Sensitivity after a filling

What to know about post treatment sensitivity:

The vast majority of fillings completed have little to no post operative sensitivity

Fillings may be sensitive post treatment due to numerous reasons the most common are below:

1) The filling was deep and the nerve inside the tooth is affected

Typically Dr. Jeff will say when a filling is large or deep during the appt.  When this occurs the nerve is reversibly affected and we expect the nerve to settle down.  Sometimes this takes a few days and can take a few weeks.  This usually presents as hot and cold sensitivity that does not linger and possibly bite sensitivity

Sometimes the bite his high and a bite adjustment is necessary

2) The restoration is high in the bite

When Dr. Jeff says tap tap tap -- what he is doing is checking how your teeth occlude and specifically where you are biting on the new restoration

As you may be frozen (numb) from the anesthetic the bite may not be perfect.

This may cause the tooth to be sensitive to hot, cold and biting.  

Look at it as when biting hard on one tooth you are essentially bruising the tooth.

Typically the patient starts to feel sensitivity within the 1st 2-5 days after treatment

Treatment for this is checking the bite when you are not anesthetized.  We would adjust the bite and the sensitivity will dissipate in a few days

3) The tooth had a crack in it and we were restoring the tooth with a composite (white) filling

When restoring a cracked tooth with a composite filling we might see sensitivity post treatment due to the fact that the filling is pulling together 2 pieces of teeth on either side of the crack.

That sensitivity can be to hot, cold and or bite.

This sensitivity will take time to go away.

Sometimes a bite adjustment is necessary to have the fractured portion out of the bite

We are specifically looking if the pain or sensitivity is lingering -- lingering pain to cold or hot typically means that the nerve was affected irreversibly and the tooth may need further treatment like a root canal.

We are also looking if there is pain when releasing the bite, this may mean that the crack was not contained by the restoration and further treatment like a crown may be necessary.