Toothache After Filling

Your doctor may recommend you to get a filling to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape. Before a filling, your dentist will first clean the tooth decay, remove the decayed tooth material and clear the affected area. The cavity is then filled with a filling material. A filling also helps prevent further tooth decay. It is common to experience a bad toothache after filling. Most people experience a mild to severe toothache after filling. Sometimes your teeth can become extra sensitive after a filling. Teeth can be sensitive to air, pressure, sweet food, cold foods, or temperature after the procedure. Usually this problem of sensitive teeth and toothache after cavity filling subsides on its own within a few weeks.

Types of Toothache After Filling

Toothache Around Your Fillings: If you experience a pain around the filling, you must consult your dentist again. This maybe because the tooth filling was not done properly.

Toothache When You Bite: You may experience this type of pain when you try to bite something. You will feel the pain after the anesthesia wears off and the toothache while biting may continue for some time. If you experience immediate pain when you bite down, it could be because the filling was not shaped properly. When you bite, you put pressure on it. This usually happens when the filling is interfering with your bite, i.e. the filling is above your tooth level and touching the upper or lower teeth while you try to bite something. You must contact your dentist and have the filling reshaped.

Toothache When Your Teeth Touch: This is a distinct pain that occurs when your teeth touch each other. The pain is caused because of the touching of two different metal surfaces such as the silver amalgam in a newly filled tooth and a silver crown on another tooth. This pain usually resolves on its own within a short period of time but if it’s persistent, you must visit a dentist.

Referred Toothache: In this type of toothache after filling, you will experience pain or sensitivity in other teeth besides the one that has been filled. If you have this type of pain then probably there is nothing wrong with your tooth and the pain should go away on its own.

Constant Toothache: If the decay was very deep to the pulp of the tooth, then you might have a constant toothache, especially while eating, that will last for some weeks even after the filling. This constant toothache indicates that the tissue is no longer healthy and you may have to get a root canal treatment for curing it.

Allergic Symptoms After Filling: There might be an allergic reaction to the silver amalgam used in the filling. You will experience itching, skin rashes and other allergy symptoms in this case and the silver filling would have to be replaced with a composite filling. Allergic reactions to silver fillings are rare. The symptoms of amalgam allergy are much similar to those experienced in a skin allergy. These include skin rashes and itching. Getting the filling replaced with composite type of filling is the best solution in this case.

When Should You Consult a Dentist?
This toothache after filling usually subsides after a few weeks. A mild toothache after filling is common and you don't even need to opt for an over-the-counter pain killer. If the tooth pain doesn’t subside within two to four weeks after the filling or if your teeth have become extremely sensitive, make sure you contact your dentist. Most probably your dentist will first recommend a sensitive toothpaste or apply a desensitizing agent to the tooth for tooth pain relief. If this does not work, then a root canal treatment might be the solution to eliminate severe toothache after filling.

Toothache After Filling: Remedies
After tooth filling or any other treatment, try to avoid those things that are causing the sensitivity in your tooth. Follow the instructions of your dentist if you do not want to aggravate the toothache after filling. Here are some toothache remedies.

• It is better to stay away from very hot or very cold beverages. Also try to refrain from smoking cigarettes.
• You should avoid eating candy and any type of sticky items after this type of dental treatment has been performed as it will only cause further pain and may end up pulling out the filling that has just been put in your tooth.
• After a filling, it is best to eat soft foods for sometime as specified by your dentist.
• Avoid using the tooth that has been filled for chewing. This will ensure that you don't suffer from any unnecessary pain. Also, this will ensure that the filling does not come out.
• It is extremely important to follow a proper dental care routine. Take extra amount of time to brush your teeth after every meal. If this is not possible, you must at least rinse your mouth with some water.
• Clove oil is one of the most popular and effective toothache home remedies. Take a little clove oil on a cotton ball and apply it on the affected area.
• A saltwater mouthwash is a quick remedy for toothache relief. Take a cup of lukewarm water and add little salt in it. Swish the solution in your mouth gently. This will cleanse, disinfect and provide you with instant toothache relief. This is one of the easy home remedies for toothache pain relief.

Remember a toothache after filling will subside without any special treatment within a few weeks time. However, it is best to avoid eating whatever causes you a toothache after filling.