Some people experience pain after getting dental fillings, resulting from nerve irritation, allergic reactions, or an incorrect bite. Discomfort after a dental filling is expected generally subsides over time. However, patients experiencing extreme pain should contact their dentist if other symptoms like fever and swelling accompany it.
This article looks at why patients may experience pain after getting a tooth filled, treating the pain, and when to contact the dentist for advice.
Is It Normal to Feel Pain after Dental Fillings?
Getting a filling involves the dentist in Park Ridge, IL, cleaning tooth decay in the tooth to fill the hollow space with new material. Patients will not experience discomfort when getting dental fillings because the dentist provides anesthesia near the affected tooth. The decayed area is cleaned using a dental drill before filling the hollow space with silver amalgam, gold, or composite resin materials. While patients experience no discomfort when getting the filling the pain starts after the numbing medication wears off.
Why Might You Feel Pain after Dental Fillings?
Patients can expect temporary pain after filling a tooth because it is relatively standard. However, if the pain is persistent or worsens after the filling, it is likely due to other reasons that need treatment. Discussed below are some causes that might cause you to feel pain after dental fillings.
- Irritated Nerves: short-term sensitivity after getting a tooth filled is expected because the filling procedure aggravates or inflames nerves inside the tooth. The nerves generally receive protection from the tooth enamel from exposure. Unfortunately, deep fillings can get close to nerve endings, causing uncomfortable irritation and sensation. The sensitivity disappears as the man heals after a few days. The patient might require a few days or weeks to recover from the filling procedure. After healing, the patient will not experience any difference between the treated tooth and the remaining teeth.
- Improper Bite Alignment: dentists generally ensure the tooth filling lines with the other teeth in the mouth. Patients might experience minor pain when biting down days after the procedure. Unfortunately, if the filler is too tall, it can pressure the other teeth when the patient bites down. Patients confronting challenges biting down or experiencing severe sensitivity when eating or closing their mouths should seek advice from the Park Ridge dentist to check their bite. In such cases, dentists file the filling to correctly fit the patient’s bite to eliminate discomfort.
- Pulpitis: pulpitis is the inflammation of the soft center of the tooth, the dental pulp that causes sensitivity and pain. Pulpitis doesn’t result from minor fillings but can happen if the tooth is extensively damaged from cracks or accidents and the cavity is deep and reaches the inner pulp layer. The chances of pulpitis occurring also increase if the tooth has undergone multiple procedures. If the patient is affected by irreversible pulpitis, they might need a root canal with a new filling to preserve the tooth.
- Allergic Reactions: some patients have allergic reactions after getting dental fillings. Silver amalgam fillers often cause allergic reactions. In addition, some patients have reactions to materials used by the dentist, such as latex gloves, during the filling procedure.
How to Relieve Pain after Dental Fillings
Patients should try the following techniques to relieve pain after getting dental fillings. The most common among them are the following:
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Patients can use over-the-counter topical numbing gels tailored for use in the mouth.
- Patients must brush with gentle and circular strokes on the teeth and gums.
- Patients must avoid whitening toothpaste or products that can aggravate the pain.
- Dentists advise patients to rinse their mouths after having acidic foods and beverages and avoid brushing their teeth soon after having such foods or drinks.
- Patients must remain gentle with the treated tooth, especially if they have a temporary dental filling after undergoing the fearsome root canal therapy to eliminate dental pulp infection within the tooth.
Unfortunately, if the pain doesn’t subside in the days after getting the filling, patients need to discuss the issue with their dentist. In addition, the dentist must examine the teeth to rule out other causes for the pain unrelated to the dental filling.
Preventing Future Cavities Is Vital
Patients fearful about the pain they might experience from dental filling must ensure they never encourage cavity development in their teeth by maintaining dental hygiene, including brushing their teeth twice daily, flossing once, and getting six monthly dental cleanings without exceptions. They must also refrain from sugary and starchy foods and beverages besides acidic foods that cause enamel erosion to weaken teeth and make them prone to cavities. Therefore patients must avoid holes, past or present, to benefit their dental health.
Complete Health Dentistry of Park Ridge treats moderate to severe tooth decay, providing suitable dental fillings to restore teeth. However, some patients experience pain from the filling procedure and seek re-treatment from the practice. Patients undergoing a similar situation help themselves by contacting our practice at (847) 696-3240 to have their teeth restored and recover from the process without confronting severe challenges.