“Dear DentaLux, I recently got a cavity filled, but am still having a lot of pain in the tooth with the new filling. Why am I experiencing this pain, and what should I do about it?”
A lot of people experience pain after having cavities filled, and there are a number of different reasons that you could be experiencing pain after getting a filling. Slight pain immediately after having a cavity filled that lingers for a day or so is normal and shouldn’t be cause for alarm. Dental work can cause dull aches and pains that can be alleviated by taking a few aspirin and avoiding hot and cold foods and beverages for a few days. However, if the pain persists, it could be something more serious.
One of the reasons for pain after a filling is that the filling is “too high.” When a dental filling is too high, it puts more pressure on the tooth because the tooth is compressed downward. A nerve in your tooth could also be located close to the filling higher up in your tooth than normal, causing pain at the location of the filling. If you are experiencing this type of pressure or lingering sensitivity to hot and cold, you should call your dentist and have them check the filling size to make sure it’s correct and lines up with your bite.
Another reasons that you could still be experiencing pain is that you may have in fact needed a root canal instead of a filling. Root canals can sometimes be tricky to deal with, and a dentist might not be able to tell if you need a root canal or a filling without a very thorough inspection of the tooth. If a tooth is borderline, some dentists will opt for a filling instead of doing a root canal. While a filling might be a great solution for some patients, others will end up needing a root canal eventually because the damage to the tooth is far more extensive that what the dentist originally thought. Call your dentist if you have a deep pain in your tooth that lingers for more than a few days to see if a root canal might be in order.
If you have any questions about tooth pain or sensitivity, feel free to contact one of the professionals at DentaLux today!
I had several cavities filled last year but they still hurt. Especially when I floss. I think I may nee to do what this article suggests and ask my dentist if I need a root canal.