Dental fillings are a routine restoration treatment, and some sensitivity after a tooth filling procedure is a normal side effect.
In most cases, sensitivity after a tooth filling procedure dissipates on its own or can be easily corrected by your dentist through emergency dental care. But if you experience prolonged tooth sensitivity after a filling, you may need more restorative treatment, such as root canal therapy.
Why are Teeth Sensitive After Dental Fillings? Reasons for Tooth Filling Pain
Teeth sensitivity after dental fillings may be triggered by consuming hot or cold food and drinks and even breathing in cold air. Acidic or sugary food and drinks and biting down and chewing can also cause sensitivity after a filling.
You may also experience tender gums, pain when clenching your teeth, discomfort in the teeth surrounding the filling and pain when brushing or flossing the filled tooth.
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Anaesthesia Wears Off
It’s not uncommon to experience tooth sensitivity from dental fillings once the anaesthesia wears off. During your tooth filling procedure, your dentist has to remove decayed and infected dental material, which can cause nerve inflammation.
This usually subsides within a few days but may take longer to heal if your dental filling is deep or close to the tooth’s nerve.
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Allergy to Dental Filling Material
Some patients experience an adverse reaction to dental filling materials. This is more common in amalgam fillings, although it is still rare.
One or more of the metals used in amalgam may trigger allergy symptoms such as skin rashes, itching and tooth sensitivity.
At Total Dental Care Studio, we use white fillings for our dental fillings.
If you experience an allergic reaction and believe that is why your teeth are sensitive after fillings, your dentist will simply switch out the filling material. Always make your dentist aware of any allergies you have before a tooth filling procedure or any other dental treatment.
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High Bite
If you experience pain or sensitivity when biting down or chewing, you may have to return to your dentist to reshape your filling because it has changed your bite.
A high filling after dental fillings is very common and an easy fix, but you should visit your dentist as soon as possible because biting down can crack the filling making teeth sensitive after fillings.
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Referred Pain
With this type of pain, you may experience sensitivity in teeth adjacent to the treated tooth after a tooth filling procedure. This type of sensitivity usually subsides within a week or two.
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Pulpitis
If the decay was deep, you may experience a toothache after a dental filling that does not subside. This sharp, persistent pain may be accompanied by swollen gums and a pocket of pus near the infected tooth.
If this is the case, the pulpitis is irreversible because your tooth tissue is no longer healthy, and you may need a root canal procedure.
If you have reversible pulpitis, the tooth will be sensitive but will eventually heal on its own.
Teeth Sensitive After Tooth Fillings Procedure? Filling Pain Relief
To alleviate any discomfort from tooth sensitivity after dental fillings, you can try the following:
- Take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain reliever
- Gently brush using a desensitising toothpaste
- Avoid citrus food and drinks
- Avoid overly hot or cold food and drinks
- Chew on the opposite side of your mouth
If your tooth sensitivity does not subside within two to four weeks or seems to be worsening, contact our practice on (07) 3186 8517 to arrange an oral exam.
