Should My Tooth Hurt After Having a Filling?
Have you recently had a tooth filled, and are now getting aches or feeling more sensitive to hot and cold food and drinks?
Don’t worry this is completely normal!
Think about it, you’ve just had your tooth drilled, scraped, and tapped to remove any decay from the tooth. The dentist has to clean it and prepare it for the filling, to stop the any infections or the decay spreading.
The deeper the filling the more likely you are to experience discomfort, as you will be getting closer to the nerve. Anything from a cold can of coke, to breathing in air, to eating sugary foods can trigger a sharp pain in your tooth.
How Long Does it Last?
Generally tooth ache or sensitivity should go after 2-3 days, on average. The pain you will feel is from an irritated nerve that has been aggravated and now is most probably inflamed. The nerve will need time to heal and this can take a few days or sometimes longer if the filling was deep. After this, your tooth ache and pains should disappear and the tooth will feel the same as every other tooth.
What If My Pain Continues?
If you find that your tooth is getting worse, or you are struggling with eating or drinking then there is obviously other issues aside from a irritated nerve. To find out the cause of the problem it is best to see your dentist. Generally, unless the filling is a deep filling that interacts more with the nerve, all pain should subside after a week.
If you spot any redness on the gums or a bad taste in your mouth it could mean that you have a tooth abscess (an infection in the nerve itself). This can be caused by gum disease or a broken/cracked tooth. If this sounds like you then its best to get an emergency appointment as soon as you can to prevent things from getting worse.
Back to Blog
