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Pain Caused By a High Filling – Why It Happens and How to Fix It
If you've ever received a filling at the dentist's office, you probably vaguely remember the dentist putting a piece of colored paper in your mouth and telling you to bite together. Then, the dentist probably asked, "Does that feel too high?"
Since the mouth is generally numbed during a filling, it's often hard to tell if a filling is too high while you're sitting in the dental chair. Also, the sooner we tell the dentist that it feels alright, the faster we can get out of their office and on with our life!
Sometimes, a few days after receiving a filling you may notice that your filling is a little too high. When you bite together, the filling and its opposing tooth may be the first teeth to touch. It may create an uneven bite. However, the worst side-effect of a high filling is pain!
Why Does a High Filling Hurt and Cause Pain?
The tooth is supported in bone by a thin layer of tissue called the periodontal ligament. When you have a filling that is too high, the tooth gets pressed down a lot harder and it makes this ligament very tender.
All of the tissues of our body can get tender when put under stress. For example, if you work outside in the garden all day pulling weeds without any gloves on, your hands will get red and inflamed. As a result, the body sends an extra amount of blood to your hands to help them heal. They gets red, inflamed, and very tender as part of the healing process. This is what happens with the periodontal ligament when it gets compressed much more than usual due to a high filling.
The technical term for this is symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical periodontitis.
In the image to the right, you can see a high filling on the left side of the molar tooth. I made the filling yellow so it will stand out.
In the bottom left, you can see that the periodontal ligament has widened and become red and inflamed. This is the source of your pain when you have a high filling.
How to Stop the Pain Caused by Symptomatic Apical Periodontitis
In order to stop the pain, the cause must be removed. That means you need to call your dentist and tell them that the filling is too high. The process of grinding it down and re-checking your bite should only take a few minutes and most dentists probably won't charge for it -- after all, the filling was high in the first place because they didn't grind it down enough to begin with.
How Long Will It Be Until the Pain Stops?
After the dentist has ground down the filling, the peridontal ligament will still need some time to heal from the additional stress that was placed upon it.
This healing process can take anywhere from a one day to two weeks. As a general rule, if you are still in pain after more than two weeks you should make an appointment with your dentist, as this could be a sign that something else is wrong with your teeth.
I have a friend who recently experienced symptomatic apical periodontitis as a result of a filling that was too high (he was the inspiration for this post.) He went back and had it adjusted and it was still too high. He went back again, and the dentist took it down a little bit more. After that, he said it was feeling better.
Don't be shy about calling your dentist – the quicker that a problem is resolved, the less likely it is to develop into something more serious.
Has this ever happened to you or your dearly-loved ones? Please leave a comment below and share.
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303 Comments | Leave A Comment
Hi- How long do I have to wait after getting a high filling before I get it fixed? It only hurts a little bit.
I had a filling done in july that has caused me nothing but pain. Now hereit is october and every time icall the dentist he refuses to see me. The filling is to high causing extreme pain. Now 4 months later i have to have the tooth removed due to such severe dammage to the tooth.
If I have a high filling, should I look for a new dentist? Doesn't it mean the dentist screwed up? Now I am nervous that I picked a bad one.
Many dentists don't realise that they should get you to raise your head when you chew on the blue paper. You eat sitting up, not lying down. Maybe that's why you have a high filling. He/she may not be a bad dentist, just a normal one. But inform him/her of the technique so that they get your filling right next time!
I had fillings put in about a week ago. The dentist said I might experience some pain for a week or so. I noticed that the filling was a bit sloppy and all over the place, compared to the others. However, since the filling was pretty large - I guessed it was b/c of that - and the dentist suggested I call if I experience pain. Since I have had fillings before, I know that normally it does not hurt to eat. However, this was not the case. It wasn't too sensitive to hot or cold, but would give me a piercing pain that was shooting up to my head after each bite while eating. The pain was offering such a discomfort in such a way that I decided I should call for an appointment. As it turns out, it was a high filling. I don't recall biting on the blue paper after the filling - I think he forgot. I bit down on it this time. He corrected the filling, and the pain ceased almost immediately. I've been eating mostly soft foods and trying to eat carefully while experiencing the pain - so perhaps that helped to bring relief quickly.
I had this high filling which was done by a dentist in my home town last month. And I had been experiencing this pain ..sensitivity with every bite. Today I went to a dentist who shaved off some filling and immediately I could feel that there was no pain on biting. He said if the pain recurrs, a root canaling may have to be done. When I got back home, I ate some roasted cashews, and realised I had slight pain... ofcourse the dentist had said not to eat foods which would trigger the pain. On simply biting and grinding the teeth there is no pain absolutely, but on biting some food ..there is a little pain still.... Will the pain go in few days... How much time should I wait before going to the dentist again? Should I give some rest for that tooth by not eating or chewing food with that side? Pls advise... I dont want to go for root canal.
I wonder if this could be what I'm experiencing right now.
I had root treatment almost 3 weeks ago and a few days after the treatment, I noticed that my tooth has become sore to brush or tap with my finger. I can bite down quite hard on my teeth without any pain but my bite doesn't seem even when I move my tetch from side to side in a chewing motion.
Could a high filing cause a tooth to feel tender/sensitive to tap?
I have crowns on both lower molars one in from the back, on each side. I had a problem a year ago with one of those crowns becoming loose and eventually coming off. I got that fixed and no lingering problems on that side. Since then, however, the crown on the other side has grown increasingly sensitive to biting.
At my last cleaning, they adjusted the bite a little bit and it feels like it's slowly getting better. It's been almost four weeks, however, and it's not quite all the way back. The dentist said it should take about two.
Since it's still getting better at this point, is it ok to wait a bit longer? Should I go in right away and have it checked out? The only sensitivity I get is when biting. I can bite on some softer to mid hard stuff, but things like almonds and nuts cause some sensitivity.
Thanks for any input, and I think this help you provide is awesome!
I had two fillings done a month ago, one on each side. Two weeks later my the one on the right started hurting so I went in for an adjustment. Then, this week my left side started hurting, so I went in for another adjustment yesterday. I asked my dentist to check the bite on both sides this time around because I don't want to have to keep going there. He said that the bite seems okay now (that the carbon paper stuff is only on the actual tooth on the left, and only on the caps on the right). But now I feel like my right side is high again (it feels as though when I bite down my right side would meet first). My left side is still hurting from before and my right side is hurting when I clench my jaw. Should I give it a few more days to adjust? Or should I give my dentist another call?
Hi Tom,
I had a filling done 10 days ago and my upper right side started to hurt really bad about a week later. I went to my dentist today and she filed down the bite...she said that it's either an uneven bite or maybe a root canal. She said if the pain went away in 1 day, it was related to an uneven bite. Do you think I should give it more time before I go in for a root canal?
Hi, I had a filling replaced and a crown made for a broken tooth. They are my rearmost teeth on my bottom right side. The crown has had to be re-made twice now. The dentist initally completed the work, and both the crown and the filling sat too high, and I could not chew easily. My dentist said that is OK, because teeth naturally shift, and within a few weeks my bite should naturally adjust. It has not been overly painful, but it is not so easy to chew. Then the crown cracked and half fell off. He had the crown re-made, but this time it was incredibly high. I could not even close my left teeth at all, because the crown sat so high. I asked him to have it redone.
My question is, will the teeth actually adjust? They didn't in two weeks, but will they after a few months? I grind my teeth at night, so I think that if teeth do adjust mine are probably sitting very low anyway due to my clenching and grinding. Is he just trying to get out of doing the work of perfecting my bite? He says that I have an overly sensitive bite. Am I being overly sensitive, or should I just ignore it if I can't chew well. I have had three other crowns in the past on the other side, and I never had a problem with them and my bite (they were done by another dentist).
I Just had a filling done, and when all was said and done, i felt as if it was too high, so he checked again and filed it down a little more. So i left, but i cant help but feel as if it is a little too high still. Not by a lot, a very little amount, Then i looked at my teeth in the mirror and saw a little speck of the blue carbon paper still on my tooth. I don't feel any pain (yet at least) but it is just somewhat annoying that my teeth feel different than usual.
I fear i might just be being overly sensitive about my bite. and since it is such a small amount i was wondering if my teeth will just adjust to the slight change?
Hi Tom,
I had a filling done on my top second molar on the right side about three weeks. All was fine for the first three weeks. I was eating a sandwhich when all of a sudden I had some tooth pain in the filled tooth. The pain got progressively worse over the next few days to the point I couldn't put any pressure on it without a lot of pain. It also ached when I wasn't eating. I went back to the dentist and he told me it was a very shallow filling, whatever that means, and he thought it could be a high bite. He shaved it down a bit. It is two days later and although I am not experiencing the intense pain I had, It is still tender to eat on that side as well sensitive to cold water or food. Do you believe this is a high bite situation that needs to settle down? Is it strange that all was fine for the first three weeks and then this pain comes on? Thanks
I had two fillings done . One on top left and one on Bottom right . I had went back for the bottom one beacuse of pain one week later . .and he shaved off the high filling . Afterwards I started chewing only on my left side of my mouth because I still had pain .another week later .I had called him and he said yo wait over the weekend . Now I split a tooth on top left in half and my left bottom filling is very sensitive to cold and I still can't chew ? . When I do go back to the dentist . Am I responsible to pay ? and can my cracked tooth be saved ? Will my bottom tooth need a root canal ? I can't afford anymore work done . help me please .
After reading this I am pretty sure that I also have a high filling. I just got the filling done a little over a week ago. The past two days I have had pain when I eat and chop down on that tooth. Tonight it now hurts constantly. I plan on calling my dentist in the morning but, I also have an appointment with him first thing Tuesday morning for fillings on the other side of my mouth. What can I do for the pain until I see him? My tylenol and ibprofen are not helping.
I had a silver filling replaced with a white one 6 days ago and have been in awful pain ever since. Before the replacement I was not having any pain in the tooth at all. When I went in for my checkup they said the old silver filling was starting to lift and it would be best to replace it. They had me bite down on the paper when they were done but I was so numb I couldnt tell if it was even or not. I'm not having any pain in chewing just a throbbing and my jaw is absolutely killing me. I can hardly open my mouth very wide. I called my dentist back and they said since it was my back molar my jaw is probably just sore from holding it open so long. I'm really worried something else might be wrong. When I look at the tooth they filled, it looks huge. It does not match up with the other side. However, it does not hit first when I bite down. It just looks huge from the side view. Tylenol seems to help take the pain away but I'm having to take it round the clock. I will be calling my dentist on Monday to see if they can take it down some. Could my tooth have to be filed down on the side? I'm so confused because it wasn't hurting me at all before the procedure. Thank you so much for this site!
Hi Tom
I had 4 teeth's grey fillings replaced with white ones. Two weeks ago. If only i read on the internet first...
I had to go back 4 times. The fillings was to high, and according to the dentist, the grey ones used to settle after a while, whilst the white ones are to hard.
Anyway, i now know that i do funny stuff with my teeth at night. Like biting on them so hard, i am convinced that steel will feel pain between my jaws at night.
Now i have pain when eating mashed potatoes!!! And because the second and third tooth from the back, upper jaw, on both sides got replaced, i don't have much chewing options. You can imagine.
I had a 'glue' put on yesterday, filled with flouride and tasting like banana. It had to stay on for 12 hours. Then i put some Sensodyne toothpaste in a mould i used long a go to bleach my teeth, and slept with the Sensodyne mold.
I don't feel better today...
What can i do to get rid of this pain. I never had it when getting grey fillings.
Best wishes from South Africa
I recently had 5 fillings done over a 2 week period. My lower back left molar was done 3 weeks ago. When I went back the following week for another tooth that molar felt like something was in the way when biting. Dentist said bite was off and adjusted it. Two weeks later it felt like the bite of molar done on the lower right was off and was all set to go to the dentist for a bite adjustment. Very weird occurence, breakfast was only yogurt and a banana but that back left molar felt slight pain and pressure when eating.
When I saw the dentist he said the filling on the lower right was fine and it was that back lower left one still. He spent much time adjusting it, checking it and filing it till satisfied. (The whole week previous to feeling the pain I was eating hard crunch food on that tooth like pretzels etc. with the bad bite.) It is now 5 days since the adjustment and sometimes when eating the pain and pressure is still there. The tooth does feel like it fits better though.
I have ocd and must admit I overly worry over these types of things. I keep biting down on that tooth testing it throughout the day for pain, clenching all the pressure in my jaw to that area. And surprise at times I feel slight pain and pressure. The tooth is in no way sensitive to cold or hot and the pain is in no way bad enough that I can't eat there but it is there to a noticable degree and I worry.
I read that you said it can reasonably take weeks to get better. Also I really trust my dentist. Questions, is the pain normal? Can my clenching that area and testing for pain make the problem worse or make it take longer to get better? Is it ok to eat softer food on that side even if there is slight pain/pressure? lastly I use a cpap mask and do grind my teeth. He says its an issue but can't use a mouthguard with the mask and not a severe problem. I am 50 and he says damage to the grinding is mild.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Barry
My dentist never asked if it was to high he just filled the tooth. And it really hurts he filled it about 4 months ago and it just started hurting what do i do?
I had a silver filling that my dentist said was "breaking down" replaced with a composite one. That night I went home and was in serious pain, the next morning it was less but it hurt when I bit down, so I assumed a high filling, the dentist was not in that day (Friday) and I had to wait over the weekend. By Monday ALL my teeth hurt. He took it down a bit and it instantly felt much better, and he said it might hurt for a week, and to call back after a week if it still hurts, well it's Wednesday, and ALL my teeth hurt now... It feels very much like what my teeth felt like for the first few days after I had braces tightened when I had braces as a teenager...
I'm worried I'm heading for lot's o' root canals because he screwed up my bite, what do I do now?
Hi Tom,
Great post!
For the past few months I been getting pain in form of tingling, numbness, dull aches on the tooth holding a maryland bridge. The tooth is my front bottom incisor and I don't grind it. The xrays show that the periodontal ligament is widen. However, looking previous xrays they were wide as well before the pain and I have had this bridge for over 5 years. Any idea? Could it be the bridge is twisting the tooth as pressing false tooth is slightly sensitive. Thanks Bee.
Hi Tom,
I had a filling about 5 months ago and not too long after I had it filled it would hurt a little bit when I ate on that side. However, it didn't hurt too bad to think it was anything serious. I just assumed it was sensitive from the filling. I'm kinda inexperienced when it comes to fillings. This past week I can definitely feel that the filling is too high because on that side when the two teeth hit it sends a shocking pain through my mouth. I can also feel that side of my mouth touch before the other side does. I have an appointment next week to see my dentist. I've been reading stuff online and it's freaking me out (stuff about nerve damage or needing a root canal). Because it's been 5 months since my filling, has it been too long? Will I need a root canal? I take really good care of my teeth and was kind of upset to have a cavity in the first place. I definitely don't want to experience a root canal!!
Hi Tom,
I had three filling done on my upper back molars (starting in my wisdom tooth and moving forward). The front molar only had a small cavity that was filled. It's been about two weeks and I can't chew on my right side at all, the tooth with the small cavity is super sensitive (the other two are fine). I can't even floss. Cold/Hot temperatures don't both it, only when I actually chew on hard food (doesn't hurt when I grind my teeth). I went back to the dentist to have it checked and they said my filling needed to be adjusted so they filed it down a bit. It's now been a week since the adjustment and I still can't chew on food without getting a sharp sensitive pain. They said it could be that my ligament is inflamed and to take ibprofen. Do you have any idea what this could be? I've never had any issues after fillings before. I did read some where that this tends to happen in smaller fillings, that little air bubbles can form and if the filling is redone it may help. Will the dentist charge for this if they messed up the filling to begin with?
Tom, here's a good one,
I got a sharp pain in the upper left corner, the last tooth a few years ago that lasted for about 3 day's, 4 to 5 hours a day until I would take pain medication. I went to see my dentist that fixed 9 of my teeth, probably that one also and he wanted to do a root canal right away. He said the tooth was dying. I decided to go get it checked by an endodontist and it turned out that my tooth was fine! he did noticed a little grinding and he said not to worrie. last week, (1 1/2 years later) it came again. the pain is so great that I almost went to the emergency to get it removed. I took pain medication and it went away. this went on for about 4 days. every night it would wake me up but in the morning I was fine!.. I have an appointment with the same endodontist next week and I did go see my new dentist and he said nothing seems wrong...X-ray good ''mysterious tooth'' he called it. I need an answer, hopefully the endodontist will have or maybe here? I would describe the pain as a 12/10. but goes completely away after several hours and it goes for about 4 days. no pain now for 2 days... weird or what?
Hi Tom,
I was really hoping you could help me with a dental problem that has caused me great distress. Over a year ago, I received several dental fillings (about 8) on the right and left side of both my upper and lower teeth. This was my first appointment with this dentist as my old one retired. As soon as I went home and the numb feeling wore off, I realized that my bite was really off, not just were my fillings too high, but I also felt like the positioning of my jaw shifted. So I went back and I was told to bite down on blue film, and my fillings were adjusted. I still did not feel right so I decided to try a different dentist, and I had the same adjustment process done at a different office. Long story short, I have been trying to fix my teeth ever since. I have had 4 adjustments with 3 different dentists and I feel like I just have to live with this for the rest of my life. Getting those fillings done has been the worst mistake of my life. I constantly think about my teeth and how uncomfortable my mouth is, I also sleep with my mouth open due to the fillings. I was wondering, would I be able to just get ALL the fillings removed and then maybe have them re-installed one by one. Would the dentist be able to differentiate tooth from fillings anyways? And also I feel like I have had so many adjustments that maybe some of my natural tooth has been shaved down as well? It may seem silly but I am just very desperate at this point. Please if you have any advice or suggestions you don't know how much I would appreciate it. Thank you so much!
