Tooth Pain After Filling When Chewing
Some people experience tooth pain or discomfort following a filling. A person’s teeth may hurt due to nerve irritation, an allergic reaction, or incorrect bite alignment. Sensitivity after a dental filling is common, and it typically subsides with time.
However, a person should call their dentist right away if they have extreme pain or if discomfort occurs with other symptoms, such as fever or swelling, In this article, we look at why a person may have tooth sensitivity after a filling, how to treat it, and when to see a dentist. We also look at other possible causes of tooth sensitivity.
A filling is a dental procedure that involves a dentist cleaning away any decay from the tooth and then filling the space with new material, After injecting a numbing agent around the tooth, the dentist will clean out the decayed area of the tooth, usually with a dental drill.
They will then fill the space with gold, silver amalgam, a composite, or porcelain. Once the numbing agent has worn off, a person may experience sensitivity around the filling. Learn more about fillings. When a person has a sensitive tooth, they may notice that certain triggers cause a temporary, uncomfortable sensation in the filled tooth or surrounding area.
It may feel like a shock of cold or sudden pain that comes on quickly and then goes away. Possible triggers of tooth sensitivity after a filling include:
cold foods or drinkshot drinksair hitting the tooth, such as when breathing through the mouthsugary foods acidic foods and drinks, including fruit, juice, and coffee biting down when eating
Some temporary sensitivity after a tooth filling is common. However, persistent or severe sensitivity after a filling is likely due to other causes that need treating. Below, we discuss possible causes of this symptom and explain when to see a dentist.
Contents
- 1 How long should it hurt to chew after a filling?
- 2 How long does it take for a deep filling to settle?
- 3 Do deep fillings lead to root canals?
- 4 Why does my filling still hurt after 5 days?
- 5 Is it normal for a filling to hurt after a month?
- 6 Are fillings weaker than teeth?
- 7 How long does a high filling take to heal?
How long should it hurt to chew after a filling?
Why do fillings cause tooth sensitivity? –
Irritated nerve
An irritated nerve is not uncommon when a deep filling is placed. Irritated nerves can result in inflammation and can cause pain. Your enamel and cementum usually protect the nerve from exposure, but deep fillings can reach the nerve endings and cause uncomfortable, sharp sensations. However, irritated nerves from deep fillings can heal over time.
Incorrect bite alignment
One of the most important aspects of correctly fitting and placing a filling is to ensure it aligns with the patients’ bite alignment. A filling that is not properly fitted may impact the patients’ bite, which can cause discomfort for a few reasons. If the filling is too tall, it can cause extra pressure as the person bites down, and this pressure can cause pain and discomfort.
Pulpitis
Pulpitis occurs when the pulp within the tooth becomes inflamed, which in turn, leads to pain and discomfort. Although it’s rare for pulpitis to occur in minor fillings, it can occur when:
- Your tooth has suffered an accident, injury or trauma, resulting in a cracked or broken tooth
- Your cavity was deep and had affected the inner pulp
- The affected tooth has previously undergone multiple fillings
Can pulpitis be treated? If pulpitis has reached and damaged the nerve so badly it cannot be saved, you will likely need a root canal procedure to save the affected tooth. However, if pulpitis may not lead to this if the pulp remains healthy and only minor inflammation has occurred.
Your tooth is sensitive after the filling – this is completely normal straight after the treatment has finished. It’s important to avoid hot and cold foods for at least a few hours while your filling sets. Pain should subside within a week or so and sensitivity should stop after two to four weeks. If it continues for longer, contact your dentist.
Broken or loose fillings – if your filling has been poorly fitted or hasn’t taken well to your original tooth, it can cause pain and discomfort. This can be rectified by revisiting your dentist and having the filling replaced.
Allergic reaction to your filling – some patients have allergies to metal which can affect how their tooth or teeth react to the new filling. It is essential that you inform your dentist on whether you have a metal allergy so they can suggest another material for your filling (such as porcelain or resin).
Is it supposed to hurt to chew after a filling?
A tooth should not hurt, ache, or cause you discomfort from a new filling for an extended period of time. Any sensitivity from a tooth filling should be expected to go away quickly, at least within two to four weeks. But just because it should not hurt or be sensitive, doesn’t mean that it can’t sometimes occur.
How long does it take for a deep filling to settle?
