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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Dentistry > Dentistry > pain after filling
Dentistry - pain after filling
Expert: Lawrence Spindel DDS, www.lspindeldds.com - 10/29/2009
Question
Hello! I have a question about pain after having an old filling replaced. About a week after, I started having strong sensitivity to cold and hot foods. It has gradually gotten worse, and is very painful to chew hard foods as well. I went back to my dentist, who said it was likely my bite, so he polished the filling down some. He said it would take a week to feel better. Three days later the pain hasn't changed much, but I'm now also having pain in a bottom tooth, directly under the top one that was filled. Could this be related? Is it all related to the bite, or could something else be going on?
Thank you for your advice!
Answer
Dear Jessica,
Your symptoms may be caused by a high bite. The fact that the bottom tooth is also bothers you does add support to this idea. After a filling is placed you should be able to close your mouth comfortably in all excursions without the new filling getting in the way. A tooth with that is being traumatized by a high bite can have sensitivity to biting, sensitivity to cold.
It is possible that your bite is still high. The first thing to do is to have your dentist make sure the tooth is in light occlusion. He should not only check the bite in 'centric occlusion'(your normal bite), but in all possible excursions.
I should point out that patients can have pain after fillings for issues that are not bite related. After a bite adjustment a patient should be able to bite down comfortably on a tooth without causing pain. Sometimes a tooth is still symptomatic when drinking hot or cold or has aching,and this usually indicates there is a different sort of problem. Other possible sources of pain after a filling can be a minute pulpal exposure, pulpal irritation from the heat generated by the drill, tension on the tooth possibly caused by the contraction of the white filling as it set and even a fracture of a tooth.
If one of my patient has discomfort after a filling is placed and a bite adjustment doesn't resolve it, I often remove the filling and examine the tooth underneath for cracks or a pulpal exposure. If I find no obvious problem then I place a sedative temporary filling and see if the tooth becomes comfortable again. If it does I can refill it with another composite filling. If temporary filling doesn't help then it is time to consider root canal therapy, since the tooth has a pulpitis that hasn't gone away.
If a tooth does have a pulpitis and can feel sensitivity to cold it is usually not infected and there is no harm in waiting and seeing if this pulpitis resolves itself. If it does not eventually resolve, then root canal is the indicated procedure to restore the tooth to comfort.
I have written a short article about this subject on my Blog-Ask Dr Spindel and I have included the link below. Just copy and paste the URL into your browser if you would like to read it.
http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-is-my-tooth-sensitve-after-having...
I hope this information is helpful and feel free to contact me again with any future dental questions.
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