Will I experience sensitivity around the filling following the
procedure?
Tooth sensitivity following placement of a filling is fairly
common. A tooth may be sensitive to pressure, air, sweet foods, or
temperature. Usually, the sensitivity resolves on its own within a
few weeks. During this time, you should avoid those things that are
causing the sensitivity. Pain relievers are generally not
required.
Contact your dentist if the sensitivity does not subside within
2 to 4 weeks or if your tooth is extremely sensitive. He or she may
recommend you use a desensitizing toothpaste. Your dentist may
apply a desensitizing agent to the tooth or possibly suggest a root
canal procedure.
Rather than "sensitivity" around my new filling, I'd call
the sensation I feel "pain." What's the cause of this
pain?
There are several explanations for this pain, each resulting
from a different cause.
- Pain when you bite--With this type of pain, the pain
occurs when you bite down. The pain is noticed soon after the
anesthesia wears off and continues over time. In this case, the
filling is interfering with your bite. You will need to return to
your dentist and have the filling reshaped.
- Pain when your teeth touch--This is a very sharp pain that
occurs only when your teeth touch. The pain is likely caused by the
touching of two different metal surfaces (for example, the silver
amalgam in a newly filled tooth and a gold crown on another tooth
with which it comes into contact). This pain should resolve on its
own within a short period of time.
- "Toothache-type" pain--If the decay was very deep to the
pulp of the tooth, this "toothache" response may indicate this
tissue is no longer healthy. If this is the case, root canal
treatment will be required.
- Referred pain--With this type of pain, you experience pain
or sensitivity in other teeth besides the one that received the
filling. In this situation, there is likely nothing wrong with your
teeth. The filled tooth is simply passing along "pain signals"
it's receiving to other teeth. This pain should decrease on
its own over 1 to 2 weeks.
Is it possible to have an allergic reaction to amalgam?
It is possible, but fewer than 100 cases have ever been
reported, according to the American Dental Association. In these
rare circumstances, mercury or one of the metals used in an amalgam
restoration is thought to trigger the allergic response. Symptoms
of amalgam allergy are similar to those experienced in a typical
skin allergy and include skin rashes and itching. Patients who
suffer amalgam allergies typically have a medical or family history
of allergies to metals. Once an allergy is confirmed, another
restorative material can be used.