Hi Tom! Thank you for answering so many questions!
2 weeks ago I had 7 fillings done at once.The dentist said it's not really deep cavities but he would recommend having those fillings done.I agreed and thought getting it all over with at once was a great idea.I had 2 fillings done about 2 years ago at 2 bottom molars and had absolutely no problems with them.
Well,after It was done my bite didn't quite feel right and I had pain in the upper molars where the fillings are (both sides). So I went back and had the fillings filed down a bit. Few days later and the pain was still there.Went back again and had another adjustment.Now 2 weeks later I still have very bad pain that sets on in the afternoon.It's a dull ache on the teeth where the fillings are and also the ones directly below. The filled teeth are also really sensitive to hot and cold. I've read that usually after 2 weeks the pain of fillings should be done so I'm quite worried now.Before the fillings I didn;t have any problems with those teeth at all and as the dentist said, the decay was not very deep and they weren't in danger of a root canal. I'm afraid I will end up having root canals on the filled teeth now. I wished I had never done it,that must have been one of my biggest mistakes of my life:(
I usually take advil when the pain sets in and that takes care of it most of the time.
When I had my second adjustment done the dentist filed down on my "real" teeth a bit I think because I had this nerve (pain) sensation when he did.HE said the filling is the same color of the teeth so I guess he's having a hard time distinguishing what he's filing down?!
Anyways,I'm a bit afraid to go back and have him accidently file down on my real tooth instead of the filling.
Is pain like this normal or should I be worried after 2 weeks?
Any guesses on what my problem could be?The sensitivity grew a bit worse with passing time.
Thank you in advance for all the time you are taking here for us folks:)I appreciate it very much,
Hi I recently (2.5 months ago) had a filling repaired behind my two front teeth and was frozen at the time my bite was checked. The next day I felt pressue on my top front teeth a figured my filling was to high. I went back and the dentist said it looked fine but shaved it downed a bit. When I left it still felt high I went back a second time and told him it did not feel right. I did not have pain but it felt like I was putting pressue on my front teeth. He said that he still could not see anything and if he shaved it down it would be shaving my natural teeth he did it a little bit more and one side felt higher. I did not want to say anything after this because he was saying he did not see what the problem was. I left it like that for about 4-6 weeks and the other day I noticed my 1 front tooth wiggled a little bit(scared me to death) it does not wriggle with my tounge only it i force it a bit. I went back to the dentist and asked him to adjust it he again said there is nothing to adjust but he did shave it down some more he also took an xray and said the root looked fine. I am hopping my front tooth will not fall out and it will tighten back up. I have made an appointment with another Dentist for a second opion. My tooth is a little sore but I am not sure if that was from the pressue that was on it and me wiggling it. I am wonder if you can tell me if the will continue to wiggle or if it will tighten
Thanks for the reply, I am going tonight to see another dentisit for a second opinon. I am hoping it will be good news and I hope I won't lose my front tooth over a filling being refilled I will keep you posted. Kind regadsr Katrina
Hi Tom, great news!!!!! I went to another dentist last night...she was super nice. I expalined my problem and concern with the wiggle in my front tooth. She took another xray and examined my tooth and checked for movement. After the examine she informed me that the tooth did move slightly but not enought to be concerned about and said the xray and examine showed a very healthy tooth and root with no bone loss what so ever. The wiggle is probably from the bite and pressure on the tooth and she did noticed a bit of wear from grinding. Next visit I will have a night guard to help relieve some of that pressue and grinding and she said to give my tooth a chance to calm down. Whew what a relief. Thanks for you help!
Hello Tom, I just went to my dentist yesterday to have 2 metal fillings removed and 2 new fillings put in (the clear / white type). AFter the procedure,when I was numb, I thought the filled teeth were touching before the other ones -- so I went back in the office and told him. My dentist, then, shaved down the filling in one of my teeth (the 2nd to the back molar) a little bit more and told me he didn't think it was touching before he did this because the teeth in front were touching before the back molars were. I am worried that he shaved down my filling too much (the procedure happened yesterday) because I'm having sensitivity in that particular tooth -- Do you think this sensitivity is due to the filling being too low -- or due to the newness of the procedure? Can a filling be too low?
Thanks so much!
I got a amalgam (silver-colored) filling on one tooth and, 5 days after my tooth is achy, and sensitive to hot and cold drinks. Which sucks becuase Summer is right around the corner and I'd like a cold drink in that tempature. I've done research that says wait 2-8 weeks before the aching/sensitivity leaves. What should I do?
+ It hurts a little when I chew. HELP ME decide on waiting for it to go away over time, find a new dentist or something else. Please.
Okay about 7 months ago I had 2 crowns placed on my bottom molars. These are my first crowns so I didn't really know much about them. So last month I realized that my two front teeth significantly shifted to the point that I had a gap between the two, it looked like my gums had receded. What happened is the one tooth moved forward while the other tooth shifted back. I then noticed that my 6 bottom teeth also shifted significantly. My dentist said that my teeth shifted because I clench my teeth at night and had a splint made for me. So first question, How could my teeth shift if I do not grind my teeth? I noticed that my crowns were too high and he has shaved them down about 5 times since I first noticed my teeth shifted. My crowns still feel too high but they do not hurt. My other molars on the other side of my mouth have deeper grooves and it feels like the side that has my crowns still hit first. I think my bite is so messed up because I wasn't aware of it for 7 months! I have never had braces before and my teeth were very straight. Is it possible that the crowns made my teeth shift? I am just freaking out because the teeth that shifted have changed the way I talk and now I am wearing a splint and about to get braces. Did my crowns do this?
Hi Tom,
I just got my fillings done last Saturday and it was between bottom two molars. After I had the fillings done my dentist told me that if I feel something weird when I eat, I would need to go back and get it fixed. After the numbing wore off, I felt pain/sore so I just thought it might be bruises or whatever around the two teeth since my gum felt the same way after I got my teeth cleaned a month ago. However, the pain didn't go away. It only hurts when I bite/chew on food and it hurts when I try to floss in between the two - where I had the fillings. I had my friend looking into my mouth and he said the gum between the two molars looked red. I wonder if this could be a high filling? Should I go see my dentist right away or wait for a few more days I hope it will go away? I really don't want to get root canal. Thanks!
Hi Tom,
I seem to be experiencing a lot of the symptoms of the other people who have posted on this site, but I'm a little concerned about my tooth possibly being cracked. I got two fillings done on the top left side of my mouth on June 16th. When I was at the office they seemed fine, but once I got back to my job I noticed that my bite was a little funny, but assumed I was just remembering wrong since I'd never had a problem with fillings before. They just seemed a little high. Things were normal on Friday and Saturday, apart from the filling still seeming high, but on Sunday I started to have a brief, sharp pain when I chewed something on the left side of my mouth. I called my dentist right away on Monday morning and came in on Tuesday to have my teeth looked at. He shaved down one of the left molars and sent me on my way. My bite felt normal so I assumed everything was fine. Within two hours though, I ate some nuts and it definitely was not fine and was still hurting. I called him back and came in the next day, where he took some x-rays and shaved down the other molar on my left side as well. He said the pain should go away within 24 to 48 hours (which, as I've read here, is not exactly the case). This is the 9th day since my fillings were shaved, but there's still a definite pain when I eat something on that side of my mouth. I can pinpoint exactly where it is - it isn't the whole tooth, just the very back portion of the first molar on my upper left side. The reason I'm a little worried about it being cracked is when he was doing the filling, he had a very hard time getting the metal wrap/mold onto my molar and I remember hearing a crack/crunching sound when he was applying a lot of pressure. The last time I went to the office he had me bite on a Q-tip to show him where the pain was, and I heard another crunch. I don't know if I should keep waiting or if I should call him and see what else he has to offer. He said the x-rays looked fine, but I've read on other sites that sometimes a crack doesn't show up in an x-ray. If the pain doesn't go away, what are the options for the tooth? I really don't want to lose it and it seems like it may have stemmed from him doing the filling in the first place. Could he have cracked it doing the filling? It was just initial decay on that back surface of the molar, not a huge chunk of my tooth, but I'm worried. Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Tom,
I had three fillings done on my left side three weks ago (teeth #'s 10, 12, and 13). About three days after my visit, I started to develop ringing in my left ear. No pain at all in the teeth or my mouth, just ringing. I called and returned to the dental office. The dentist adjusted the fillings and my bite, but the ringing retunred there. Another visit two weeks later, more bite adjustments, this time to the right side.
In my opinion, the fillings still feel "high". Could the ringing be a symptom of high fillings? I do grind my teeth at night, but I never had ringing before the visit. I went to a physician after my last adjustment and he believes it is related to the dental procedure. I do not want to return to this dentist. Do you have any advice? I have an appointment with another dentist.
I'm going through this now. One month after the filling. So much pain. Advil isn't working. Dentist took care of the high filling today. I can't have this pain for another day let alone a week. I had minor symptoms on the molar below the filling but didn't realize it was related. Then the filled tooth itself began to ache. As soon as you feel something, don't wait.
Hi Tom,
I'm having a bit of trouble with 2 fillings I had done yesterday(tooth #4 and #5 if that helps). He put the composite resin filling. He said those two teeth needed attention. It felt like the filling was a bit high yesterday so I went back and had it corrected(he corrected one of the 2 fillings), it feels like the 2nd tooth isn't right either(he would probably have to shave down a little bit, I can close my mouth though).
Anyway, this morning I was eating almonds and it hurt when I chewed from that side(the left side). I can eat soft foods like yogurt and mashed potato and I have no problem with hot and cold fluids it's only hard and semi hard stuff(nuts, chips, apples, meat etc). Is this normal?
If I may bother you with another question Tom, I'm a Pre Med student but was considering Dentistry I wanted to ask you in what year of college did you sit for your DAT? What year would you recommend I sit for it?
Thanks for all the info Tom my tooth isn't sensitive anymore thankfully, it hadn't healed at the time.
What branch of dentistry are you in by the way and how do you like Dental School?
Hi Tom,
I had a root canal and crown put in about a month and a half ago. I still have pain in the tooth and I am pretty frustrated. I went back to the dentist and she said it is because the crown is high. She drilled on it and said she made it slightly lower, but was conservative in doing so. Before it hurt only slightly. Now it is a sharp pain when my teeth touch, it feels like a sharp cavity pain and it is not on my gums. It feels like it is inside of my tooth or on the outside top of my teeth. I have also noticed that when I am sitting relaxed or reading that I am now clenching down on that side of my mouth, maybe because that is the first tooth that I hit when I close my mouth? It is very hard to touch the teeth on the left side of my mouth without touching any of the teeth on the right.
I am going back for another adjustment next week (my dentist is on vacation) but I am concerned that it is not just a high tooth and there may be some of the root left or an infection or crack. My dentist says that is not the case judging from the X-rays.
thank you,
Hello Tom,
First off, thanks for being so helpful!
I just got a filling done yesterday. My cavity was very big and my dentist said that if I had waited a couple of months longer I would have needed a root canal. Anyway, he used the silver filling and it was just sore for a while. I was fasting so I didn't eat until several hours later, but when I chewed some bread on the right side of my mouth that night, I felt intense pain in my tooth, neck, and head. Is there something wrong? Or is it just because the cavity was so big?? I've been avoiding eating on that side since, so I can't tell you if it's gotten better overnight. It's also sensitive to the cold and my face is slightly swollen on that side. Is all of this normal? I'm a little nervous...
Thanks again for your help.
Hi Tom! 6 days ago I had almost nine hours of work done while orally sedated. I had a crown replaced on top left molar and three crowns replaced on bottom extreme left. I also had crown replaced on top right molar and two white fillings (small) in two front teeth. I also have problems with TMJ and a very small mouth that doesn't like to open very wide. After all of this, I felt like my face had been hit with a hammer. None of my teeth would meet on the right side of my mouth. The assistant worked and worked to grind the top left crown down but I kept biting my tongue and she finally gave up and said I would need to come back after the numbing had gone away. I talked to the dentist (he called to check on me) the next day and he said that I shouldn't wait too long to come back in to file the crowns down (and he mentioned bruising could occur because of the bite being off). Of course that began the weekend and INTENSE pain set in. I called their emergency number on Sunday and was told to come in first thing Monday. By then, that had been five nights later. She worked and worked (for two hours) and finally my teeth met even better than before the new crowns. This is a very "high tech" office and I asked why the crowns were so very high. She said that it was because two of my crowns had broken the whole tops off it was really hard to tell what the height would have been (even by machine). Anyway.....there was relief at first despite the fact that I now had two new canker sores and a raw gum line and raw roof of my mouth. I have a very sensitive mouth so I was expecting discomfort, but not like this. Today (6 days from original appt.) my jaw doesn't feel quite like it has been hit with a hammer but at night pain set back in pretty bad after I had my milkshake. It didn't seem like the pain was from the cold as much as from the suction from the straw. I know that sounds crazy but I've been in pain so long I am a little crazy! The dentist didn't think I had root canal problems but just acted like every thing should be dandy. He did mention the ligament (and pressure having been put on it). But, he did not give any indication when the pain would go away! Does this sound like reversible pulpitis to you?
Hi Pam,
I came across your post and although I know Tom will be able to answer your concerns, I had a quick comment. I am assuming by your wording that your crowns placed during sedation were permanent crowns most likely made by a die-cutting machine the dentist had in the office, otherwise you would be in temporary crowns while your final (permanent) crowns were being fabricated in a dental lab, and then cemented in at a later date. All this "grinding down" of possibly permanent crowns gives me some concerns, especially if your bite was pretty tight to begin with due to the teeth previously being broken for some time. I really like to see a full gold or semi precious metal crown placed on the back teeth when the bite is so tight, and it sounds as though this was not the case. If all of this grinding was done on the crowns while they wre already cemented in your mouth, it is definitely possible that you are experiencing some inflamed pulps (nerves in the teeth). You are correct in assuming you might be experiencing a problem that will not reverse itself, and I would ask for a referral to an endodontist (root canal specialist) so you can have the teeth that are still bothering you pulp tested, and possibly treated if thats what the specialist decides that you need. Good luck!
Hi Lisa!Am happy to report now that a lot of the pain has left, but still some discomfort. The molar that is bothering me most now is upper left. My terminology is bad and I was sedated, but I believe the appliance they put around the crown ( when they are seating it.....and I think it was metal) really cut up my gum. That is still really sore on day 9 and feels swollen with the pain feelling like canker sores . How do I know if this is what it is? I went in the dentist with cankers (probably from worry about the dentist:() and came out with more of them. I've been rinsing my mouth with salt water and using Sensodyne on other teeth. Thanks for any help
Glad it's starting to get better Pam! Sounds like they used a dental dam around those teeth, and you're right, it can leave the gum feeling sore. Sensodyne is great for sensitive teeth, but if the gum is sore I would try rubbing on some OraBase paste (comes from any drugstore) and rinsing with a healing rinse like Peroxyl. Be careful when using salt water that you don't put too much salt in it as it can burn the tissue. You don't want more than one teaspoon of salt per cup (8 ounces) of water. And yes, canker sores can be caused by stress and also by a lot of manipulating in the mouth so you did indeed have a lot of stress that contributed to the sores! Incidentally you can put the OraBase on the canker sores as well, and please avoid any alcohol containing mouth rinses. Hope this helps!
Hello Tom! Thank you for creating this blog. It has really helped answer questions I have had about dental procedures. About 2 weeks ago I had two very small, cavities (first cavities ever) sand blasted and filled in both my back bottom molars. The dentist didn't use the carbon paper to test my bite and now my back molars are the only teeth that touch. I was under the impression that the fillings would wear themselves down, being the noob to fillings that I am, but I have since read otherwise. They have also caused me to begin grinding my teeth and I think I might have possibly cracked the top left back molar due to it. I called my dentist and he is not able to see me until October 25th and no other dentists in my area accept my dental insurance. Is it really alright to have to wait that long? My mouth is quite uncomfortable from me grinding my teeth and I am really worried about the possible crack. Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Tom,
I think you're site is great and admire your dedication to answering everyone's questions! I have read all of the questions and answers and I have an idea of might be wrong, but my case doesn't seem to match anyone elses exactly, so I wanted to get your thoughts.
Just about 2 weeks ago, I had a cavity filled at the very far back, top molar (#2, I think). My dentist said when she started to drill, it ended up being deeper than she thought and she got close to the nerve and that I might feel some sensitivity. The first couple of days seemed ok, not a ton of pain or sensitivity.
However, a few days later my tooth started to get really sensitive to both hot and cold, it hurts to use that side to chew, I'll get intermittent throbbing pain, hours after I've eaten or drank anything, the throbbing feels like its coming from ALL of the molars on the right side. One other thing that worries me is that I'll wake up in the middle of the night to excruciating throbbing pain. I don't think I grind my teeth, but I think i might clench my jaw or something while I sleep because when I wake up, I catch myself clenching.
I'm at a point now where if I don't take advil/ibuprofen, there is almost a constant throbbing, sometimes less intense, but its always there. It gets particularly bad after I eat and in the middle of the night (possible from the clenching). The past 2 days in particular the sensitivity to hot/cold has improved slightly (its still there) but the throbbing pain is now stretching towards my ear/ear and is sore to the touch.
She also filled a bottom tooth on the right side, and that one is fine, no pain sensitivity. At first, it had some cold sensitivity, but it went away pretty much completely so it makes me feel like the top molar is not doing so well.
I can't figure out if I have a high filling, do you think that is a possibility? Could it be pulpitis? I've read that i should wait 4-6 weeks to really know, but I seem to be getting worse by the day and don't want to wait if I need a root canal. Plus, my stomach is not doing well from all the advil!
Would love your thoughts. Thanks for your time!
