Fillings hurt because of tooth sensitivity, decay under the filling, a high bite, or a crack. See your dentist.
Common causes
- Tooth sensitivity after the procedure.
- Decay under the filling.
- A high filling that changes your bite.
- Cracked tooth or filling.
- Gum recession.
- Nerve inflammation (pulpitis).
- Leaking filling.
What to do
Avoid very hot or cold food. Use sensitive toothpaste.
See your dentist
If pain lasts over 2 to 4 weeks, or is severe.
Treatment
Adjust the bite, replace the filling or root canal.
Reasons fillings hurt
Pain around a filling can come from tooth decay under or beside it, a high bite that puts extra pressure on the tooth, a cracked tooth or filling, a leaking margin, gum recession exposing the root, or nerve irritation after a recent procedure. Sensitivity to hot, cold or sweets is common for days to weeks after placement.
- Galvanic reaction can occur when metals touch, such as gold near amalgam, causing a brief shock.
- Fillings have limited lifespans: amalgam about 10 to 15 years and composite about 5 to 10 years or more.
- Pain that lingers after hot or cold, or throbbing at night, suggests pulp inflammation that may need a root canal.
What to do
Use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth with potassium nitrate, avoid extreme temperatures, and take ibuprofen if appropriate. Call a dentist for pain that lasts beyond 2 to 4 weeks after a filling, for biting pain, swelling or a bad taste. A bite adjustment takes minutes. Replacement of a failed filling, a crown or a root canal may be needed.
Reasons fillings hurt
Filling pain may be due to bite alignment being high, cracks, decay under the filling, gum recession exposing roots, temperature sensitivity, or an old filling leaking. Mild sensitivity after a new filling may last a few weeks.
What to do
See a dentist if pain lasts, if biting hurts, or if there is swelling. A bite adjustment is quick. Deeper decay might need a root canal or crown.
Mechanisms of pain after fillings
After a new filling, the tooth may feel sensitive for several weeks as the pulp recovers. High spots on the filling cause pain on biting, easy to correct with adjustment in a few minutes. Microleakage at the margins allows bacteria and fluid to irritate dentin. Recurrent decay forms under old fillings, with amalgam fillings lasting about 12 to 15 years and composite about 5 to 10 years.
Treatment
Desensitizing toothpaste and avoiding extreme temperatures help. If pain lingers beyond 4 to 6 weeks, throbs or wakes you, the nerve may be inflamed or dying, requiring a root canal. A cracked tooth syndrome causes sharp pain on release of bite. See a dentist promptly for swelling or fever.
Based on data from the American Dental Association and the American Association of Endodontists
