Why You May Be Feeling Persistent Pain After Dental Filling

The discomfort associated with dental filling, and it shouldn't be intense pain, should wane after a few days. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case, and you may feel persistent pain several days after your treatment. Here are some possible reasons for this persistent pain:

The Filling Resulted in an Incorrect Bite

Sometimes, the material used for the filling may not be shaped or correctly sized. For example, some of your teeth cusps may end up being higher than others at the end of the treatment. If that is the case then you may end up with an incorrect bite just as you would have if your natural teeth weren't perfectly aligned or were of different sizes. This means your biting force won't be evenly distributed among all the teeth. The longer teeth (due to the filling) will experience more forces than the shorter ones, and this will cause pain.

The Filling Material Has Caused an Allergic Reaction

It is rare, but possible for dental fillings to cause allergic reactions. Examples of common dental filling materials include silver amalgam (silver and mercury), gold, porcelain, and zinc. Some people are allergic to some of these materials, such as the metals. Pain is likely to be one of the symptoms of your allergic reactions to the dental filling material.

Your Pulp Tissues Are Infected

There is also a chance that the pain you are feeling is related to an infection in your pulp tissues. This may be the case if the cavity that was filled was caused by a bacterial infection, and some of the bacteria had reached deep into the pulp (without producing any symptoms). Such bacterial remnants may flare up into full-fledged infections and cause intense pain later on when a dental filling has been put in place.

The Procedure Bruised Your Pulp Tissues

Lastly, you may also be feeling pain related to the bruises your pulp tissues sustained during the procedure. This is likely to be the case if you are still in the early days after your dental filling. The risk of this being the source of your pain is even higher if your pulp had been severely damaged by an infection prior to the procedure.

Hopefully, your dental treatment will be successful without any complications. Feeling dental pain days after getting a filling isn't normal. Don't hesitate to consult your dentist any time you feel that your discomfort should have disappeared, or if you are feeling pain. Contact a dentist like Edens Greg DMD for more information and assistance.