Hi Tom! I have read everyone else's questions and am so thankful you are helping people like me get some answers. I hope you an give me some insite as to what I should do. Here is my situation:
One week ago I had to white composite fillings put in my too back left bottom molars. The cavity was in between both teeth. The cavities were some and required small fillings, but the two teeth had both had fillings on the top surface 5 years ago. Those fillings were at a medium depth.
Ever since the fillings I have had a dull ache in those mollars (though I don't know which one it is coming from). The pain has been getting worse over the last few days. The teeth are NOT SENSITIVE to hot and cold - the ache is spontaneous. I can eat and chew on that side even! Now, here is where things get more complicated...
Yesterday I went back in to the dentist. He checked the bite and it is good (which I thought it would be since I don't feel it hitting other teeth). He did other tests involving air, tapping the teeth, and finally dry ice. We were still unable to distinguish which tooth was having the problem! The throbbing is pretty much constant w/o pain medication, but the cold didn't seem to make it any worse.
I went ahead and scheduled a root canal for Thursday (tomorrow) because I am school teacher and the first day for the kids is next monday, Aug 29th. He told me if my tooth feels any better to cancel the appointment and give it more time, unless I want the root canal anyway. I am not sure what to do- give it more time, or get the root canal. I also don't know how to figure out for sure which tooth is the problem!!!
Also, he x-rayed the teeth. Everything appears fine on film right now. The fillings do not touch the nerve, and there is space in between. The fillings are not tiny though - he said he wouldn't be shocked if I had pain from the fillings (especially the previous ones, because remember, the teeth were filled 5 years ago as well, and then filled a little bit more 1 week ago on a different surface of the tooth).
Now, here is one more thing I'm thinking about. I grind my teeth at night and I have a night guard. I have been wearing it UNTIL LAST NIGHT. I think when I wear my night guard it hits the filling more. I can feel it. If I had been clenching my teeth at night (which wouldn't surprise me because I have more stress at the beginning of a school year) this could be irratiting the ligament you talked about. I didn't wear my guard last night and this morning, I woke up feeling better than I had the past few nights. The pain also didn't wake me in my sleep, as it had the night before. But now...at 10am...the pain started up again for no apparent reason.
So - my question is this...
DO YOU RECOMMEND that I give it a little more time, or get the root canal ASAP? Also, what is best for pulpitis, tylonel or advil? And lastly....what can I do to figure out what tooth FOR SURE is the problem tooth? I would really hate to get a root canal on the wrong tooth....
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ANY AND ALL ADVICE! I truly appreciate it.
Hey Bethany - I'm not Tom, but your symptoms sound exactly like mine did the past few weeks. I only had one filling, so I knew what tooth was the problem, but the pain was really across a few teeth.However, the endodontist was able to do some sort of push down test on the tooth to confirm that was the tooth giving me problems. He said that it was coming out of the socket slightly, so he could feel what tooth was the one that needed the root canal.
My pain was also really sporadic like yours! I could eat no problem, but would wake up in the middle of the night with pain, or have it come at a random moment, but really didn't have too much sensitivity to hot/cold after awhile.
I had a root canal yesterday and I'm SO glad I did, the relief is amazing. I was going to wait it out like you on the original advice of my dentist, but it got worse fast, so I would just go to the endodontist and see what they say. I doubt they'll do a root canal if they don't think they need to! and to be honest, the procedure really wasn't much worse than a regular filling.
Good luck!
Thanks for writing to me!!! I went in today scheduled for a root canal, but instead the dentist just refilled the cavity (see my response to Tom). Hopefully I don't need the root canel, but if I do I will be going back in on Monday. I hope you are still doing well yourself!
hey tom!
i recently had a root canal in one of my teeth... and after i got it done i was feeling pressure and pain while biting down on food.
i came across ur blog and had an idea that its probably a high filling.
anyhow i went to my dentist yesterday... she drilled to reshape n cut back the filling..she also made me grind and move my jaw forward.
she then asked me if it felt okay... at that time i honestly felt much relieved from the pressure..n felt my bite was back to normal.
however when i came back home...and spent some time i realised its still a bit high and im not quite comfortable...my teeth do not fit each other like how they were before my root canal.
what shall i do? i see my dentist again on the 4th september... i feel so embarassed and my mom is screaming at me that how can i not tell if my bite is ok or not!!
its so confusing.
About two months ago during a check-up/cleaning appt with my dentist, I asked him about a tooth in the front that had been bothering me a few months- its the first one to the left of my two top front teeth (appears to be tooth #7 on diagrams i've seen?). When I would run my tongue over it, the tooth would feel like something was stuck near the gumline and a little sharp. Nothing too bad, but I thought I'd mention it to him.
He said I had a "little pit" or a "chip" in the tooth and that he would file it down and put some sealant on it. He said I could get away with not doing anything but since it was bothering me he would go ahead and fix it, to which I agreed. He drilled into it a bit- no anesthetic was used and it didn't hurt, so i assume it was a small amount drilled out. He then dried it off and put some tooth-colored filling material on it, so I assume its just like a small filling. He asked me to check my bite and how it felt to my tongue, I didn't notice any difference. He didn't use carbon paper to check it or anything. After going home I realized it felt even rougher to my tongue than before. So I came back in a week later and he smoothed it out. It felt totally fine to my tongue afterwards, but then I started having trouble with my bite the next day. It felt "high", like I was hitting that tooth hard or it was "in the way". It would only be an issue when I put my teeth together though- no hot/cold sensitivity or problems chewing. I'd occasionally feel some pain up near the top of the tooth. I had this for about six weeks, then finally went back to the dentist a 2nd time (I was hoping it would go away on its own but it didn't). This appt was last week. He checked the tooth with the paper and said it was a high filling. He filed it down twice, checked again and said it looked ok. It felt a little rough to my tongue again immediately after he filed it down so then he smoothed it out a bit too before I left.
So when I left his office, that tooth itself felt ok when I would bite but the rest of my mouth and jaws started hurting. When I'd bite it felt like I was hitting all my front teeth wrong. This went on for only two days, then it went back to how I felt before- feels high or "wrong" and also sore on that one tooth, but just when I put my teeth together.
Is it possible my whole mouth shifted every time its adjusted or can it become high again even after being filed down? Can it go away on its own? Is it possible something else is wrong? I've considered seeing another dentist for a 2nd opinion as my current one only seems to be making problems worse. I regret having this done as my tooth felt much better originally before any work was done on it. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks.
Hi Tom,
I had three amalgam fillings replaced with composites two weeks ago today (12, 13 and 14 upper left side) and I am experiencing a swollen gum near number 14 (upper left back). Before the fillings were completed I was told that I was not in need of a root canal and that number 14 would be a large filling. That is the area where my gum pain is most significant. Also when I floss back there the floss gets stuck and when eating if food bumps my gum near 14 I experience teething type pain and tenderness.
I am fearful of needing a root canal and am wondering if my filling just needs to be adjusted. My bite feels ok but the swollen gum near 14 is uncomfortable. Also, I feel a piece of the caked on composite on the back of 13 which I think needs to be shaved down. I also have some nausea which could or could not be related to my teeth. I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow. Any suggestions?
hey tom its betty again!
had my appt with my dentist today...
she confirmed wat u said---my bite has totally shifted again...and she said its probably premature contact causing the pressure and she removed all points of contact on that root canal molar today.
what i forgot to mention is that last month i also had my wisdom tooth removed in the same line with this molar..so my dentist said this may also have affected my bite since before all my teeth were closely packed.
anyway she said my gums looked inflamed and asked me to take some brufen and has asked me to come again after 5 days.
now she said there are no points of contact on this molar...i dunno my bite still feels weird...
she said to try it out and hopefully ill be ok...
this is so annoying tom... whenever i eat on this side the gums around my root canal tooth start burning n get inflamed... im also doing salt water gargles...
what is ur take on this?
thank u so much for ur help tom!
hello tom...
things have gotten worse.
i had severe pain in root canal tooth..went in emergency to my dentist.
she removed my permanent filling and put a temporary filling in to relieve pressure.
however nothing much has changed. i see her tomorow.
my upper gums are inflamed burning around tooth and upto the front.
have sporadic intense shooting pains... cant eat/cant drink on this side at all.
its my first molar. pain is unbearable im feeling sick now. will get it extracted..i cant go through this anymore...its horrible never had toothache ever!
i have a feelin its an abscess post rct? however my dentist did an xray and she said theres no reason for pain on xray...pain is unbearable.
feel sad about losing this tooth n i started antibiotics yest.will let u know wat she says tomorow.
hey tom...
my dentist didnt extract my tooth. instead she emptied out all my filling in RCT tooth including the canals...stuffed some cotton inside and told me to leave it like this for a week. she said i may be hypersensitive to the filling...which is very rare...
she didnt find any infection while emptying out the canals...no abscess or anything on my xray either.
im feeling sore now...gums still red... but thank god those shooting pains stopped.
i dunno what to think now. been 5 months and this tooth is still messed up.
what are ur thoughts?
Hello from Ireland Tom!
I have been reading all your responses to everyone questions and firstly I'd like to say a huge thanks for all your help on answering peoples queries. I think toothache pain is the worst type of pain and people can get very stressed about it so when you respond to people so quickly I know for definite that you are relieving peoples stress levels so thank you.
Here is my saga!
About 3 weeks ago I had 1 filling replaced on my top molar, then the dentist did a check on the rest of my teeth and saw that the bottom molar needed to be filled also so the following week I went back and she filled it. She said it was a large filling so I will experience some mild pain for about a week.I was pain free for a few days after the filling but unfortunately since last week I'm getting a dull ache from the bottom molar. The pain is very sporadic and it can throb alot in the middle of the night, its not a sharp pain more a dull pain, a couple of paracetamol does the trick, its not sensitive to hot or cold.I think the filling maybe a little high as my bite seems a off but I didn't know until I read your blog than that can cause pain. I have made an appointment with my dentist for next Monday but in the meantime I was wondering (or hoping!) that you could advice me as to what could be lying ahead of me. I know its hard for you to advice when you cant see it. I really really cant afford to down the root canal treatment so I have my fingers crossed!
Thanks again
Hi . Yesterday I went to the dentist. He did an x ray and test my nerves and said they were still working. Therefore I only need to do a filling. However, today or should I say yesterday night, I started to have extreme pain on the tooth:( and I can't chew nor bite it. Is Irtysh I need root canal or
Is it just a high filling??
I had a filling done on my tooth 19, 3 years ago. I had alot of sharp pain in two areas on that tooth while biting onto hard foods for 8 months until I got a new dentist. The new dentist said the filling was done very wrong so she re-did it with a composite
(my request to do a composite, it is a large filling and she really wanted me to have amalgam done)
Since then, only one of the spots on the tooth still hurts when biting onto crunchy/hard foods, I went in twice to have her fix the bite, it was high both times, and she adjusted the upper teeth to match as well. it seemed to help a little bit. But it was very painful when she adjusted my tooth 19. It still hurts and I just have put it off and don't chew hardly anything on that side of my mouth, and it's been 3 years. The tooth never hurts otherwise and is not sensitive to hot or cold, only sharp pain while chewing hard food, or if I were to slide my upper teeth across, like grinding, I get the sharp pain. I am scheduled to consult with my dentist in 3 months about this tooth, I am considering having her try re-filling it and using amalgam. Another thing is I've put it off for so long because my bottom jaw has a very difficult time numbing, the dentist always ends up having to give shots directly around the tooth, which doesn't fully numb either but atleast gets it close to fully numb, but is still painful for me, unlike when I get my upper teeth worked on there is no pain. =( It's very sad for me. I hate it. I don't want to cause my tooth anymore trauma, I will be so sad if I'm told I need a root canal.
Hi Tom....again.......I wrote quite a bit back in August after undergoing 5 crown replacements, 2 fillings and cleaning while sedated. Well.....While we had hoped that i was not going to need a root canal on one of my new crowns, I was sadly mistaken. One month after the dental work, my tooth woke me with the classic horrendous pain of an abscess. I had been having bite issues on the four crowns on the left side of my mouth and the dentist had done quite a bit of grinding. He had to do a root canal through the new crown and while he was "at it" he meticulously inspected the 2 new crowns next to the abscess and worried that they were weakened by the grinding so he removed those 2 new crowns and replaced them. This was done on September 8th....over 3 weeks ago. My bite is much better, but I still have soreness there that is really aggravating when eating. I'd love to avoid that side of my mouth, but I still have a problem with my upper right last molar (also a new crown). My bite was still "off" on that one and he ground a little more about a week and a half ago. That one is much better, but still hurts if I try to chew crunchy food on it. Is it possible that this will ever heal? I had no pain when I began this odyssey, and now would just like one good day when I forget I have teeth. Also, the "intense" cleaning really did a number on ALL of my teeth and the sensitivity is driving me wild, too. I am using prescription strength toothpaste and PerioMed Rinse. The worst sensitivity is in old crowns at the gum line where I did not have sensitivity before. The DH suggested that , maybe, by removing the plaque (that was bad) it also caused the area to be sensitive that had previously been "protected" by the plaque! Now...back to the upper right last molar. I told my dentist that if this problem with soreness could not be fixed I just wanted him to pull it. I am so sick of dealing with this. He said....no......we won't be pulling that tooth. I am having improvement (ever so slowly) on the three week old crown and root canal side of my mouth. I have also had improvement with my bite on my upper right last molar crown. But, I am NOT healed completely. Has this been too long? Do you think there is still hope as long as I'm seeing some improvement. How long does it generally take to heal after grinding a crown? Also, how long is too long to heal after having new crowns "hammered" out and replaced AND a root canal through another? BTW..... I NEVER want my teeth cleaned again! I know that is silly sounding to you, but every tooth and crown in my mouth has a new sensitivity. I know you all will be glad when I quit writing to you all.:)
Hey Tom,
I got 4 fillings on my upper right side a week ago. When I bite down I can tell that my right side closes before my left, so it has to be high spots on my fillings. 2 of the fillings are white composite and the other 2 are silver fillings. When I drink cold or hot food I have a sharp pain that just goes up to my temples. Could this just be sensitivity due to the silver fillings? Also after I eat the sharp pain goes away but, there is a discomfort and ache that lasts hours after I eat. The gums above my 4 teeth that were filled hurts when I touch them, is this normal after having fillings done? I have an appointment with my Dentist to file down the fillings if they are high. So i hope that is my problem and I won't need a root canal. I also was wondering what do you think about composite vs. silver fillings. I have 5 more fillings that need to be done. I can not decided which to go with. Since people say silver fillings break down and have mercury, and that composite fillings discolor and shrink. I would just like to know your opinion about the two so it helps me make a decision on the rest of my fillings.
Thank you so much,
Hi Tom,
I'm so glad I found this info/website. I had 3 fillings done on my lower left teeth at the end of July (it's now mid-October). For the first few weeks, the fillings felt high and my teeth were a little sensitive but I thought I would get used to it and it was normal.
Then on about the 6th week from when I had the fillings done, I started to experience a lot of pain. That's when I encountered this website and realized that I should get the high fillings checked out. My dentist has since grounded them down (twice). I am wondering about how long it will take for the pain to go away, especially considering that I had high fillings for almost 3 months. Or do you think it is a different problem?
Hi Tom,
Recently I had two fillings done on my molars one on the left in August and one on the right in September. These were routine replacement fillings so I thought nothing of it. After the first one in August I noticed extreme sensitivity to touch and air which I usually didn't get. It wasn't painful really but did cause some discomfort for about a week or two. I figured well I'm going in again in September I will just mention it then to my dentist which I did. By that time it had subsided and I was having no more issues. She explained that because it was a four surface filling it's coming in contact with many different things and that it was quite normal she seemed concerned but relieved once I told her it wasn't going on any more. After the second filling the same sort of thing started to happen after about 4 days of the filling being replaced. I just figured like the other one it would go away in a couple of weeks and tried to ignore it. By the second week I started to notice sensitivity was not to air or touch but to hot & cold and after eating. At the third week mark I was having shooting pains and throbbing in the jaw due to it. I took Advils to dull the pain but it seemed to get worse to the point of waking up when sleeping due to the pain. I went in the other day to check it looked at and sure enough she said the bite was too high. She adjusted it which was very painful because it was already throbbing that day. She told me that by dinner hour that same night I should feel significantly better but should it get worse come back in. She also said because I waited so long to get it adjusted it would likely take a full week before the pain was completely gone. It's not as bad during the day now but It's only been two days since she fixed the bite and I'm still waking up in the middle of the night with pain! Guess what I want to know is should I still be experiencing the super throbby pains at night that wake me up? How does one definite significantly better? She's a great dentist and I don't doubt her... I'm just wondering how long I'm going to be dealing with sleepless nights and how long it will take for my mouth to feel better.
Hi Bonnie,
I waited 2 months to adjust my 3 fillings and, like you, I didn't feel extreme pain until about 4 weeks later. I've since gotten them adjusted (twice) and do feel slightly better after a week. I'm praying it keeps getting better, even if it's just a little at a time. I'd love to hear from you and others on this site on how you're progressing (especially amount of time for pain to go away and also if it's other things, like needing a root canal or other conditions). Thanks and hope you're feeling better.
I waited only a week and a half for my first adjustment, but after a month and a total of three adjustments, I am still miserable. The molar with the new composite filling hurts when I bite on anything even slightly hard. Also, my teeth feel like they are continually shifting. Anyone else have that problem? So much for 4 years of braces. My dentist does not think the tooth is cracked and said that with the new materials there is no chance of any "bubble" under the filling like someone else mentioned.
Also forgot to mention that I am missing the middle molar on the other side of my mouth. Makes it really difficult to eat anything. The only advice I have is that if you are missing any teeth and can afford it, do not put off getting an implant. I wish I would have done then I would have somewhere to chew!
My Dentist didnt use carbon paper after filing down a high filing, should he have.
