What to do if a tooth hurts under a filling?

Pain under a filling can occur both after recent tooth treatment and a considerable time later. The causes can vary, and in some cases, especially after a recent filling, the pain will go away without medical intervention. However, in most cases, they can indicate the presence of problems that require a visit to the dentist.

The nature of pain in a tooth under a filling

The first thing you should pay attention to in case of discomfort in a filled tooth is the nature of the pain. The type of pain may indicate the cause of the unpleasant symptom.

Most often, the tooth begins to ache after filling when the anaesthetic wears off. This is the so-called post-filling pain, which is characterised by

• moderation and gradual decrease in intensity;
• absence of swelling and purulent foci;
• absence of fever.

Usually, this pain disappears in a few days as the tissues recover, and the filling shrinks. Increased sensitivity when chewing after the filling is placed may indicate that the filling material has dried out. Such pain usually disappears as the nerve endings of the tooth adapt.

When treating pulpitis, the doctor often has to place a temporary filling. The tooth under it may also ache. The reasons for this may be the effect of the medicine placed with the filling or pressure on the pulp, for example, when chewing food, as the temporary filling is made of soft materials through which pressure can be transmitted.

A temporary filling is placed for several days. Therefore, after the treatment is completed, the dentist will install a permanent one, and the pain will disappear.

If the pain after tooth treatment is intense, increases at night, and there are signs of a pathological process, such as swollen gums, you should consult a doctor.

What types of pain may indicate that you need to visit a dentist to solve the problem?

• painful sensitivity to cold or hot, sweet or sour;
• constant aching pain accompanied by redness of the gums;
• severe and throbbing pain, which most often indicates acute pulpitis;
• mild pain or discomfort when pressing on the tooth may be a symptom of chronic pulpitis.

In all these cases, you should make an appointment with a doctor and do not delay treatment.

Causes of tooth pain under a filling

There are several reasons why a tooth under a filling may hurt:

• Incomplete removal of the pulp due to the peculiarities of the tooth structure – the long length and tortuosity of the canals. If the pulp is retained in some area, it will give a painful reaction to external influences on the tooth.
• Ingestion of a foreign body into the root canal, for example, dentin particles that enter the canals during drilling.
• Burns of dental tissues, which can occur due to insufficient cooling of the tissues during work with heated boron.
• Insufficient drying, which leads to insufficient adhesion of the filling to the tooth cavity, penetration of bacteria under it and the resumption of inflammatory processes.
• High filling, which leads to excessive pressure on the tooth from the antagonist tooth, provokes pain.

In these cases, the filling is adjusted or, if necessary, additional treatment of the tooth is carried out with subsequent filling with high-quality material.

What to do if a tooth hurts under a filling?

A visit to the dentist is also necessary if a tooth that has been filled for a long time is sick. Pain under an old filling indicates the development of a pathological process. The exact cause will be established after the start of treatment.

Among patients who visit the clinic with complaints of pain in teeth filled several months or years ago, the following diseases are most common

• secondary caries, caused by bacteria getting under the old filling due to its decay, which can eventually affect the nerve if it has not been removed beforehand;
• periodontitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue surrounding the tooth; this pathology occurs due to mechanical trauma to the tooth and the penetration of bacteria into the periodontium.

In these cases, the existing inflammatory process will not stop by itself. It will continue to spread and invade new tissues. In order not to lose a tooth, you should consult a doctor and start appropriate treatment, which may include repeated treatment of the tooth canals with their subsequent filling.

How to relieve a toothache on your own?

Before you see a doctor, you may have an urgent need to get rid of a toothache. If the tooth or surrounding tissue is sore, you can use

• painkillers paracetamol or ibuprofen, which are commercially available at the pharmacy, but do not forget to read the instructions;
• rinsing the mouth with soda solution, infusion of propolis or calendula.

But it is not recommended to warm a sore tooth, as this can contribute to the development of inflammatory processes.

If the tooth under the filling or the gums hurt so much that you need to take painkillers, it means that you should make an appointment with a doctor without delay. A timely visit to the dentist will help you save your tooth and relieve pain and discomfort.  

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