How Long Should You Wait for the Filling to Settle? – Different filling materials settle at different paces. The types of dental fillings in dentistry are:
Gold fillings Silver fillings – also called amalgams. Composite fillings Porcelain fillings
Generally, dental experts suggest that it takes about 24 hours for a filling to settle down. The stakes are higher for metal-based dental fillings like amalgams or gold fillings. However, the types of dental fillings behave differently. Composite fillings usually settle immediately after hardening with lasers or a blue UV light.
Still, your dentist may recommend waiting at least 2 hours before engaging in any oral functions that may disrupt your composite filling. Other factors that affect the speed of settling dental fillings are the severity and size of the filling. The bigger and deeper a dental filling is, the more time it needs to settle.
In about 24 hours, your tooth filling should reach maximum strength. Still, you may feel some sensitivity during the first few days post-treatment.
What does it mean if my tooth hurts when I bite down?
If a tooth only hurts when someone bites down it is probably due to one of the following three reasons – a crack in the tooth, decay in the tooth or a filling that is loose. A cracked tooth can often occur when someone bites down on something very hard or when they have a very large filling.
Why does it hurt to chew 3 weeks after a filling?
Medically Reviewed by Robert Brennan on March 20, 2023 Tooth sensitivity following placement of a filling is fairly common. A tooth may be sensitive to pressure, air, sweet foods, or temperature. Usually, the sensitivity resolves on its own within a few weeks.
During this time, avoid those things that are causing the sensitivity. Pain relievers are generally not required. Contact your dentist if the sensitivity does not subside within two to four weeks or if your tooth is extremely sensitive. They may recommend you use a desensitizing toothpaste, may apply a desensitizing agent to the tooth, or possibly suggest a root canal procedure.
There are several explanations for pain around fillings, each resulting from a different cause.
Pain when you bite or touch you teeth together. This type of pain occurs when you bite down. The pain is noticed soon after the anesthesia wears off and continues over time. In this case, the filling may be interfering with your bite. You will need to return to your dentist and have the filling reshaped. If the pain still continues, it may indicate a further problem that requires additional treatment such as root canal therapy. Pain to hot or cold. This pain is a very sharp pain that occurs only when your teeth touch something hot or cold; the pain goes away in a few seconds when the hot or cold is removed. If this pain lingers on for a long time even after the hot or cold is removed, it may indicate irreversible damage to the nerve and you should contact your dentist. ” Toothache -type” constant throbbing pain. If the decay was very deep to the pulp of the tooth, this ” toothache ” response may indicate this tissue is no longer healthy. If this is the case, “root canal” treatment may be required. Referred pain. This is pain or sensitivity in other teeth besides the one that received the filling. With this particular pain, there is likely nothing wrong with your teeth. The filled tooth is simply passing along “pain signals” it is receiving to other teeth. This pain should decrease on its own over one to two weeks.
Allergic reactions to silver fillings are rare. Fewer than 100 cases have ever been reported, according to the American Dental Association. In these rare circumstances, mercury or one of the metals used in an amalgam restoration is thought to trigger the allergic response.
Symptoms of amalgam allergy are similar to those experienced in a typical skin allergy and include skin rashes and itching, Patients who suffer amalgam allergies typically have a medical or family history of allergies to metals. Once an allergy is confirmed, another restorative material can be used. Constant pressure from chewing, grinding, or clenching can cause dental fillings to wear away, chip, or crack.
Although you may not be able to tell that your filling is wearing down, your dentist can identify weaknesses in your restorations during a regular check-up. If the seal between the tooth enamel and the filling breaks down, food particles and decay-causing bacteria can work their way under the filling.
- You then run the risk of developing additional decay in that tooth.
- Decay that is left untreated can progress to infect the dental pulp and may cause an abscessed tooth,
- If the filling is large or the recurrent decay is extensive, there may not be enough tooth structure remaining to support a replacement filling.
In these cases, your dentist may need to replace the filling with a crown, New fillings that fall out are probably the result of inadequate dental work, contamination of the preparation prior to placement of the restoration, or a fracture of the restoration from bite or chewing trauma.
Do deep fillings lead to root canals?
Guidelines & what to expect after the treatment of a deep cavity / filling: – Written by Dr. Madeleine Smit A deep filling is one where the cavity (hole) is very close to but not yet touching the pulp and root canals (inner living tissue) of the tooth.