Hi Tom. Great article, this was exactly what I was looking for. Have just seen the dentist (at 2pm) because I thought I had a hole in my tooth because of the pain. Then he made an X-ray and told me there was no sign of any holes in the tooth. He asked me whether I have experienced a lot of stress over the year (Yes - big time I said) and whether I have experienced a muscle ache in my jaws (Yes - sometimes!). Then he asked me to relax my mouth and and then to bite and asked me which side of my teeth touch the first (the left, which is the side where the tooth is located that hurts). I actually hae to go back in half n hour because he wants to shave down the tooth. When I heard about it I was quite skeptical because I had never heard about it before. After reading your article and the posts from everyone, I feel optimistic and hopefully the pain will go away. So again, great article and many thanks.
Thank you for the great article. I had a filling done a few months ago and just noticed I had more sensitivity to hot and cold. Out of nowhere today I had horrible pain that radiated into my jaw and ear. My dentist didn't mention anything about a high filling though. He fixed a previous filling that a piece had fallen out and adjusted the bite multiple times and said something about a ligament. I found this article and found it very helpful. Thanks!
Well, I guess I actually needed a root canal and am now recovering....
Hey Tom!
Quick question-- I had a filling exactly a week ago and had a "leaking filling" replaced as well. I was fine for a few days following the fillings, but now I have sensitivity to cold temperatures and that's it! Do you think it could just be a high filling or something worse?
I have a question about low fillings/crowns. I had two teeth pulled on the bottom left side of my mouth,at different times but both more than 20 years ago. Since then I had a few root canals and crowns, almost all of them on the right side of my mouth, but about 3 to 4 years ago, I had one on the left bottom - the only molar remaining on the bottom left. Within a few months of that, I needed a root canal on last tooth on the top left because it had "dropped" down, leaving the root exposed. The root quickly got a cavity in it.
About 3 years ago, I started having ringing in my left ear, which quickly became permanent. I've gone to my dentist and even the endodontist because it feels as though one of the root canals on the right must be bad, causing my whole jaw to hurt on that side. They both said that none of the teeth seem to have problems. Occasionally the gums get irritated between two of the top teeth, but it just seems that food gets caught there, and if I floss often, I can usually avoid that issue.
I also have a false plate on the left side of my mouth, which was made for me after I had to get the upper root canal.
At my most recent dental checkup, I told my dentist (again!!) about the pain in the right side of my jaw. He looked at the xrays and my teeth and told me that it was the irritated gums, and when I insisted that it was in my jawbone, he said it was my sinuses. I went to an ENT, and he said it was my jaw and that I needed to talk to my dentist about a nightguard. I went to my dentist, he made a night guard and said to try it for a while and if it didn't work, come back.
I've begun looking into this (yeah, internet), and have come to realize that the headaches that have been coming ever more frequently over the past couple of years, along with the shoulder pain, sinus issues and ear aches are likely from the issue with my teeth. I also can no longer chew on the right side of my mouth.
It seems that the night guard is the solution I can expect to hear from dental and medical folks. But I don't grind my teeth, and I HATE the nightguard. When my dentist did any root canals, each time he ground down the tops of the crowns so that I wouldn't put pressure on them when I bit down. When I first got the false plate, he did the same thing. He ground down both of the teeth in it. When the temporary crown was put on the left bottom tooth, he immediately ground it down, but there were no teeth around it that were higher than it for me to bite down on. I distinctly remember getting the impression that it was too low, that I had to close my teeth "too far", but I was numb and I guessed that he was the dentist so he knew better, and besides, I would be getting a permanent crown anyway.
Well, he did the same thing with the permanent crown.
And then I had to have a root canal in the upper tooth, which had been sitting there for more than 20 years without another tooth below it, and it never fell. I'm guessing it didn't fall because the lower tooth did come into regular contact with it, and kept it in place. When I got the false plate (after the upper root canal), he ground that down even lower than the lower crown.
I am relatively certain that the pain in my jaw and my shoulder, my headaches and my sudden change in vision, and the tinnitus, come from the lower teeth on the left side. I am tired of being in pain, and having non-stop headaches, and not being able to chew on one side of my mouth.
Here is my question: providing that what I have said above makes sense, is it reasonable to have the crown on the left built back up to provide the correct positioning of my teeth and jaw? Will I have to get the crown replaced? Will getting this done reverse the problem, or cause a new set of problems? And should I go to the same dentist to get this done, or a specialist? Is this set of issues something that my dentist should have been aware of, or is it a unique/weird problem? (I guess that was more than one question.)
I really think that at least one of the root canals on the right was caused by the "too short" tooth on the left. I think that I really had jaw pain and not tooth pain, but couldn't tell the difference. I am also pretty certain that the root canal on the top left would have been entirely unnecessary if the lower tooth would have been left higher. Would it have been a problem to leave it higher?
I hope you can provide some ideas or suggestions. I realize that you can't offer any more than that because you haven't examined my teeth or records. I just don't know what to do about this, but I can't take the pain anymore.
I am at the end of my rope! I had a filling done in tooth 18 the farthest molar I have on my bottom left. I had an old silver filling and it was leaking. I thought nothing of it. About 4 days later I have a pain when I am chewing. My dentist does an adjustment to the composite filling. About a week later it still feels too high. He does another adjustment. And a week after that another one! So I had the filling done about 4 weeks ago and have had three adjustments! It still isn't right. He said this is a hard tooth to get the bite right on. He had done tooth no. 14 on the top 2 weeks previous to filling this tooth, but my bite felt good after that one. HELP! Do you have any suggestions? I also should tell you that I grind my teeth at night and wear a mouth guard. What can be wrong? I am having a hard time eating anything hard and am losing sleep over this. Starting to panic that it won't ever be correct again. BTW, the dentist has checked and the tooth does not appear to be cracked.
Hi Julie,
I went and got a 2nd and 3rd opinion on my situation. I, like you, can't even bite on anything (hard or soft) without it hurting. Turns out I need a root canal on molar #18.
The 2nd dentist I saw also said that, from his experience, he doesn't like composite fillings because they tend to leak. Have you gotten that checked for your situation?
Hope this helps!
Did all of your teeth ache? All of mine feel like they are shifting and they ache. I am still hoping that mine still just needs another bite adjustment. I am missing a middle molar on the opposite side of my mouth and had 4 molars pulled for braces. So I am working on two molars on the bad side and one on the other. I just realized how scary that sounds. Anyway, the pain in #18 comes and goes and is never very sharp. Just when I bite down hard on food. Did you have pain that radiated down to your jaw? I am hoping that I don't need a root canal. I saw the roots that tooth on the x-ray and they are very curved.
How did the endodontist, I assume, figure out that you needed the root canal? Did he/she perform any special tests? Did you have the root canal done yet? I hope that fixes your problem. I feel bad for you having to deal with this since July! That's crazy.
BTW, it is a new filling. Could it be leaking already?
The dentist (and his dental assistant) just mentioned that they don't like working with composites because they tend to leak. Not sure what the timeframe is. Was your filling deep? Mine was and they said that was part of the problem (too close to the nerve) which is why I now need a root canal.
Sounds like our pain level is very similar (sensitivity to pressure and not a constant pain). In the beginning, the 2 teeth next to #18 did ache. I'm told it's "referred pain" from the problems of #18. And yes, the pain radiated down to my jaw. The did kind of go away after I got 2 adjustments, so hopefully in your case that will do it!
The endodontist did a pressure test, showing #18 being the problem. I already kind of knew at the outset that would be the problem tooth because that was the one that had a deep filling and they already said when they filled it that I could, in the long run, need a root canal there.
Hi Tom,
I am returning here. I had an amalgam filling replaced in August and was unable to chew on the the new composite on one the upper left molar. So, after testing for fracture and nerve damage the composite was replaced with another composite. However the pain upon chewing on one part of the tooth is still here two weeks later so I received a second opinion from another dentist yesterday. He determined upon x-ray that the filling is touching the pulp and believes this may be the cause of the pain experienced when chewing on one area of the tooth. He intends to place a sedative filling and says I don't have either a fracture or infection. He believes the pulp is bruised from the aggravation of the composite material. I am going to get the cement filling but am a little nervous about him using septocaine instead of lidocaine, due to some of the research I've been doing. My former dentist uses lidocaine and I respond well to it but I am concerned about septocaine side effects. I have asked for lidocaine but he says he only uses septocaine or prilocaine. Should I have another dentist perform the filling? As it stands I am unable to chew on one side of my mouth so I am wondering if I should just take the risk. The pain is bothersome now.
I got a composite filling on Friday morning and I am in alot of pain.
When I bite done on foods such as bread, mi experience an acute stabbing pain in the tooth. (2nd on the front right)
Will this pain subside soon or should I contact my dentist tomorrow (monday).
I am currently living on soup and mashed potatoes..
Do you think it's a high filling?
Many thanks..
Where is Tom???
yes....where is Tom???
We need you!!!
I am still having issues with my high filling on my back lower molar. Have had it adjusted 4 times. Is this normal? I don't know why it is so hard to get it right. After each adjustment lots of my teeth start to move and ache. The last time, yesterday, my dentist took a long time working on it so hopefully it is right. My front teeth ache a little still. When should I move on to get a second opinion? Is there some kind of specialist for this? This has been going on for a month. I've lost 6 pounds and I just want to eat again.
Anyone else feel shifting of their other teeth after a high filling?
Also, my dentist used a low light laser on the molar that had the high filling. He used it on the gum area. He said that it stimulates new cells and would help that ligament heal faster. Said it's not used by most dentists, but he has good luck with it. I still have some pain on the molar when eating hard foods.
I appreciate any advice I can get and also would love to know if anyone else has gone through this.
Hi Julie,
Im also having a similar problem. About a month ago i had a filling done on my back lower molar. Felt high so had to return to dentist to have it adjusted twice. After the first adjustment my whole bite felt like it had been re-adjusted (due to filling still being high). After second visit everything felt fine for a couple of weeks, but recently after eating a hard sweet it seems to have gone back to feeling high again, and im also having the feeling of other teeth being loose, but i think this may just be down to my bite being off again. It baffles me as to how the filling can be fine for almost 2 weeks then go back to feeling high again? My thinking is maybe when it was high the first 2 times i was biting down on the tooth a little 2 hard and may have fractutured the filling and thats has allowed it to be pulled back up and therefore feel high again. If this is the case would the filling have to be re-done again?
Any advice appreciated.
I have a friend whose tooth was fractured and within a short time ( a couple weeks) he had pain and swelling in his jaw. I also have read that if your tooth is sensitive to hot and cold it is not good. Usually means you need a root canal. I think you need a root canal with a fractured tooth. Don't think you can fix it with a filling. But I am only guessing on all this. I am not a dentist or hygentist, only someone who unfortunately has had a lot of dental work. They do some kind of bite test to determine if the tooth is fractured and look at digital x rays.
My tooth has been adjusted 4 times and I still have a slight pain when biting on something hard, but it seems better than before. The dentist says it "looks clean", no fracture. The weird thing is that my teeth feel ok in the morning but by early evening the bottom front teeth begin to ache. I wonder if your teeth all shifted and you had the filling adjusted and they shifted back. Maybe that is why they feel loose.
I have read about something called a T-scan that checks your bite electronically and the dentist then adjusts your bite accordingly. This carbon paper stuff is ridiculous. Especially when you are numb. Another thing the dentist told me is that a young person will adjust more quickly to a high filling and he has to convince them that it is important to get it adjusted, but as we age it is harder to adjust to changes in our bite. Not sure how old you are but I am trying to be patient with this since I am in my forties. Good Luck!
I am still waiting to hear from Tom. I'd like to hear what he thinks. I am afraid to go to an endodontist because I am sure I will end up with a root canal and I want to avoid that. The roots are curved.
Hey i had a question about high fillings. I had a deep cavity filled it was on the side of my tooth. Anyone its been about 2 weeks and its now hurting to chew i can bite down hard and nothing but as soon as i chew somerhing like even bread it hurts. Is it possible for a filling to be tp high weeks after? If it was high wouldnt have hurt a couple days after the filling not weeks later?
I went to the dentist she said bite looks fine maybe i just put some stress on the tooh. How long should i wait before going back its hurt for 2 days. Icant eat anything on that side. Should i wait a week see what happens or go back ASAP?
Thanks for your help. I went today she said wait a week the test she did doesnt show a crack or need for a root canal. Maybe still sensitive from deep filling i dont kno. Only thing she suggested was using different material on filling cause thise one.might not be strong enough. Like an overlay. But that cost $805 so that sucks. This why most ppl hate the dentist lol.
Some of the tests the dentists perform cannot determine cracks especially if the cracks are deep in the tooth closer to the nerve. I hate a popsicle a couple of weeks ago and was awakened that night by the worse pain on my upper and lower right jaw especially in the teeth that I had root canals just last year. Turns out that the endodontist determined that I had "cracked tooth syndrome" so I asked my dentist to pull both teeth out on Monday. Turns out both teeth were shattered down to the nerve which was why I wasn't able to so much as eat yogurt or bread using that side of my mouth to chew. Couldn't even brush my teeth it was so bad. Now I look like a chipmunk but the pressure on the upper and bottom jaw are gone..BTW - I'll be needing dentures but I am ok with it so if I were you I would totally get a 2nd and 3rd opinion before you decide what you want to do..Good luck!
I had a routine filling done on one of my back molars yesterday at a new dentist and as soon as the numbing wore off I started experiencing spontaneous pain from that tooth when I had no pain before. At that point, I still hadn't ate or drank anything, and when I did eat dinner later that night, I did not notice the pain any more frequently. It's sharp enough that the pain woke me up a few times, but short enough that I easily went back to sleep. It probably lasts about a second, but occurs relatively frequently. The tooth doesn't seem overly sensitive to cold or warm liquids.
I'm really concerned because I've never had pain after a filling before and I'm going out of the country in a few days. I scheduled another appt this afternoon, but I'm really stressing out and would appreciate some suggestions/hypotheses on what could have happened.
The only thing of note that occurred during the procedure was that not enough anesthesia was used and I jerked when he was using the drill. I'm not sure if he could have accidentally done damage elsewhere to my gum or tooth that could explain this pain.
Molars are usually the teeth that have a tendency to suffer from cracks. Some cracks cannot be detected by x-ray and sometimes the only way to tell is if the dentist uses special instruments or dyes to detect cracks. The cracks can be caused by eating something hard like ice, candy, nuts, popcorn, etc., but can also be caused by dental work. Or your filling is set too high so that when you're chewing or grinding your teeth at night, you apt to feel a deep, quick pain in that area that reverberates into the jaw. I just posted that I had two teeth pulled and a root canal done on Monday (all cracked) and when the lidocaine wore off, I totally felt the high filling in my molar. See your dentist ASAP and they'll run a couple of tests to determine the cause of your pain..Good luck!
Just had two teeth pulled out on Monday and a root canal that had to be built up with a new filling - all in one day! After the numbing agent wore off, I felt that the filling was too yesterday so I went to see my dentist who made some adjustments to the molar..Feel great not to have that pressure but he did say that it would be a couple of days until the pain went away...But its tons better now than it was yesterday!
I had a lower filling replaced about 2 and half months ago. My bite has never felt quite right since. My tooth doesn't hurt when I chew on it. However, at times, my entire upper and lower jaw and face hurt with a throbbing pain that calms to high achiness after a bit but won't go away until I take Advil. I generally have to take Advil at least once a day due to the pain. Sometimes the pain wakes me up at night.
Since the pain responds to the Advil and since it doesn't hurt to bite or chew with the tooth, I am inclined to think that my pain is due to the filling being too high. However, the dentist did mention that the decay in my tooth was fairly deep and I am a little concerned that maybe the tooth is infected. If I needed a root canal, wouldn't it hurt to bite down on the tooth?
I don't see any discoloration of the tooth nor do I have pus or gum tenderson around the tooth.
Thanks so much!
I had a crown put on a tooth in the upper right side about 2 years ago. About 3 months ago I started experiencing pain in my tooth (not when eating or biting) and after a while made an appointment with my dentist. I was convinced it needed root canal and had even researched local endodontists. When I saw my dentist the first thing he did was take xrays and he said that the tooth did not need a root canal. He said the crown was sitting higher thatn the other teeth and that I probably grind my teeth at night and over time the other teeth have ground down making the crown sit higher. He adjusted the tooth a bit and told me it should be better but if not to come in again and he could adjust it some more. It has been about a month and half and while the pain subsided for a week or so it slowly came back and has gotten so severe. I have tried making appointment with my dentist but have had scheduling conflicts. I have an appointment tomorrow but I would really like to know what to expect. Is it possible that it really does just need to be adjusted more? This pain is so severe it seems like it has to be something else. Thanks for your help.
Please help me! I had 2 shallow fillings done on one tooth on Oct.12th. I wasn't aware that my bite was off until 2 weeks later I went to bite into something soft and then bam! I was in horrible pain. I went back to my dentist on Novemeber 2 and he filed and adjusted my bite. Also he did impressions for a night guard. Two days later I was in so much pain I decided to see and Endo and he tested the tooth to see if I needed a root canal. He said the fillings were no where near the root and the tooth looked fine and passed all of the performed test. That was on the 7th of Novemeber. Now, my tooth had started to feel better and was no longer throbbing or sensitive to cold and I was beginning to chew on it. I thought all was well until I got my night guard on the 16th and now my tooth is killing me again! What is going on? I'm so worried they are missing something. Can the pain come and go like this? Is my night guard causing more harm then good? I spent $400 on it and now I am afraid they will do a root canal! Please give me any advice!
Hi Tom,
over the past week i have been experiencing discomfort and pain from one of my old fillings, which has been there for around 2 to 3 years.
Yesterday the pain was unbearable and i went to see a dentist to see whether i required a replacement etc.
The dentist took an x-ray and had a poke around for sensitivity and came to conclusion that the bit was too high on this old filling and this has been causing me the discomfort.
