After a Filling, Is Your Tooth Sensitive?

A Certain Amount of Discomfort After a Filling is Normal

After a filling, a tooth may feel sensitive for a few days, and this is normal.

According to Medical News Today, when the dentist fills a cavity, you can experience uncomfortable sensations afterward in the area of the tooth, such as a sudden pain that quickly disappears. Or, you may feel a shock of cold if you drink something cold or if air hits the tooth.

Other things that may seem irritating for a short while are biting down when you eat, drinking something hot, or eating something with sugar in it (such as candy), or something acidic (such as coffee or fruit juice).

It is normal for these sensations to last for a few days or weeks.

What Causes Sensitivity After a Filling?

Filling a tooth requires cleaning out the decay. To do this, the dentist will numb your mouth and then drill the decayed area of tooth to clean out the area. The drilled out hole is filled with one of the following: gold, silver amalgam, composite or porcelain.

It usually takes a few hours for the numbness to wear off from the anesthetic that the dentist used. Sensations from the anesthetic may be a puffy feeling, tingly or even itchy sensation in addition to the numbness. You may find that it’s a little more difficult to talk, eat, swallow or move your face. This is why dentists recommend that you do not eat or drink for a few hours afterward.

The numbness from an anesthetic is temporary and should go away within hours.

Short-term sensitivity occurs with a filling because during drilling, the nerve may become inflamed. However, in most instances, the nerve will heal over a period of a few weeks.

How Can Your Treat Normal Discomfort After a Filling?

For temporary discomfort, you can use toothpaste for sensitive teeth, take an over-the-counter pain reliever (acetaminophen or ibuprofen), or put a topical numbing ointment on your gums and tooth.

Floss gently and avoid foods or liquids that cause sensitivity. Also, avoid whitening toothpaste products because they may irritate your tooth. Rinse out your mouth after consuming acidic foods or liquids. Also, do not brush immediately after eating acidic foods because brushing could remove tooth enamel.

Do You Have Questions or Concerns About Dental Care?

At Hutto Hippo Family Dental, we are glad to explain how treatment works and answer your questions.