Whenever a deep filling is cleaned or a big old filling is replaced, your tooth might be sensitive after the treatment, once the anesthesia has worn off. This may be the case even when the tooth was not at all sensitive before the treatment. Do not worry as this is a completely normal reaction of the pulp (nerve and blood veins deep inside your tooth).
During the process of cleaning and removing infected tooth material, we use instruments and products that may cause a temporary reaction by your remaining healthy tooth tissues. The intensity of this sensitivity may vary from very little to quite a lot and can last up to 7 days.
If after 7 days, the sensitivity doesn’t go away or if it gets worse, it is possible that the pulp needs to be taken out and filled as well (by means of a root canal). It does not mean that the treatment did not work, or was not done well, it simply means that the cavity was too deep. The degree of depth that can be treated successfully with simply a filling instead of a root canal treatment varies from one patient to another.
It is our philosophy to always try and repair teeth with the most conservative method, and avoid root canal treatments whenever possible. This is why your dentist will suggest a deep filling and aim for a successful outcome, and leave a root canal treatment only if there is an obvious infection or a non-resolving sensitivity (more than 7 days) to a deep cavity filling.
- Should a root canal treatment be the outcome, please note that the tooth may then also need a ceramic rather than resin protection, to ensure maximum strengthening of the remaining tooth structure (crown) and resist biting forces.
- The majority of deep fillings can be treated successfully without resulting in sensitivity and do not require root canal treatments.
Please do not hesitate to contact your dentist for further information regarding the treatment of a deep cavity.
Do white fillings take time to settle?
Why do you have pain when biting down? – This is generally down to two reasons: Firstly, the filling may be slightly high in your bite. This can cause a bruise in your tooth socket if you’re always hitting this tooth first when chewing. Your dentist may have to reduce the filling a fraction of a millimetre.
Why does my chewing hurt months after filling?
Encountering tooth sensitivity following a dental procedure is common. But if the sensitivity and discomfort continue months after the treatment, you should visit your dentist. There may be a lingering issue that needs immediate treatment.
Why does my filling still hurt after 5 days?
Why do fillings cause tooth sensitivity? – ome sensitivity after a tooth filling is normal and temporary. Sometimes, however, sensitivity after a filling is due to other causes that need treatment or repair. Short-term tooth sensitivity after a filling usually occurs because the filling procedure has aggravated or caused inflammation in the nerve inside the tooth.
- Usually, the tooth’s outer layers — the enamel and cementum — protect the nerve from exposure.
- But fillings, especially deep ones, can get close to the nerve endings and cause irritation and uncomfortable sensations.
- As the nerve heals, the sensitivity will go away.
- This may take a few days or weeks.
- Once the nerve has healed fully, a person should feel no difference between the filled tooth and the other teeth.
Written by: Christine Frank Year: 2018 Category: Prevention, Treatment
Is it normal for a filling to hurt after a month?
The reason for the sensitivity is usually the inflammation of nerves inside the tooth after the procedure. Tooth sensitivity right after dental work is absolutely normal. However, if the sensitivity persists weeks or even months after the process, it may be a sign of a severe issue that needs prompt attention.
What does a failed filling look like?
5. Colour Changes – Sometimes, you may choose to have a filling replaced for cosmetic reasons. For example, if you have an old white filling, then the filling may not look white any longer. It may have discoloured. This makes the filling stand out rather than blend in with the rest of the tooth.
Or if you have recently had your teeth whitened, then your old filling may look like an eyesore. It won’t be affected by the whitening treatment, so it will look dingy or yellow compared to the rest of its tooth. In these cases, putting in a new filling gives the tooth a more even colour again. If you’re worried that you’ve got a damaged filling or want to replace an old filling that doesn’t look good, then contact the Steve King Dental Group,
One of our experienced dentists can quickly check out your suspect filling and let you know if any work needs to be done.
Are teeth weaker after filling?
During the filling process, some tooth cavities may require that the overall tooth be modified in shape by wedging or shaping. This can lead to a weakening in the overall structure of the tooth.
Are fillings weaker than teeth?
White Fillings – These days, many modern dentists also offer “white” fillings, or fillings made from composite resin. Composite resin is a mixture of powdered glass, and plastic. It looks closer to the natural appearance and color of a patient’s teeth.
- Composite fillings are used to improve the cosmetic appearance of a person’s natural teeth.
- The dentist prepares the resin and applies it to the patients teeth in layers.
- A curing light is used to set the resin, and once the hardening process is complete, the dentist shapes the composite to fit the patient’s tooth.