He filled this down and the pain has subsided, with the Dentist advising that the pain should fully clear with 12 to 18 hours..
Last night (after around 6 hours since the procedure), i woke up in severe pain and distress which has resulted a dull ache today in comparison to the severe pain i was in yesterday.
Do you believe the dentist diagnosis was correct, especially due to the age of the filling and if so shall i give this longer for the pain to subside?
Also in terms of pain relief, what recommendations would you have in terms of either a desensitizer or ibuprofen to help numb the pain.
Thanks and Regards
Thanks for publishing this picture and article. I had a filling done the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (2011) and I did call to have an appointment with my dentist with concerns of my bite being off from the filling. My appointment is tomorrow. I'm noticing that the area is affecting my TMJ. Is this due to my right side over compensating or the ligament that is tender?
Hi Tom,
Thanks for doing this blog! A month ago, I had a root canal and have a temporary crown. I had the endodontist adjust my bit once but still had pain on tapping and especially when chewing on foods. I am now experiencing that same pain, have some swelling in my face and mild pain in the gum above my tooth. I do not have swelling of my gums upon exam. I saw the endodontist today and he adjusted my bite stating that I did not have an infection to begin with and that it is most likely my periodontal ligament. What complicates things (in a good way) is that I am now 8 week pregnant! Given my symptoms and pregnancy what would you suggest and what is okay and not okay to do right now?
Hi Tom! I had some amalgam fillings done a week and a half ago. My upper second molar and second premolar, both sides. I've found that when eating dense foods (such as pork) or hard foods (such as dry cereal) I experience a little bit of an uncomfortable sensation on my right side, maybe even slightly painful. I find that the sensitivity is greater when releasing pressure on my bite (like when pulling a rubber boot out of the mud).
Could this likely be due to a slightly high filling?
Hi Tom,
I am really glad I came accross this blog. Thank you for your responses and getting back to questions that folks have.
It is great to know there is someone out there especially you reading our questions and getting back with suggestions. Okay here goes.
I went to the dentist on November 30th and had a temporary crown out in as well as three fillings filled.
After a week I had pain and felt like I had a slightly high filling.
I went back last Wednesday and sure enough the dentist said that I did have a slightly high filling. It was fixed.
I am scheduled to go back to the dentist office on Wednesday to have the permament crown put in. Today at 4 p.m. I experienced pain in my mouth on the right side where I have the fillings. I took pain medicine.
A few hours later I felt it on the other side of my mouth. I also have a sour taste in my mouth and I am constantly brushing my teeth, flossing and using mouthwash. Right now my whole mouth hurts, the gums on the side where I had the filling feel swollen and it is painful to talk.
Should I go ahead and call my dentist tomorrow and see him right away or wait till my appointment on Wednesday. I am just hoping the pain does not get worse. I was fine all weekend long so I am surprised that all of a sudden I have this throbbing pain that goes from one side of my mouth to the next and then my whole mouth in pain.
The crown was put in on the top left side of my mouth and the top right are where the fillings are located.
Thanks Tom for any advice you can give me,
I am experiencing very much what you describe here. I got a filling about 3 weeks ago. It's in a big molar on the top, next to last one on the left. There was an old metal filling in it and a new spot of decay. The tooth adjacent to it had an old metal filling that was cracking. The dentist planned to replace the cracking filling and fill the new spot of decay at the same time. Once he was in the process, he decided to replace the old filling in the tooth with the new spot of decay as well. I can't remember what he saw once he was working on it, but something made him decide this was warranted. He said once he got the old filling out, he did find a little bit of decay under it, so he thought it was a good decision. The new fillings are composite instead of amalgam. I'm pretty sure the tooth that is having a problem is the one that got the new filling as well as replacing the old one (vs. the one that had just the cracked old filling that got replaced).
The afternoon after the work was done, I noticed some pain on biting, but it was gone the next day. However 4-5 days later, the tooth became cold sensitive and had pain on biting down. I went back to the dentist and they said it was high and grinded it down a bit. I did notice a difference right away - when I went in, I could cause the pain just be clenching my teeth; immediately afterword, I could not and my teeth just felt like they fit better. However I discovered after I got home, there was still some pain when actually biting on something rather than just clenching. It is now 2 weeks since the adjustment. The cold sensitivity never went away. The pain on biting has continued to lesson but is not gone - and this is going to sound crazy - but now it seems like the pain on biting is in the opposing tooth, the one that the filled tooth hits when I bite down. I don't feel the pain right away but after a few chews on that side, especially if I'm chewing something hard, the pain begins. It is Thursday now. I'm going back to the dentist Monday so they can check it again.
Do you think it could still be too high? Or could it just still be recovering from the original trauma? I hope that it is not something else going on too. Could a high filling ever cause pain in the opposing tooth, or could it be referred pain that really is still coming from the filled tooth? I don't know if this is relevant but the cold sensitivity is in a very specific spot - not the whole tooth. It is on the outside edge of the tooth toward the back corner - the pain radiates from the gum line upward from that corner of the tooth.
Thanks for any thoughts.
Update: Went back to the dentist today. The pain and sensitivity have continued to lesson but still were not completely gone when I went back to the dentist today. The pain had relocated itself back to the top tooth - I guess it was referred pain when I felt it on the bottom.
When I bit on the paper at the dentist today, she said that my actual tooth was hitting in the middle (rather than on the cusps, which she said was what is supposed to happen). It was my actual tooth and not filling that was hitting. She said that may be my normal bite but that it was causing pain and sensitivity right now since the nerve had gotten inflamed. She polished down the tooth just a little bit where it was hitting. She told me to give it a few weeks.
Hi My name is Sarah and I have the exact same problem. I went to go get fillings about 2 months and after a few weeks after I got the fillings the pain still remained so I went back and they re did the whole process and as of right now it's still hurting me.
Hi, I had a white filling done yesterday and every time I bite down really hard or chew on it there's a little pain and although it's little it's quite discomforting. Now my dentist is not working for 2 weeks and the next 2 week she's fully booked, so my next appointment is in 4 weeks time. Is it safe to wait this long?
During the filling, she made me bite down on the blue paper and told me whether it's alright, I said that it felt a little too high (even though it was hard to tell because of the numbness) so then she wore it away a bit then said that she didn't want to do it too much because it's still fresh and that if I did have problems when the numbness is gone I should get another appointment. So my next question is that, could I be definitely sure this is a high filling as she thought it seemed alright after adjusting it a bit? Could it just still be tender?
Hi, had 5 fillings done a week and three days ago. (2 on top right, 2 on bottom right, and 1 on bottom left).
After a few days of not being able to chew on my right side because of sharp pain, I went back to remove some filling for what they believed were high fillings (this was tues- 4 days ago). The bite felt like it fit normal and when I left the bite still fit fine but she said things were inflamed and it would take time for things to settle. On Wednesday when I woke up my jaw muscles were feeling right and I couldn't close my mouth comfortably without my bottom teeth ramming my front teeth. I called her and she said, if the bite moved forward its because of the inflammation, take ibprofen, rinse with salt water and give the inflammation time to go down and my mouth to go back to normal. This is still happening. My jaw is right, tender, I can't close my mouth without front and bottom teeth touching and I still can't chew on the right side without a jolt of pain. Has my jaw moved forward due to the inflammation? I'm going crazy!! I have been just trying not to think about it and leve my mouth relaxed and slightly open but this is so uncomfortable and frustrating. Any input would be greatly appreciated to set my mind at ease. I'm a vocalist and need things to resolve so I can get back to it.. Ugg worried. Thank you!!!!!
*tight* (not right)
Hi Tom,
I had 24 fillings done four days ago while in the Philippines. I was surprised that the procedure was done in one sitting and without painkillers. However, and although it was a painful experience she was quite professional.
I experienced some pain on biting and could not chew properly. Two days after I returned to the dentist to get the fillings filed down. They felt marginally better but in retrospect I think they were still too high. I took an eight hour flight home two days after that. The pain intensified on the plane and lasted for the duration of the flight.
The next meal I ate was dinner that night (yesterday). I tried to eat normally and forcibly chewed. Half way through the meal the pain became too great to continue eating. I bought the strongest pain killers I could and tried to sleep last night. However, I kept waking up in pain once the effects of the painkillers wore off.
I took today off work and hoped the pain would subside. If anything, it seems to be getting worse. I've used up the maximum amount of pain killers today so am stuck with the pain for a few hours. It is like a throbbing going up my jaw across the whole side where the molars are left and right. It makes it difficult to concentrate.
I am reluctant to go to the dentist because of the expense so I am trying to wait out the pain to see if it will settle down. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Hello TOM i have a filling right and it still hurts, so bad a week later WHY TOM WHY DO I HAVE THIS PAIN I CANT TAKE IT ANY LONGER I MAY KILL MYSELF!!! note: filling is white x not one of those cheap metal pices of crap , if you hear in the news that a young business level 3 and health and social care studant as killed herself by running in front of a train please blame the denist of hitchin x
hi tom,
i have 2 upper teeth that were root canaled and crowned years ago...#5 and #13. within the last year i went to the dentist to have #5 adjusted because i had severe throbbing pain. He adjusted it and it felt better almost immediately. Within a week or so of that #13 started hurting. Since it was bearable he wanted to leave it so we weren't going back and forth with the adjustments. Well, that tooth (13) has since broke the post and crown are nolonger in my mouth adn the rest of the tooth is being extracted next week and i am having an implant done. NOW,, yesterday #5 started, out of the blue, in the middle of the afternoon just throbbing again. I can't even close my teeth together because it hurts so bad. Could it be my bite again since i no longer have #13 to balance my jaw? it's hard right now because i have a broken tooth on my left side and a painful tooth on the right side...i can't chew anywhere!!
Hi. I just had my bottom left wisdom tooth repaired after somehow managing to chip it. Dentist repaired it today as now and again it would cause pain, after the anesthetic wore off, the tooth i had repaired feels fine but now the opposite tooth on the upper jaw is throbbing and causing alot of pain for me. Rang dentist and they said it could either be because of the injection or because i had my mouth open for a long time, they said if the pain doesn't subside within 24hrs to ring back. I feel as though the pain is just getting worse.
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Hi. My previous dentists office went bankrupt. I hadn't been to the dentist in 2 years. I gave birth last April and today I finally made it to the dentist. I am embarrassed to say that they found 6 cavities. One was bad, the rest were little. They were all removed and filled in under 45 minutes... Is that quick? It's a new Dentist for me and I feel like they just committed highway robbery. I told them that I would schedule a time to come in and have them worked on and then they insisted that I just get it over with today.
The reason I am upset is that I had Oreo cookies before I went into the office. They didn't brush my teeth and then they insisted that I had cavities because I had black spots. He used the scraper, so I figured they weren't oreo specks... But, I guess my question is... Are there dentists who make up things to make a quick buck? Before today, I'd only had 2 cavities in 25 years. I'm just taken aback and feel robbed of what I thought were healthy teeth. My teeth didn't hurt or anything.
Now my teeth hurt real bad, my gums hurt... The dentist didn't even floss my teeth...
Hmm... Ever feel that way as a dentist?
Hi, I had a high filling for 2 weeks. And just over 2 weeks ago I went to get it fixed. It doesn't feel like there's a rock wedged between my teeth anymore and feels normal. But I am still getting some pain when I try to eat on that tooth.
In your article you said that it shouldn't take more than 2 weeks to heal however as I had a high filling for 2 weeks, do you think I should wait for it to heal a little longer? Also the high filling used to hurt my opposite tooth and now it doesn't so surely it's not still high?
Hi Tom,
Great blog! I just finished reading through everybody's posts and your answers. 3 weeks ago, I received my very first filling on my #2 tooth with a composite resin. I'm told the filling was very deep and that if this didn't work I would need to have a root canal. I was having a sharp pain whenever biting down. After finding this site, I went back to my dentist, and had the filling shaved down a bit. I still have a bit of pain when chewing, but I imagine that's from the ligament being bruised and needing time to heal. But ever since the adjustment was made, I've had this very mild dull ache on the tooth. Is this normal? Also, that tooth is very sensitive to cold drinks. Is that due to the filling being deep? How long do you suggest I give the sensitivity and pain time to heal until I go back in?
I have eight missing teeth. I have had a temp flipper for about 2 years. On the bottom left of my jaw, I have my back molar, then the next 2 are missing. The molar directly above my back left has a filling. I think my lower back molar has shifted because of the flipper, and now those are the only 2 teeth that touch when I try to chew. I have to bend my jaw so far out of place to chew on my left side that I feel like I'm literally going to dislocate my jaw (not to mention that my jaw has been broken on that side as well).
The pain is very intense constantly, and I'm not eating enough. I'm getting really worried, I've paid out so much for all this work and missed so much work because of it. Is there ANYTHING I can do rather than extract my last molar on my bottom left side?? It's getting serious...I can't eat, can't sleep, and I can't work (I talk on the phone all day).
Hi Tom, Great info. Here is my story, 6months ago I chipped a filling while eating. Went to the dentist that day. He put in a knew filiing and sent me on my way. 2weeks later my tooth was killing me so I went back to dentist and he shaved it down. Samething a week later still had pain and he shaved it down again. The 1st time that he used the blue paper. A week later pain again and Dentist said I needed a root canal. Had root canal, about a month later I had posts put in. A week later, the pain came back so he took out posts, said the tooth was healthy enough for a permanent filling, so he put a temporary one in and said to come back in 3 months. After 3 months I returned for permanent filling. I got that. A week later right back to the pain. Now after all that he is recommending an extraction. Any advise? Thanks
I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I'll bookmark your blog and check again here regularly. I'm quite certain I will learn plenty of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
I have that going on in my tooth right now. Its it my right molar. I have not been able to eat on that side of my mouth, I have kept it quiet for half a year. Now that I decide to speak up my dentist is gone, great -_-. Hopefully your right about the dentist not charging to correct this.
I had a large filling w/cavity replaced on my upper left tooth (2nd one from the back) on Jan 18, 2012. She told me she had to come very close to the nerve when drilling, but not exposed. It was filled too high, so I went back 5 days later to have it filed down. She did this with no novacain, and it sent me into a major jaw pain. It's almost 2 weeks from the date of the original procedure, and I am still having pain in the tooth. It spreads to my jaw, sinuses, eyebrow on the left side of my face. I have been on ibuprofen when the pain gets too bad. It helps for a few hours, then comes back. I still cannot chew on that side and I'm very sensitive to cold and sugar. Not as much to hot- but a little. I had absolutely no pain before this was done and had no idea what I was in for after. What could be the problem? I'm not sure how much longer I should give this to feel better before going back again. I'm terrified of a root canal or losing my tooth. I'm only 39.
Hi Cheryl,
Your experience is similar to mine just a few posts above. My cavity was very deep, and they didn't numb it before shaving down the filling. This was my first filling (I'm 34) and didn't know what to expect. My dentist didn't do a very good job explaining what was going on. But at any rate, I had a similar reaction to you. It's been about 2 weeks since they adjusted the filling (5 weeks since the original filling), and I think my tooth is settling down. Biting down on things still bothers me, but it isn't as painful as it once was. Also, I'm still sensitive to cold, but it's not as bad as it was before. I'm going to give my tooth another week until I reschedule an appointment with my dentist. If I was in as much pain as you, I would go in immediately. Based on what I've read, I'm not too worried about a root canal. If you do need one, delaying it will only prolong the pain you're in. Good luck, and I hope you get better soon.
My freaking dentist left the filling too high on a back molar. I feel the filling. However she says I don't see the little paint left on the tooth so there isn't. Its a natural tooth hitting, she said. I'm all bs. Oh well she said there is no extra filling. Now I must find another dentist to shave off the filling. That is expensive because to get another dentist to do any work without bribing them thousands of dollars, is to get a dental examination. Then to do the procedure they might even charge up to $200 dollar just to remove part of the filling. My insurance just expired and I'm left with this awful filling.
The reason I think she didn't find the filling is because the paint was on the side of the tooth where it was supposed to be, but there is just too much of that hitting. I think she made the tooth too big.
One word. I'm not going back to that dentist.
Thank you so much for doing this blog. It's a great help! I've been reading through the posts but wasn't able to resolve my situation.
I had a root canal done on my bottom left along with 2 composite fillings. A couple weeks after my dentist went in on my right side and did 5 fillings and accidently did them as silver. I had told him they were supposed to be composte and he redid them a week later.
My jaw all of a sudden went crazy. I was in the worst pain, to the point of tears. He said my jaw had hyperextenulated as a result of so much dental work and gave me some steriods/pain meds with a schedule of how to take them. After taking the meds I felt so much better and after a week of being on them I felt fine after.
Once in awhile at night I'll wake up with jaw pain, so I'll talk an IBprofin and can go back to sleep as it kicks in. However, my issue is that now I've realized (it's been about a month after my last dental work) I can't chew on my right side. If anything is a little cold or hot the pain shoots up to my head. When I bite down, my bite doesn't seem off- the crown from the root canal on the left side feels slightly high but the pain from chewing and hot/cold is on the right.
Please help- and thank you for all you're doing.
I don't mean to jump in and act like I know anything because I really don't know much about dental stuff, but I was reading through this blog to see if I could resolve my own dental issues when I saw your post.
About two years ago I had a bad experience at the dentist where the dentist actually damaged the nerve in my jaw when he injected the numbing agent (I saw a physician who did some tests and determined it was nerve damage). He told me to take a sublingual vitamin B12 every day for about a year because it takes a while to fully absorb into the body so I did as he instructed and after 6 months I completely stopped having pain on that side of my mouth, but I continued taking it for the remainder of the year to be on the safe side.
So if you dentist says the issue is nerve damage I would really recommend the sublingual B12 vitamin regimen because b12 is excellent for helping nerves function properly.
