis.
Contact your dentist if you experience severe pain and sensitivity that won’t subside following a dental filling. Your dentist may advise you to get another filling or a root canal treatment, depending on the condition of your tooth.
Allergic Reaction
It is also possible that the sensitive teeth you experience may be caused by an allergic reaction to the filling materials used in the process. In this case, you are likely to experience some other symptoms along with the pain, such as itching and skin rashes.
If you suspect you are undergoing such a reaction, contact your dentist right away so they can opt for a different filling material for you and replace your tooth filling.
Referred Pain
Getting a dental filling in one tooth may lead to pain in the surrounding teeth by a phenomenon called referred pain. While this is common, you must talk to your dentist if the referred pain doesn’t subside, as it could indicate a dental abscess.
Final Word
Dental fillings are routine procedures that commonly lead to minor pain and a sensitive tooth. However, if the pulp remains healthy, this pain and discomfort should subside soon. And if it doesn’t, it may be time to revisit your dentist. At Woonona Dentists, our family dentists are sufficiently equipped with all the right skills and experience to do your dental fillings and restore a healthy smile for you. We are just a call away! Contact us now on (02) 4210 9078!
References
Tooth Pain and Sensitivity Before or After Filling Cavities
https://crest.com/en-us/oral-care-tips/cavities-and-tooth-decay/tooth-pain-sensitivity-before-after-filling-cavities
Dental Fillings
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dental-fillings
Problems With Dental Fillings
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/problems-dental-fillings
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