Composite fillings fill the cavity and bond directly to the patients teeth. Because of this, the tooth and filling work together. This means that composite fillings do not make your teeth weaker, but they may make your teeth stronger. Contact our professional dentists here in Fountain Hills for more information.
How much pain is normal after a deep filling?
Incorrect bite alignment – The filling in a tooth must level up with the surrounding teeth. If it’s high, it can take excess pressure when biting. In this case, the toothache and sensitivity will be a lot more than what comes with a leveled filling. Your teeth will be mildly sensitive for the first few days when biting down after the filling.
How long does a filling feel weird?
What causes pain after the filling? – Most people experience some level of discomfort immediately following a filling. After all, you’ve just had a hole in your tooth scraped and cleaned and then filled. Here is a list of some of the causes of pain and what you should watch out for.
The most common cause of tooth pain after a filling is tooth sensitivity. After the procedure, your tooth will be more sensitive to hot and cold foods. It will also be more sensitive to air temperature and bite pressure. This pain will be at its worst right after the procedure and should go away within a few weeks.
This pain is typically easily treated as well. Simple over the counter pain relievers should do the trick. You can also try and avoid eating very hot or very cold things. You may also want to try toothpaste for sensitive teeth. This may take care of some of the sensitivity.
- If your pain has not gone away after a few weeks, you should see your dentist.
- In some cases, a cracked or loose filling causes tooth pain.
- Occasionally, a filling will not fit the tooth quite right or become cracked after its put in.
- Typically, this pain is much different than general sensitivity.
- It is normal for your tooth to feel weird after a filling, but this weirdness usually goes away after a day or so when your mouth becomes adjusted to the new filling.
If this feeling doesn’t go away and you have pain, you need to see your dentist right away. In very rare cases, your pain may be caused by an allergic reaction to the filling. This allergy is due to an allergy to the filling material, such as silver. If you know that you have an allergy to one of the materials for the fillings, let your dentist know prior to the procedure so that you can select a different material.
How long does a high filling take to heal?
At your appointment: – You will be asked to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer and then use a mouth rinse prior to your dental care. Our office utilizes Surgically Clean Air purifiers to remove harmful particles, pollutants, and other airborne contaminants and bacteria from the air in every operatory during all patient appointments. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Posted October 17, 2012 by Dr. Stewart Let’s say you visited your Livonia Dentist to have a cavity filled. Your mouth felt fine (although numb from the Novocain) when you left the office. Later that day, or maybe the next day, however, you begin to feel discomfort at the filling site. If this happens, you may have what is known as a high filling.
- Q) What is a high filing ? A) A high filling occurs when too much composite resin projects from the tooth cavity.
- Q) How does a high filling happen? A) When your dentist is almost done with your filling, he places colored articulation paper in your mouth and asks you to bite down.
- He then asks if your bite feels comfortable or if the filling is too high.
At that point, your mouth is numb from the medication. You may have difficulty answering the question accurately when you’re not feeling sensations as usual. As a result, you might tell your dentist that your occlusion is fine, when it’s actually off. It’s easy to see, under those circumstances, how you could leave the office with a high filling,
Q) What are the symptoms of a high filling? A) A day or two later, you’ll know if the filling is too high. If it is, you’ll feel the newly filled tooth and the tooth directly above or below it making contact before the rest of your teeth. Your bite is off, and your mouth doesn’t feel right. This sensation can be unpleasant and annoying.
Worse, it could cause you moderate to severe pain. Q) Why does a high filling hurt? A) When you have a high filling, the tooth gets compressed more deeply into the periodontal ligament beneath your teeth whenever you bite down. The periodontal ligament widens and becomes inflamed.
You begin to feel tenderness or pain at the site of the new filling, Q) How is a high filling fixed? A) Call your Livonia dentist, Dr. Stewart, immediately to have your filling adjusted. He’ll ask you to bite down on colored articulation paper to reveal high points on the filled tooth. Dr. Stewart will selectively reduce the high filling and recheck your occlusion.
Y our tooth will then be smoothed to the proper texture. Having the high filling problem solved quickly will rid you of pain and stop the development of more serious conditions. Q) When can I expect tooth pain to stop? A) After Dr. Stewart has revised the filling, the periodontal ligament will take from one day to two weeks to heal, depending on the severity of the pain and the time that elapsed before the high filling was modified.