Back in November of 2011 I had some older fillings redone because in 2 there was further decay and the other one was just really old. The first teeth I had done were two on the top right hand side, the 2nd and 3rd tooth from the back. Everything seemed fine. Then, a few weeks later I had a large, deep filling done on the bottom right hand side, 3rd tooth from the back. The dentist warned she may have to do a root canal if the cavity was too deep. Well, it ended up not being that deep. Since then I have had pain and hot and cold sensitivity on and off. Lately, I wake up in the middle of the night with throbbing pain and in the past I have just been waking up with pain in the morning The weird thing is that sometimes the top teeth that were filled also seem to hurt too. They are all silver fillings. We have since moved out of state and I will be seeing a new dentist in 2 weeks but want to get some input. I am thinking it could be one of the following:
1. I am a teeth clencher while I sleep and have been more than normally stressed lately (which, ironically, has been about the time I've been having the tooth pain) so I am wondering if the clenching on the fillings is causing stress on all teeth that had fillings. Could it possibly be from shock of the silver fillings rubbing together?
2. Could my bite be off? When I bite down, the area that was filled it the first point of impact.
3. Should I have had a root canal on the bottom tooth that ended up being a large and deep filling?
Like I mentioned, the pain and sensitivity is really sporadic and has been less bothersome than more so; that's the reason I have dealt with it since November.
A few months ago I had an old silver filling replaced with a composite filling. Shortly after that whenever I chewed something crunchy I would feel a stab of pain. I went back twice and he shaved some of the filling off but that has not worked. Mind you, it only hurts if it is crunchy food.
He claims that I need a crown instead. I am a bit skeptical since he is a new dentist for me. Any ideas or feedback on this.
Over the course of the last couple years I have had several fillings. About 2 months ago I had my last cavity filled and the dentist said it was a pretty bad cavity, but not as bad as some of the other ones. My mouth has been in constant pain ever since I got it filled. I went back to the dentist once because I thought maybe it was a high filling and she worked on it some more and told me to see what happens in a couple weeks. It's been almost a month and I am still in severe pain--(from a cavity that never caused me any pain at all mind you). Also, its really odd, but I've noticed that when I bite down and release, the filling feels like it "pops". I can sit there with my tongue or finger and wiggle the filling and make it do this weird pop, of course I don't do that often, just initially when I noticed it. I asked my dentist about it when I had her check for the high filling and she said it should go away in a couple weeks as well, but it hasn't. I asked her if maybe there was an air gap or something and she said there wasn't. It really worries me because I don't want food and bacteria growing under the filling. I don't know what to do but I feel like my intense pain is related to the filling wiggling. Also, if this filling is indeed still too high, would it explain the pain I am feeling from the tooth directly above it, which also has a filling?
Thank you
Exactly one week ago I got 2 composite fillings. 1 on the each side of my mouth towards the back. My cavities were small and the dentist did not numb my mouth.
One filling just started to hurt today when I was biting down all of a sudden. It was a sharp pain. Once in a while all of a sudden it will start to hurt but only when I bite down.
When I had them filled the dentist never asked me to bite down on any paper. Or ask me if it's too high or anything. Is there a chance that the filling could be too high or maybe since it's only been a week since the filling that my mouth is just getting used to it? Is 1 week too early too think there might be a problem or should I try to schedule an appointment with my dentist now?
Thanks so much.
I have been having nagging, dull pain quite consistently. Had gone to an assembly line dentist office a month ago or two ago. Their poor x-rays did not show anything. At that time it was occasional pain.
Today I went to a good dentist with digital x-rays, and he surmised that I may have a reversible or irreversible problem. He called it abcess, and another (kind've a hygienist) referred to it as pulpitis.
Though I do not have heat/cold sensitivy, could it still be pulpitis?
Dentist says if it doesn't go away (he smoothed a high area on molar) he will have to do a root canal, which I do not like.
Do you recommend supplements for swelling and inflammation?
Hi, I had a root canal done and then a porcelain crown on a molar. It has been two weeks today and i have had mild tenderness. not necessarily when I eat, but just as I proceed through my day, alittle tingling like its an alive nerve and its off and on throughout the day. I did chew on it within 24 hours of placing the crown-hard food- and because it was a broken tooth for 4-6 years prior, I have not routinely chewed at all on that side of my gum. Is it just healing? I am asking as I just moved 5 hours away from my dentist and cannot afford to spend the money here. How long should I wait to be seen and is it possible it is just healing from the trauma? Thanks!
hi i had my cavities filled a week and two weeks ago...i had 8 cavities, so i had to get 2 appointments. My dentist said it was as bad as they could get and i might need a root canal. My teeth have been hurting like crazy, they even woke me up at night couple times. Also, i been really sick lately, like i get sick, i am better the next day and then sick again...could this be high feeling or do i need a root canal?
Thx for your help!!
I had this happen to me once as a child. It can be extremely painful if left alone. I agree with Tom and think that if you experience pain 2 weeks after seeing the dentist (for any issue) you should consider scheduling another appointment.
I really don't know what I have. It's been almost a month since my dentist put a permanent crown on my back molar on the left side. two weeks later I star feeling pressure on my teeth on the left side. it began with the front teeth, then the upper teeth, then moving to the back (the pain) on my left side. the pain gets really bad that my left side of my tongue the upper palette and under my tongue hurts bad. also the pain goes under jaw all the way back to my ear, all this only on my left side. My dentist thought that might have a sinus problem. Usually the pain starts really bad at night, during the day i barely have pain. I went to my doctor and he said that I might have a neuralgia on the nerve of my face. He prescribed steroids and painkiller. I took the steroids for 6 days as prescribed but two days before finishing the treatment the pain came back and it kind of change. the way it change was that my upper teeth got very sensitive and the pain got all the way to the side of my eye, not my eye, but probably an inch away of my eye, on my left side, it was very constant. the doctor then prescribed methocarbamol, ibuprofen and amoxicillin, just in case. no more steroids. So I've been taking these 3 every 8 hrs. Yesterday the pain started around 10:20pm it was mild but it got stronger around 11. I took my pills before going to sleep. the pain woke me up around 2:00 am I took 2 advil pms. then woke up again before 4am. by this time i knew i had taken enough ibuprofen. i did not want to take more so i just stood there sitting down on my bed. the pain was the teeth again, not sensitivity but pressure both on my upper and lower teeth ( left side) i felt as if i had nerve cramps on the left side of my neck, under my jaw and tongue. i tried stretching my neck and i tried so hard to relax my muscles until i felt the pain slowly going away. then i lay down and fell as sleep. when i get the pain i can't lay down unless the pain is gone. this morning when i got up. about 5 min after getting up the pain came back and i took my 3 pills. I don't know what to do anymore. my doctor send me to do some x rays but he said that they came back fine, nothing wrong. What do you think? could it be my crown, my sinuses or the neuralgia on the nerve? please help.
I really don't know what I have. It's been almost a month since my dentist put a permanent crown on my back molar on the left side. two weeks later I star feeling pressure on my teeth on the left side. it began with the front teeth, then the upper teeth, then moving to the back (the pain) on my left side. the pain gets really bad that my left side of my tongue the upper palette and under my tongue hurts bad. also the pain goes under jaw all the way back to my ear, all this only on my left side. My dentist thought that might have a sinus problem. Usually the pain starts really bad at night, during the day i barely have pain. I went to my doctor and he said that I might have a neuralgia on the nerve of my face. He prescribed steroids and painkiller. I took the steroids for 6 days as prescribed but two days before finishing the treatment the pain came back and it kind of change. the way it change was that my upper teeth got very sensitive and the pain got all the way to the side of my eye, not my eye, but probably an inch away of my eye, on my left side, it was very constant. the doctor then prescribed methocarbamol, ibuprofen and amoxicillin, just in case. no more steroids. So I've been taking these 3 every 8 hrs. Yesterday the pain started around 10:20pm it was mild but it got stronger around 11. I took my pills before going to sleep. the pain woke me up around 2:00 am I took 2 advil pms. then woke up again before 4am. by this time i knew i had taken enough ibuprofen. i did not want to take more so i just stood there sitting down on my bed. the pain was the teeth again, not sensitivity but pressure both on my upper and lower teeth ( left side) i felt as if i had nerve cramps on the left side of my neck, under my jaw and tongue. i tried stretching my neck and i tried so hard to relax my muscles until i felt the pain slowly going away. then i lay down and fell as sleep. when i get the pain i can't lay down unless the pain is gone. this morning when i got up. about 5 min after getting up the pain came back and i took my 3 pills. I don't know what to do anymore. my doctor send me to do some x rays but he said that they came back fine, nothing wrong. What do you think? could it be my crown, my sinuses or the neuralgia on the nerve? please help.
I had a high filling in a 2 teeth that were done at the same time and had to go in repeatedly to have them sanded down. Now it has been a few weeks and I still feel very sensitive to hot and cold as well as a dull throbbing in my upper tooth. The pain of biting into food is gone. Do you think the dentist sanded too much away and the filling needs replacement? I am feeling discouraged.
Hi Milly.
Has your sensitivity improved? I too am also worried that my dentist sanded down too much of my filling because the tooth is not very sensitive to hot and cold. I also felt a bolt of pain at the end of the filing which make me more worried she filed down too close.
Hello, I am hoping you can help me wih some advice. Two weeks ago I had 3 amalgam fillings replaced with composite fillings. The procedure went well and I had virtually zero pain afterwards. The dentist checked my bite and had to do some amount of filing to get it to feel right. I left the office and the numbness eventually wore off and I felt that the bite may still be a little high. Not a hundred percent sure, I thought I'd wait a day or two to see how it felt. The very next day it was perfect. I had no feeling that it was high and no pain. Now two weeks later I ate some almonds and felt a touch of pain. It is nothing excruciating by any means, but is noticeable now when I chew. My concern is not so much the pain as they did tell me at the dentists office that I could have pain and sensitivity for up to a few months. My concern is that when I floss I can see a tiny bluish grey like speck on the tooth near where it hurts to chew ( although they are all close together so it's hard to tell for sure). My question is what is the blue pinhead sized spot on the tooth? Did my dentist leave some of the amalgam in there and not notice? Is this someplace she missed filling and my tooth is already decaying?? Or I did notice after the procedure there was tons of blue on my tongue and cheek and still on my teeth so is this the color of a bonding agent or glue? I am so confused and why the sudden pain when I had none at first? I have an appointment on Tuesday, but really shouldn't miss work unless this is serious. Can uou offer any insight about the spot And the sudden pain? Thank you for your time! I really appreciate it!!
Last year I got my first filling, during the drilling I was in severe pain and afterwards my dentist didn't even ask if it was too high with a piece of paper. For the first couple of months I could ease the pain with ibruproften because the pain actually led to headaches the same side as the tooth. The whole time it's been extremely painful, cold or hot drink/food cause pain and now it's so bad I fail to brush my teeth, lightly touch the tooth or rest my jaw, I have to keep it open because it hurts so much just to put my teeth down. I don't know what to do, I have a brown spot on my tooth and inflammation of my gum. Of course all the posts will say go back to the dentist but if just a filling has been this painful, what is a rootcanal or changing the filling going to be like? I'm in my late teens and still awaiting braces so in all honesty, I just want them to take the tooth out, but I want to be asleep- I'm not sure it that's possible but I need a lot of teeth taken out because they're overcrowded anyway. It's my upper second to back left molar.
I had a filling done 8 days ago with a high filling, I started experiencing pain 3 days later and do to an extremely ill child I was unable to get in to get it adjusted until 4 days after the original filling. I am in gawd awful pain... They did x rays to make sure it was not an abcess and told me it would subside after a few days. Nothing seems to help, orajel, advil, etc. I have been prescribed vicodin for pain relief, and it is not working. Hopefully soon this will pass.. thanks for the article!
I haven't been to the dentist since 2009 and I somewhat regret it, but glad that I made the choice to go back. I always feared going to the dentist because of all the devices they have and use.
Prior to going I did experience some pain in the tooth... and that was one of my main concerns and so I contacted my dentist and got an appointment.
Well, I got a filling when I went a few days ago. I thought the dentist would pull out the tooth since half of it was already gone and I believe part of my gum was exposed. The tooth was filled and compared to my other fillings, it had a white colored filling, my others were black.
After the filling was complete, I was asked to bite my teeth together and it felt fine....
Starting yesterday though, I began to have major pain in this tooth again, worse than before I went to get it filled. The pain would last for several minutes and would come randomly. It was even hard to fall asleep because the pain was such a bother. My dentist wasn't even there today so I was just checked by another guy there. He checked my teeth and didn't mention anything about a high filling but he mentioned that the tooth needs to be pulled out and that it may be infected. He put me on antibiotics but the pain persists.
It's becoming such a bother for me that I can't even eat or drink without it effecting me. It is to the point where I possibly can't do daily routines. My appt isn't even until next week but I hope I can get an appt tomorrow or by the end of the week because this pain is getting worse.
I just have a few questions
1. Should the tooth have been pulled in the first place?
2. Is this tooth possibly a high filling?
3. Could it be a root canal?
Thanks so much for all the help. This website is awe-some and I see that tooth pain from fillings is very common.
Hi! Thanks for keeping this blog! It is very informative.
I recently had two old silver fillings in my back molars filled with white composites about 3 weeks ago. They are both very large 3 surface fillings. I have been cautious about applying pressure to them lately, as one of them has been giving me slight pain/discomfort when applying pressure while chewing on food.
I have been told in the past that it sometimes takes a few weeks for white composite fillings to "settle" and not to be sensitive. The sensation as been lessening as time passes, but 3 weeks later it is not entirely gone...
I realize that the filling might be high, but it does not feel high at all. In fact, I initially thought it seemed low! So I didn't want to have the dentist shave down the filling for no reason...
Is it still possible that the filling can be too high, even though it does not feel high? Could this still be what is causing my sensitivity on pressure. Should I wait it out? Is there any risk in waiting?
Thanks so much!
I went to the dentist last week due to a leaky amalgam filling causing sensitivity. The dentist tested to see if it was the root but it wasn't then he did xrays. Said it was a leaky filling and needed it replaced. He replaced two fillings will white composite filling in my upper left (a premolar and molar). The bite was off and I went back the next day and he adjusted it but it pulled to the right. Then the next night I was in agony and called my dentist. He then adjusted my bite again. This time he took too much out.
During all this time I had been grinding and grinding my teeth so they hurt so much I just was in tears.
I found another dentist who added more and adjusted. It seems okay but my teeth still hurt. I hope that in one to two weeks this pain will subside or I will have to go back. I feel like it is still slightly uneven.
Do you think all the grinding over the past week has made the teeth ache. My teeth feel fine when I eat and not sensitive to hot and cold - they just ACHE when I close my mouth and my bottom teeth press with my top teeth.
Hi Tom,
I think it's awesome that you are taking your time
to answer our questions. There is clearly a
need for this sort of help and guidance. Thank you.
5 weeks ago, I had a deep filling replaced in my
last upper left molar. The tooth had been giving
me some bite-down pain in one part for awhile.
When the dentist drilled out the old composite,
he showed me a tiny spot of decay, that he also
drilled out. He saw a very short (lateral?) crack
too---at least he thought it may be. Anyway, he
refilled the tooth with composite over the 4 cusps, -
hoping to act like a crown. I gave it 4 weeks and
went back to him, cause I still get pain with chewing.
The tooth is not sensitive to hot and cold (only for about
a week, but no longer). And when I bite down, they
don't touch and there is no pain. Only when chewing.
So, I am in Australia and heading back to US in 3
weeks. I saw the dentist last week so he could assess.
He adjusted the bite a bit and said give it another week or so.
Well it's been over a week and I'll be seeing him again.
He is suggesting putting an orthodontic band around that molar,
with the thought that if it's cracked, than this will stop tooth
from flexing and therefore a crown will hopefully work.
He is conservative in his approach, which I appreciate.
So, it still hurts when I chew.
1) Should I have the band put on this week,
as I'm here for another 3 weeks and I still have
chewing pain?
2) could the band cause more damage to this
tooth or neighboring tooth?
Thanks for your help and time Tom, Kim.
Thanks Tom, I'll report back. Good luck on your finals.
You're going to make a great dentist. You'll make a difference...really.
Very cool in this one life we have.
Hi Tom-
I went to the dentist nearly 24 hours ago to fix what I learned is a high filing. This filing was a repair of a former filing. I have only had one cavity in my life and this is the one. The filing was repaired about 5-6 weeks ago. Three days ago, I had sharp shooting pain in one side of by face that went into my ear, my lower jaw and my chin. It was intermittent and so horribly painful that I could not tell if it was from a tooth or if I had a problem with my lower jaw. My dentist fixed me yesterday and alas, no more radiating zingers into my ear, lower jaw and chin. As of last night and continuing into day however, my repaired tooth is killing me to the bite and there is no possible way I can even eat on this side of my mouth. Now, my pain is such that the repaired tooth is in excruciating pain and my cheekbone on the same side of my face has a dull throb. Perhaps it's residual pain from yesterday's fix? Perhaps I need another shave on the bite? My question: given the new pain, do I wait a couple of days to see if it goes away? Or should I call my dentist right now because it's obvious that the filling is still high? My only hesitation is because I live far from my dentist and going back in and of itself is painful. I would like to avoid another trip if at all possible. Thanks for your help. -Christine
I had two fillings done today on the top right side of my mouth. On the way home I noticed that my teeth felt strange when I closed my jaw all the way. My tooth feels very different than it did before because it is hitting my bottom teeth, I cannot seem to close my jaw completely as I could before the fillings, and I feel like if I try to chew the filling will break off. When the filling hits my other teeth it hurts. The dentist did have me bite on the paper (about four different times) but never asked me how it felt when I did. I am afraid to chew at all because I feel that it will break or at least hurt a lot. What should I do?
I recently had a rather large cavity filled and was experiencing a LOT of pain when biting down and lots of temperature sensitivity shortly after. I went back to the dentist and got the tooth filed down twice (most recently 2 days ago). My tooth feels considerably better when I bite down now, but it is still extremely sensitive to temperature and I still get just a small amount of pain when I do bite down. I haven't tried eating hard foods or chewing on that side of my mouth yet. I'm not sure if I need to give it some time to heal or go back to see the dentist to have it filed down some more. I'd just like to eat and chew normally again!
Thank you for your help!
Has your sensitivity improved? I am experiencing the same problem. I keep reading how it can take one to two weeks if it is going to improve to get better but I am very worried because I experienced a sharp pain down the side of my jaw while my dentist was filing my molar. I am worried she filed too much and now I will have a sensitive tooth from here on out. Now that it is 20 days later, are you better?
Hi Tom,
I am 40 and just had my first cavity. I was told it was a small cavity and I went to have it filled last week. The cavity/filling is in my bottom, back molar. I was so numb when I left!!! I didn't notice any pain until two days later. It is a dull pain, except when I bite down, then it is sharp. I am upset because I never would have even known I had the cavity, it was so small and it didn't hurt, but they found it during a routine check up. (I'm glad they found it...really!!!) All weekend, I asked my husband if this pain was normal because I had no idea at all if I was just being a wimp!! Of course, my mom says to me "I hope you don't need a root canal" and now I am freaking out over it! I called the dentist and am heading back in a few days. I will be so upset if I need a root canal... I mean, I made it to the age of 40 without braces, cavities, or ANYTHING!!! Do you think it is just a high filling???
hi my dad had a couple of teeth filled four days ago and they are extremely sensitive to hot and cold, and have pain when chewing. when the dentist did the fillings she had to go very deep into the tooth and she also went into the gums (witch started to bleed alot and she used a tool that burnt some of the flesh to stop the bleeding) we would like to know if this is reason for serious concern or if it should be ok soon???
Hi Tom,
My dentist completed a replacement filling for me 11 days ago and I had to go back yesterday because the back left bottom molar was to high in the rear of the tooth. She filed the tooth down with the drill, had me bite down and I could tell it felt better. (I felt nothing) She went back to "polish" the tooth when I felt pain like a bolt shoot through the length of my left jaw. As a reflex, my hand shot up and touched her wrist while the drill was still in my mouth. Luckily I was able to stop myself before I grabbed her wrist but I still touched it, no damage to my mouth. She dentist left the room rather abruptly and her assistant began to apply a substance on the molar to "help with the sensitivity". Obviously she did not finish with the "polishing" since she left the room so quickly and I doubt I could have stand it with the pain still reverberating through my jaw. The chewing is better but I am not sure if the area is sore from the hitting for the past 11 days and that is causing my to feel like my bite is still off or if it is still off. I almost feel like the K-9 teeth area are not lined up when I close my mouth on the left side and there is a slight throbbing at the molar where she was drilling. I am completely terrified and worried about having to have the bite adjusted again for fear of pain and worried that I may not have enough of my molar left to adjust.
Does any of this sound normal? Was a nerve hit or a nerve feel the pressure of the drilling causing the lightning bolt of pain? I was experiencing sensitivity after the filling but it was beginning to subside prior to the filing. Now I have some mild sensitivity and mild throbbing.
I now have the answers to my problem. I went to another dentist for a second opinion about the sensitivity and what now feels like there is something stuck in the back of my molar and bothering my gum. I touched my tooth with a tarter pick at home and noticed the sensitive area is on my actual tooth and not the filling. A dentist has confirmed my dentist hit my tooth with her drill and that is what caused the bolt of pain down my jaw. I also have overhang/filling on the back of my molar which is touching my gum. He has suggested a crown which upsets me to no end as none of this had to be and my dentist I am positive, knew she hit my tooth when it happened. I have another appointment scheduled on Monday with my previous dentist for a third opinion.
I called my dentist office requesting a call from the dentist being that I can see where she drilled my tooth and not the filling before heading to my second opinion. Her assistant called back instead asking me to come in and when I pointed out that the doctor had to have know that she drilled my tooth as she was looking at it when it happened, I kept getting the running around and more request to come in immediately. I have three problems from this filling repairs. My bite is still off, my gum is irritated from the overhang, and I have expose dentin. Be very careful who you let work on your teeth. We only get one set to last us for the rest of our lives. If anyone is reading this, I will update what happens after next week's appointment.
It has now been a month in a half since my problems began. My temporary crown will be replaced for the permanent next week. Once the temporary crown was placed there was an 85% improvement with my mouth. The other teeth that were sore due to my bite being off are perfectly fine now, no sensitivity, and I can actually eat with both side of my mouth. I gained back the four pounds I lost from not being able to eat which I have to admit was the only good side effect of this experience, the weight loss.
The previous dentist claim she was using a rubber polisher when she returned to my mouth so now I know that she removed too much of the filling and exposed the drilled tooth surface under the filing. When the polisher returned to my mouth, it immediately touched the exposed dentin firing up that nerve. The filling, after that dreadful experience, was still too high in the back and the crater she left in the center of my tooth was so deep that it weakened the entire molar which is why that tooth could no longer support being used. The second dentist scraped off the overhang which was irritating my gum for over three weeks. Not as painful as the nerve shock but still unpleasant. Without knowing anything of the other dentist opinion, he also stated a crown was the only recourse.
If you have a good dentist, keep them. Even if the insurance does not cover that dentist, stay with them. I changed dentist because I changed jobs which changed insurance. This company only allowed for one dentist within a 60 mile radius. Because I changed dentist to have full coverage, I have lost a tooth and two months of my life trying to correct the mistake of this woman's poor work. Hopefully, next week, my mouth will finally return to normal.
The other day I had a filling done now when I eat it feels weird. Like an overbite on my left side. Is it a high filling? It's weird when I close my mouth and when I talk it sometimes taps against the top tooth
If your teeth are hitting when you bite down or feel off track, go back to the dentist for a check.
It took a whole year of me going back to get my right bite adjusted because of a high filling. Well, now that that's perfect, my left side hurts and there's a crown on that one where I've had a root canal 4 yrs ago. So, why would it hurt? I went to the dentist 4 days ago, and he shaved the crown some. It still hurts cause I chewed with it yesterday. I'm waiting 7 days like he said to see if the pain stops. I'm not going to chew on that side. Any idea why the other side now hurts and it's a crown with no nerves?
I just had a retreat of a root canal and made the mistake of eating on it after and biting down on it when it was still numb. Even though this was my 6th root canal, I forgot about what trauma occurs to the periodontal ligaments after all of the playing around with the tooth. It felt like it was on fire. I was told to start taking ibuprofen every 4-6 hours and the pain was gone after 2 days. Should of listened to my daughter since she works at a dental office.
I had two fillings about 5-6 weeks ago. Everytime I drink something cold / hot, eat something hot, or chew gum, they both hurt!!! My teeth had never bothered me before, neither have been sensitive to food's temperature. Could I possibly have an high filling? When I was chewing gum the other day, the pain I experienced was like when you bite on a piece of aluminum foil with a silver filling, not pleasant at all!
Hello Tom,
I would be very much grateful if you can reply me soon.
I got filling in my lower jaws right sided first molar. At the time of filling i felt comfortable when the doc shoved the high filling off. But the tooth used to ache when i ate bit hard stuff. The Pain was just a kind of mild shock so i avoided hard stuff for two weeks. After 2 weeks i tried a bit hard stuff and again the same ache occurred but this time the pain lasted for hours and now i feel persistent sensitivity(previously no sensitivity after filling) in that tooth and it pains while eating any hard stuff, even while chewing fruits. Is it still the case of high filling or do i need to go for root canal treatment. I see still i black spot in that teeth after filling. I don't want to go for any more dental treatment as i already had 2 root canals in left side with crown and 8 fillings total including this teeth. Also i am bit reluctant to see doc again. Is it good idea to get this teeth removed. But in this case i will be left with only 1 molar(wisdom tooth) only as i had already removed a broken molar from this side. I am sports person and and usually busy in my college life. So seeing doc regularly isn't possible for me neither suffering this pain. Since i am just 20 years old so will it be a good idea to get removed my molar. I heard that wisdom tooth can't be used for chewing. Please guide me man. I need urgent advise.
I had a small cavity and filling on the 22nd, a little over a week ago. I noticed on Sunday, tooth pain in that area, along with my jaw, and up towards my ear, also sensitive to hot and cold. I've been taking ibuprophen every day to decrease the pain. It hurts to open my mouth, eat crunchy foods, and I've only been eating on the opposite side as much as I can. I have an appointment scheduled but during my appointment when the dentist was trying to find the correct bite, it took about 20-30 minutes, shaved the filling down about 5 times to try to get it right. At first the filling was too high, now it seems as if it is too low. The dentist I saw was a new dentist on my insurance plan. However, I'm at the point now of seeing my old dentist and paying out of pocket as the comfort of knowing the old dentist can fix this is more reassuring. I've done research and still cannot tell if the filling came out, if it is an absess or if the bite is incorrect. I'm hoping the dentist will be able to spot the issue and resolve immediately. Thought I'd share my story with you, any advice please let me know.
I am sure your previous dentist would not charge you to check out what is going on and at least give you an opinion. I had to change dentist because of insurance and for that reason a tooth was ruined and my mouth/bite is still not right. What I learned was that you only have one set of teeth and it is not worth loosing them or developing a problem to save money using your insurance plan. If you feel you current dentist is inadequate, then seek a second opinion and/or go back to the dentist you trust.
*losing them
I have been suffering for the past 6+ weeks from pain in my jaw and face after I received two fillings. I went to see my dentist for my regular 6mo checkup on 7/18/12. I was informed that I had two cavities between my upper back molars that needed to be filled do I made an appt. for the following week. I had no pain or other symptoms at this time.
I went back on 7/18/12 to get the cavities filled. No complications during the procedure. However, I noticed that when the novacaine wore off my teeth were extremely sensitive to cold. This was not normal, so I called the dentist a few days later and he said it was common, to take some ibuprofen and call him back if I had any other problems.
Over the next week my jaw started to ache badly and I had to constantly take ibuprofen to help with the pain. My cheeks just hurt and were very sore. I was tired and didn't feel like doing anything, but had no pain with biting or eating. I called the Dr back on 7/27/12 and he told me to come in and would check my bite. So I did and he said my bite was fine. He said I had pulpits and that if it didn't go away hed have todo a root canal.
During the next week and a half the sensitivity to cold went away but my has continued to ache terribly. I was fatigued, Felt pressure in my face, roof of my mouth and nose and my bite was severely off. I felt as though I couldn't speak correctly and my mouth was popping.
I called the Dr again and he told me I was grinding my teeth which was causing my pain. I told him about the pain in my face and he dismissed it and only prescribed me an anti-inflammatory. After 3 days on this medication w zero improvement, I went to prompt care to see of ai had some sort of sinus infection because of the pain I was experiencing in my face. They didn't think do, but put me on an antibiotic to be safe.
I was at the end of my rope. I felt like hell, so I called the Dr back and asked to be seen again. Once there I asked him to please recheck my bite. The X-ray he did indicated no infection, so he went worth with checking my bite. He did a little adjusting and prior to that ai did not feel like I was biting on anything I shouldn't be. But after the adjustment I immediately felt something hard. Zi went home thinking it would just need adjusted again. I felt a tad better the next day so I knew what he had done was helpful, it just needed tweaking. I then went in the following day for a 2nd adjustment and did feel more relief, but still felt a hard bump.
So, I let a week go by with slight improvement, but still felt like something hard was where it shouldn't be. Zi went on a third time on 8/20/12 for a third adjustment. I felt so much better after this. My jaw pain was virtually gone and the pain in my face had disappeared. However, I still felt like ai was catching something when I would bite down.
I waited a week to see if my bite would adjust, but I still felt this bump. So ai called on 8/27/12 to be seen again. The Dr did a 4th adjustment, and now I don't feel the bump anymore. He told me after he did the adjustment that there were no markings on my filling, but on my tooth, so that's what he adjusted. I wish he would have told me that before he did so as now I am in pain again. My jaw is sore and my cheekbones hurt. I have to squeeze my jaw together on that side in order for my molars ymto touch and now it feels like there is more pressure on my teeth towards the front of my mouth.
I am worried he has taken out too much of the filling and now my tooth during the adjustments and hasn't shaped the fillings correctly. Is there any way to fix this? Can he add resin back in, harden it and then reshape it to fix my bite? I am seriously worried as I have been in pain for a long time and I can't take much more. Zi feel like he is irritated with me and tries to hurry through each adjustment. Should I seek a second opinion or make him fix the problem he's caused?
Sorry for such a long question. I need help. Please!
Hi There,
I went in for a toothache 2 weeks ok only to find out I needed about 6 fillings, 1 root canal and a deep cleaning of the gums and teeth.
Needless to say, I received half of the cleaning on the left side, got half of the root canal done which is also on the left side because when she was trying to extract the nerve, my sinus tore and had half of the fillings done. Went in 2 days later to have the right side fully cleaned, the rest of the fillings done and was told I had to wait 10 days to finish the root canal.
So, long story short. Left side root canal, right side fillings. One of the teeth they filled I believe was a replacement of an old filling that was rotting. Since they filled that tooth, I have had pain in it. The pain will go away and then as soon as I eat or take my tongue and press on it, I get a piercing, sharp pain just like I was getting with the root canal tooth. She has now adjusted the bite twice. The 1st time, it did feel better until I ate something and then it came back. The 2nd adjustment was done this morning and I ate a soft donut and sure enough, got the sharp, piercing pain again. After I get this pain, it lasts about an hour or so and then will go away and the only time it comes back is if I eat anything.
I am super frustrated as I went in for a toothache on the right side, was told I needed all of this other work done so I did it and now, a tooth that has never given me any problems is killing me and is more painful than the root canal tooth. Already up to $3000 and cannot afford to do a root canal or anything on this right tooth that now hurts. And because the root canal is on the left, I have nowhere I can eat in my mouth.
Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Tom.
I have experience itens pain in the left side of my face, jaw and teeth for 2 years now. I had all possible tets done. I saw 6 dentist(specialist) up to know. I had 2 teeth removed, I had 3 mouth operations on the left upper side of my jaw(cums) to get rid of an infection...... I constantly having pain. After bloodtest they come to a conclusion that the silwer fillings poisioned my body. So I immediatly start to remove it. i have done 5 now. But eversins the docter did the first 4 the pain is much more intense. I could ate on that side earlier, but now NOTHING. I went back and the dentist told me that the filling is to high and that the ligaments is heard. It is now 5 weeks later....... nothing has change. My cums and teeth are burning and the pain is unbearrable. The pain is not just in the teeth but also in my throat at the back. I cannot even touch my ear. My cums where my teeth used to be pain and burn the whole day!! It still feels as if I am biting on the left side first before my jaw close. It is as if my teeth at the back left side is always in the way.
I cannot bare this any longer, I need some advise.
Johanette (South-Africa)
I had three fillings (on the same day) more than five weeks ago (today is October 3). The Dentist looked sounded tired in the middle of the procedure (I could hear her yawning). While putting the final touches, the filling was too tight for her to floss the tooth that was just filled. She had to do some tool to loosen the fillings. I left home feeling uncomfortable. When I tried to floss my teeth, it gave me a great discomfort - it felt like scratching a metal with my finger nails. When I chew a gum, I get this unbearable pain. I called my Dentist and scheduled a visit. She said the fillings may be too tight. She loosened it and the discomfort was greatly reduced. But I still can't chew a Gum without suffering an execruating pain on that side of my teeth. I had feelings in the past with two other Dentists but never went back for a second visit due to problems related to the fillings. This time I am going back for the second time. What could have possibly gone wrong that causes such sharp pain? I appreciate your professional take on this.
Sinte (US)
Hi Tom,
I went to my dentist and had 2 fillings on Friday (4 days ago). However, a day later I found that while one of the fillings (bottom tooth) does not hurt at all, I am finding that the upper back filling gives me a short, sharp pain when eating. This filling initially felt strange on my tooth and the dentist polished it quite a bit at the time. It does not hurt when I bite down or drink/eat hot or cold drinks/food. From reading this post, I think it may be a high filling? Do you think this is fair to assume?
I have another dentist appointment in 2 weeks time, should I make an earlier appointment?
Could it be that it is not a high filling but just requires time to heal from the filling process? Or is the sharp pain when eating a sure sign of a high filling?
Thank you for your advice!
I had a filling a week ago and it was too high , when i would bite down it would hurt my bottom tooth. So I went back and the dentist filed it down for me but my bottom tooth still hurts when I chew on that side. Is it from the top filling hitting it when it was too high?
This was a very helpful subject, thank you for the information. I have had shooting pain when biting down on my new filling, after 2 weeks I was fearing that I needed a root canal. I called my dentist after reading this page and he said it was probably just a high filling since the cavity was not that deep. I have an appointment for tomorrow! Thank you!!!
Hi, I had two fillings done 2 weeks ago after an xray, one upper molar and one lower, they seem to have settled in quite well but the upper tooth next to the one that had the new filling, has an old filling and this has started to hurt when I bite on hard things - is this just because I had a deep filling next to it recently? Also, its the tooth above the bottom tooth that had a filling - could it be caused by the lower filling being too high? Making pain in the top tooth with the old filling - I have a massive phobia of the dentist and its really stressing me out that I would need a root canal or something!? It only hurts when I chew something reasonably hard, thanks in advance x
I went to my dentist got a cleaning, x-ray and had 2 filling needed. One close to a root canal, other very small. The severe one went fine. The small one I elected to have filled bc I had the money at the time. ($300) Both were same price. It was filled but my bite was nowhere near able to touch on that side. I was progressively had pain for about a week. I went back & a different detist at the practice did the paper test & said it was very high. She filed it & it touched. She said the pain would subside. It became horrible sensitivity, mainly cold. I went back a week later. She took x-rays & said although she saw nothing I prob needed a root canal. I said but this was a very small cavity that was optional to fill at that time. How could I need a root canal? She said sometimes teeth get hairline cracks when filling. (Root canal=$900 approx.) She gave me a flouride treatment & said it may help & gave me sensodyne & come back if pain/sensitivity persists.
Question: Could the high filling being pushed on by my teeth for the week have caused the crack? If so, would the flouride have helped? Also, I will end up paying $1200 for a tooth that was fine albeit for a surface cavity. They are charging me for the x-ray & flouride treatment. I do not feel I should have to pay bc it was given due to a problem caused by a procedure they performed. I am am scared to have them do the root canal as well. Help!
I got a filling in my molar and it was very sensitive to eating and brushing, so I went back and had it adjusted, she shaved it down a bit and then it felt better in terms of eating , but still when I brushed it hurt and I couldn't even touch the tooth with a toothbrush. So I went back again and it was readjusted again. However, it still hurts really bad when I touch it with a toothbrush or a finger. She said I might have to get a root canal if it's still hurting, I was wondering, is this normal? Could it take more than a few days to heal after the second adjustment? She told me 48-72 hours....
hi i had antibiotics 5 weeks ago for a gum infection and had an old leaky filling re-done, i have started having ear pain along with sinus pain and have been given more antibiotics for this, i am going back to the dentist this week as my filling feels to high and is hitting my lower teeth when i chew/ close my mouth, could this be causing the ear/ sinus pain ? any help would be greatly listened to! thanks Jo
I guess that I am experiencing this situation ... Actually i am not biting or chewing food in my left side .. it really painful when i try to eat in this side .. what sort of serious problems that might happen if i ignore my situation for long time .. I am trying to have an appointment as soos as possible .. but time is always against me ..
and by the way .. I had this pain since 6 months :(!
Firstly to say I am so happy to have found this site!
I had a filling in one of my top teeth nearly two weeks ago and on leaving, the dentist said to me to expect some sensitivity for about this amount of time. Well, these past few weeks have been awful! I haven't been able to eat at all on the left side of my mouth, chewing hard foods has become a nightmare as the pain that shoots through my tooth on contact with the food is unbearable! I didn't know what to do until l came across this site, but now I'm guessing that my filling must be 'too high'?! I'm going to call my dentist tomorrow but I'm just so worried. It's now got to the stage where I feel a sort of low throb permanently where the filling was put in and I just can't help thinking that something more than 'general sensitivity' must be happening here. Is this unreasonable?
I had a broken tooth crowned a few years ago on a Friday. The crown was left so high that I couldn't close my teeth together to eat anything for the whole weekend. By the Monday I was desperate and had the dentist reduce it, but three years later I'm still experiencing tooth pain, inflammation and swelling around that tooth. My theory is that it's still a fraction too high, despite passing the "paper" test. The pain doesn't feel like a toothache exactly, just pressure around the gumline, as though there is something jammed between the teeth and it throbs, particularly when I eat anything that requires a lot of chewing, like meat.
Hi 2 weeks ago I had my high filling filed down, I had been experiencing ear pain before this and my dentist said it should calm down, since then I am still having slight ear pain and my filling sometimes feels a bit high, my jaw also aches a little when I am outside in the cold(I work outside so this is a problem) I had a doctor look at my ear an check that there was no infection so should I go back to the dentist again the tooth I had refilled then filled down is a top molar that is deep filled and root canaled thanks inadvance x
I recently had a tooth insert. I have had sinus problems in the past resulting from an absessed tooth. Since my tooth insert tho, I have had sinus problems like I have never had before. Should I be concerned about the tooth insert? I went to the dentist and he said it was probably just a sinus infection. But this happens a couple times a month now. Is there a concern?
I had a filling placed on the right lower back tooth. After 3 days I started to feel pain like I couldn't chew and it became sensitive to cold and hot. I went back a week after having the filling put in and he barely shaved it and told me nothing is wrong and sent me on my way so still having the pain i became curious. aWhen I felt my tooth I felt it uneven and a sharp edge (which needed to be shaved) so I gave it some time and went back almost 3 weeks after my filling 2 weeks after going back the second time. They shaved it down alot and saw the problem. Now it feels like they shaved it down way to much and my mouth bite doesn't seem even. Helpppp what do I do and how do they fix it?? I feel like all I keep doing is going back for them t fix things
Oh I'm so glad I found this article! I was wondering what the heck was causing my tooth to hurt so bad. Here's the short version of what happened to me: I needed a root canal on a left bottom molar. While waiting a couple of weeks for the appointment, I was "favoring" that side of my mouth to avoid more pain and so was chewing my food with the teeth on the opposite side. Well, that way of chewing resulted in a collision between the tooth needing the root canal and the molar ABOVE it, which then became super tender! Fast forward...Had the root canal on the bottom left molar two weeks ago. Afterwards, had it filled by my regular dentist. Apparently there is something still funny about the tooth that had the work, my bite feels off (even though it was smoothed out and checked after the filling) and it is irritating the tender tooth above it, and that tenderness is getting worse! So now I know why, the ligament on that top molar is bruised or inflamed. It sounds like I need to go back to the dentist and get one last bite adjustment so that top tooth can stop being irritated and will finally give me some peace! Taking ibuprofen around the clock gets old! And boy do I know it when I am late for a dose! One thing I am wondering about: Does the inflammation need to subside first before doing a final bit adjustment? In other words, is the irritated tooth sitting funny in the socket because of the inflammation? Thank you so much for the helpful information.
Update: Well the pain on the top toothe got worse -- MUCH worse -- turned out it had become infected because it was cracked! Which apparently occured in the "collison" I described, above. Who knew. So, I had an emergency root canal and am on penicillin for the infection. Feeling MUCH better, although still a little pain and swelling but the infection is going away. And the tooth has settled back into its "normal" location and my bite is fine now!!!! So that's what was going on. A coincidence gone bad! Thank goodness for dental insurance and being able to get into the endodontist on my day off!
My filling is located on the # 5 right up on the gum line on the back side of the tooth. X-ray shows that the filling is touching the nerve. Is that to high? Two dentist (including the quack that done the filling) are saying root canal is my only option.
It was 6 days ago I had a crown (permanet) replaced on tooth 30 and a amalgam filling on both tooth 12 and 13 all at one visit. She had to use a matrix band for my fillings , i asked if one my walls blew out she said no i used it because they were close to each other the fillings.So I was kinda confused. And she wanted to make the crown snug so no food could get between because my first crown I had cracked the distal end of it where every time I ate I had to floss food out. And it was like this for year. It felt weird when she put new crown on and i figured it was because i had live with gap for almost a year some of my teeth shifted and i wasnt use to a contact point between 30 and 31 . When the numbing went away I had abnormal pain in 12 and 13 thought it was because I had never had a filling in the maxillary . It's been 6 days since the work was done and its really bothering me . It's mainly when I lay down to go to sleep tooth 28,29,30 and 12 , 13 have this aching pain. I guess during the day I don't relize the pain because I'm at work running around . I'm not sure what it could be . What do you think ?
A couple weeks after having 2 white fillings done between teeth (one on each side of my mouth) many of my teeth started to ache. I went to a different dentists' office and was told that the fillings were high. They told me they were going to file down the fillings. They ended up filing down 4 teeth (against my knowledge and without my permission). I have been told by a different dentist that they filed into the dentin of my teeth. I asked if some coating or sealant should be put on to protect the teeth. The dentist said no, and that hopefully the sensitivity will go down in time. It has been several weeks and the teeth are still very senistive. The dentist I went to also had to adjust my bite by slightly shaving down my molars, since the dentist left my teeth so only the molars touched which was causing huge jaw pain and head aches. My head feels better than before but I am still getting pain by my temples later in the day. Will I adjust to my new bite? My teeth are slightly shorter now causing my bite to be closer together. I think I am going to have to get my bite looked at as it feels uncomfortable and I have many sensitive teeth now. It has only been a week since the last procedure. Should I give it more time?
Thank you for your input!
Thought I would note, that although the pain in the tampered teeth is still present at times, it is much less severe than last week.
Thanks for any feedback you give.
Thought I would note, that although the pain in the 4 teeth is still present at times, it is much less severe than last week.
Thanks for any feedback you give.
I've had the same problem for the past 8 months now. Whenever I eat or drink something, I have to chew/drink on the left side of my mouth. If I eat something hard, like an almond or just some plain nuts and chew it on the side where my high filling is, I feel pain. My dentist keeps telling me to floss, floss, floss, which I've been doing every single day, but I feel like that's not enough.
I had a filling done 1 week ago, It was a pretty bill hole to fill.
I do not recall biting on any paper after, I was only asked to close my mouth, obviously being numb I didn't feel or know any different at the time.
As soon as the numbness wared away, I did feel different, like when I closed my mouth i was concious of the tooth, (probably now as I know the filling was high, so it was the first tooth to feel)
After a few days, it started to hurt, be sensitive to hot/cold, and throb like a headache, I thought it was me, and left it to settle. However affter a few more days I noticed this pink looking hole like thing on my filling, I thought I had a hole in the centre, the pain was so bad by this point, I phoned the dentist, who booked me in free of charge and said it was a high filling sore, not a hole, she g rinded it down, and it then fingers crossed a few hours later, still tender but Im no longer concious of the tooth, so I hope when the pain gets better it will be back to normal.
Not a nice experience, but dont be shy, go back to the dentist, most dentists will sort it free of charge within the early days, week or so.
Hi Tom,
I just returned from the dentist today after experiencing intense pain for the past 3 weeks. 3 weeks ago the dentist replaced and repaired fillings over a 2 hour appointment. I had a lot of pain, but due to the length of the appointment, I figured most of the pain was due to jaw trauma. The following week, the dentist was unavailable, but my pain continued. My GP was sure my pain was TMJ and jaw trauma and treated me as he could.
I went back today, because the inflammation and pain is only increasing and the dentist said the fillings were all high. The teeth do not hurt, I can barely open my jaw, and the pain is both upper and lower.
The dentist filed the fillings. With the amount of pain, the number of filings, it was very painful. My question is - because the problem when on for so long, will it take longer to heal?
I have recently gotten fillings and had to get my bite adjusted twice. I am still experiencing hot/cold (even room temp) sensitivity as well as extreme jaw pain. I has been almost a week since my last bite adjustment and unless I am taking ibuprofen every 3 hours because the pain is excruciating. Should I wait to contact my dentist, or go ahead and call him? I haven't been able to eat but a few solid meals in the past two weeks (since my original filling date) and I'm worried about dehydration because I can hardly even drink room temp (37C) water. :/
Hello there,
I had a filling done on my top wisdoom tooth on Wednesday and I've been experiencing discomfort in my mouth ever since.
When the anaesthetic wore off, I had a tingly sensation in the teeth near where the filling was done. This pain comes and goes, it isn't sore, it's just very uncomfortable. I went back to the dentist on Friday and they said it could be referred pain, cleaned me teeth where I was feeling the tingly sensation as there was tartar (even though I paid for a scale and polish on the Wednesday) and that definitely helped for a while.
My teeth have suddenly become very sensitive after this filling, I can't have a glass of cold water without being in pain. The filling feels a little bit high so I just wanted to ask if it is possible for a high filling to cause referred pain.
This was a new dentist I saw on Wednesday so once this is all fixed, I'm moving to a new practice. He started drilling on my tooth before the anaesthesia had even kicked in!
I just had a filling recently bout maybe 4 weeks agk and its feels uneven while biting down. I think its too high because at first I didnt want to get the needle so they did it the regular way and that way was much better. But it diesnt hurt when I push myfinger on it but when I eat
I CAN'T FLOSS my new fillings. I feels like I'm flossing with foil. I get awful goosebumps just thinking about it! I'm hoping that's also a result of a high filling? I scanned through many of these to see if others had issues flossing but didnt see anything. Not too much pain eating. Just flossing. I could possibly pass out from the shrilling pain. Ouch!
Hi Dr Tom,
I read through a lot of posts but couldn't find my exact situation so I'm really hoping I'll get a reply.
I had a high filling and went in this morning to have it adjusted. The dentist seemed to shave quite a bit off (and continued to shave the filling/tooth down even after I said the bite felt good). With that said, the back molar that he shaved down now feels good, BUT, a top tooth on my side near the front is now touching with a lower tooth when I bite. I have never felt these two side teeth come into contact before.
Could it be that too much was taken off of the back molar? This is how it feels. Is it still possible with a little time my bite will adjust? Or will the filling need to be built up in some way so that the front two teeth aren't touching? There isn't pain, but it is very annoying (and causing me to feel stressed over this) as I am constantly aware of these two side teeth now touching and hitting each other when I bite.
Is it possible that my dentist took off a bit too much? If so, how can this be resolved? Will the bite resolve itself? Or can composite be added to the filling to build it up a bit if it does not resolve?
Hoping you can help.
I would like to ask about two months aho i had a filling on my upper left tooth at the back the doctor said after two weeks the pain on biting will go away but i notice now the pain gets worst make my teet too sensitive to cold and hot and makes my jaw hurt so much when I bite on that side. Why is it that my jaw was painfull too is this part of the cause of my uneven tooth filling?
hello, i had a crown crack and 1/2 of it came off. i had it replaced. biting down there is no pain, but chewing there is pain. the dentist said it was high. i've been back to the dentist 2x. 1st time she had me tapping on the paper laying down. 2nd time i was sitting up while tapping. each time i go back i wait 7 days to eat on that side again, and test it. to let the ligaments rest. i'm at 7 days again, there is still pain when i chew on that side. this morning i called her and she said she feels the bite is corrected (remember each time back when she has checked the paper for the bite it has been off), and she recommends a root canal. i said i want her to check the bite with the tapping paper again. as each time (2x) the paper has shown that the bite is off. i think it is premature to say now i need a root canal. also, with the temporary crown which i had on a month i had no problems chewing at all. also drinking cold is painful. what should i do?
thank you.
What could happen if high filling is not treated , will pain go away on its own?
This has recently happened to me as well. I've gone in for one readjustment and it feels like I will have more to come thought the paint isn't as severe as it was before initial visit. My dentist was right on point. After leaving the initial appointment, I felt a like dancing.
Hi Tom! I just got two fillings in my front teeth, the one is not giving me issues but the other just feels like its to high up in my gums. Its doesn't really hurt its just uncomfortable. Could this be a high filling?
Is it normal for this to happen years after getting the crown?
I got the crown that is giving me issues at least 8 years ago.
Hi, I had a chipped filing that needed replacement. I didn't have any pain at that time. Once i had the filing done they grounded down the filing to adjust my bite and i went home. The next day I had pain, went back and they placed that blue sheet and realized they had to grind down more. The next day the pain did not go away when ever i chewed on my food? I made another appointment 3 days later and they grind down more. The dentist said it will be sensitive for a week. The pain was still there when I chewed? On my third appointment they decided to take any x-ray and said maybe there was a space she over-looked or something else? The x-ray showed nothing wrong?? The dentist this time added a little filing to any area that showed a small pin hole and added some (type of liquid that caused a burn sensation to my cums and tongue?) she said that liquid would help the sensitive tooth that I was feeling. Now I was told to go home and went 3 to 4 days and the pain would go away???She said...If it does not go away we would have to do a Root Canal?????? Five days later I still feel the pain on my first bite, and at times it goes away when i am in a chewing motion? In the middle of the night i wake up, the first thing I do is bite down hard and i feel a sharp pain with that tooth area...I than bite down hard again and the pain goes away????? What should I do?
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I had 2 fillings done today on both sides 1 upper rt, 1 lower left..I didnt bite down on the blue paper,my face was so numb my rt eye began to bother me while in the dentist, I didnt feel comfortable enough to leave..it felt like someone was holding my eye open, it hurt to close it..that was around 4pm, its now 10pm, my bottom lip ( a portion) overlaps the top lip my eye still feels wierd my face is swallon..my friend says it appears as if Ive had a stroke..Ive teeth pulled and filled before never has this happen ??????? Your thoughts
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I have just suffered the most horrendous pain ever due to a high spot after a crown was fitted. I left it three weeks thinking it was just the tooth settling. I went today had the tooth filed down and already it feels better.
Don't suffer like I did go get it checked x
I had a question,
What's the better option for me?
Root Canal Treatment?
Tooth Extraction?
My tooth has too much damage as I didn't bother getting my tooth refilled after the original filling came out.
I have two options, NHS is free so price Is not an issue
Hi Tom-
Not sure if you still respond to these comments, but if you do, I'd really appreciate it.
A little over a month ago, I got two fillings filled on my back left molars. Originally they were going to only fill one but during the filling process, they found another small cavity in between my two back teeth. Unfortunately because I have a smaller mouth and really groovy teeth, the process tool quite a long time and all I wanted to do was leave. However, once the anesthesia started to wear off, I felt a sharp point on my tooth, went back and got it sanded off. The next day, after the anesthesia fully wore off, there was definitely an extra ridge which I went back and got sanded off and my dentist said it was a mistake.
However, still to this day there is a very dull pain and sensitivity when I eat food, and after the filling, my tooth never fully felt normal. It still feels like there may be some extra filling on the front left corner. What's conserning me is the pain. The back of the tooth still feels a little sharp, making it hard to floss. I'm not a fan of the dentist and the thought of a root canal makes me sick to my stomach. What would you reccommend?
Thank you, Amy
Had my front tooth filled earlier this month and now all of a sudden it's so sore and feels like I've been punched. Please help dentist is closed.
I recently had a back molar filled, and it's a huge filling. I had it anded down twice afterwards, and there's no pain. However, everythign just seems sort of 'off', and my front two teeth hurt a little. I think I'm thrusting against them to compensate for something, but I can't tell. Any suggestion?
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