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Tooth Becoming Painful or Sensitive After a Filling

Why Is My Tooth Sensitive After a Filling?

We all get cavities in our teeth. And when a cavity is small it can be repaired with a “filling”. But why is it that after a filling some people experience pain or sensitivity? Is sensitivity after getting a tooth filled normal? How long should the sensitivity last? These are some of the questions we’ll be answering. But first, we need to understand how teeth are built to better understand the cause of sensitivity.

Tooth – Anatomy

Teeth are not made up of bone (contrary to what some people believe). Here we don’t want to talk about the chemical make-up of the tooth. Rather, we want to look at the tooth and all of its layers.

Teeth have layer of enamel, dentin, pulp and root

Our teeth are covered on the outermost layer by enamel. Enamel is the hardest material in the human body. Plus it has no nerve endings. This means that if the enamel is damaged it will not cause any sensation. So a patient will not “feel” a cavity that is confined to the enamel. In a sense, the enamel works like body armor (for the tooth). And much like body armor, it can protect the tooth against a number of problems, But it does have its weaknesses. It can be penetrated slowly over time. To learn more about cavities, read our article Most Common Tooth Diseases.

Underneath the enamel layer is the “dentin”. Dentin is not as impervious and strong as the enamel. Plus, it serves as an open communication channel with the nerve deep inside. The innermost layer of the tooth which is the “pulp” houses the nerve and the bloody supply. When the cavity penetrates the enamel all the way and reaches the dentin, that’s when most people start having symptoms like sensitivity to cold or sweets.

Biology of Healing

Our body is great at healing and repairing itself, most of the time. This process always takes time though. Let’s look at when we accidentally scratch our skin or get a cut. It’s painful for sure. We have to clean it and put medication on it and perhaps even a bandaid. But after all of this, the site is still painful. And that’s expected because the wound needs time to heal. The same happens when a tooth has a filling. Even though the decay has been removed, the tooth needs time to completely heal.

Of course, there are times when the healing doesn’t progress as expected. And this can be due to a number of reasons. But you know things aren’t going well if your symptoms don’t get a little better every day. Or worse yet, they start getting worse. Here are some signs you shouldn’t ignore:

  • moderate to extreme temperature sensitivity
  • difficulty biting down or chewing on the tooth
  • gums feeling swollen and red where the filling was done
  • pain from the tooth or the jaw

If the nerve inside the tooth is damaged, then a root canal treatment can stop the pain. If the tooth is fractured, then a crown may be necessary. Our dentist is trained in properly diagnosing and treating these types of cases.

Sensitive Tooth? Give us a Call

If you have a sensitive tooth that just won’t go away, contact us now for an appointment.

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Most Common Teeth Diseases

Diseases of the Teeth

Diseases can affect any organ in our body. Our teeth are no exception. When it comes to teeth, we need to understand that the infection can spread across the surrounding structures and eventually impact other organs in our body. And since not all teeth diseases hurt, we may not even know that there is a problem. Let’s look at the most common tooth diseases.

Cavities – Tooth Decay

Almost everyone has had a cavity or more in their lifetime. And that is because we love sweets. Plus, we may not be the best when it comes to brushing and flossing. The bacteria causing tooth decay use the sweets and plaque as fuel. The more sweets we eat and the more plaque we leave on our teeth, the more active these bacteria become.Image of tooth with cavity in enamel layer depicting teeth disease
Enamel contains no nerve endings. The enamel layer is on average 2-3 mm thick. Since the decay eats at the enamel layer very slowly, it will be a while before you “feel” anything.

Once the tooth decay reaches the dentin junction, that’s when you start feeling like you have a cavity. Sensitivity and pain to sweets and cold are two common symptoms of a tooth cavity that has reached the dentin layer.Image of tooth with decay invading the enamel and dentin layers
The dentist can fix a cavity when it is small quite easily. However, delaying the treatment results in the cavity growing bigger. The reason is that the cavity doesn’t stop growing once it reaches the dentin. Tooth decay can extend into the nerve and the blood supply.

Abscessed Tooth – Infection in Blood

A tooth’s cavity grows at different rates depending on what the patient eats and their dental hygiene. The layer where the cavity is located also makes a difference in how rapidly the cavity gets bigger. A cavity in the enamel layer grows slower compared to dentin. And the reason is the chemical structure of enamel is more impervious to decay than dentin’s chemical makeup.

Image of tooth decay and cavity extending into the pulp layer of the toothOnce the decay reaches the nerve, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream causing an infection. A tooth that has nerve damage becomes sensitive to heat. As the nerve damage progresses, the tooth starts throbbing and even causes sleeping problems. Pain while chewing is also common at this stage.

 

Image of tooth with decay and bacteria in pulp invading the bloodstreamWhen bacteria enter our bloodstream, it leads to the development of an infection. We first develop a localized fever, redness, inflammation, and aches. If left untreated, the swelling will keep growing.

Sometimes this swelling gets so severe that it causes breathing difficulties by placing pressure against the airway. And as the number of bacteria increase, our body enters a state of septic shock. At this stage, we have a real medical emergency. Compromised airways or infected blood don’t go away with aspirin or a filling.

Image of tooth decay causing a dental abscess

Tooth cavities and decay attack the tooth itself. Other tooth diseases affect the supporting structures of the tooth.

Gingivitis – Gum Disease

The teeth and the jaw bone are not fused. Instead, teeth are attached to the jaw bone by a thin layer of connective tissue. A cavity attacks the tooth structure. In contrast, gum disease attacks this connective tissue, not the tooth itself.

In tooth decay, the bacteria release acids that destroy the enamel and cause the cavity to form. Whereas in gum disease, the bacteria cause our body to initiate a defensive immune response, which results in damage to the gums and the connective tissue.picture of gums with gingivitis making the gums look puffy and bloated
The disease of the tooth’s supporting structures eventually leads to the loss of the tooth. You can think of gum disease as soil erosion around a tree. When the soil decline gets severe enough, the tree falls. And much like the tree example, this damage doesn’t happen overnight. Learning how to clean the teeth properly is the best defense against gum disease.

Periodontal Disease – Infected Gums –  Gum Abscess

Periodontal disease results from untreated gingivitis. And what separates the two is the damage to the foundation of the tooth. With gingivitis, the damage is only to the gum tissue around the tooth. With periodontitis, the damage extends further into the bone and down to the connective tissue. Teeth look longer as the gums pull away. Gums bleed and are generally tender. Some teeth will become noticeably looser. And there will come a time when the teeth are so wiggly that nothing can save them.

Picture of patient with advanced periodontitis and gum abscess and infectionGum abscess can occur during periodontitis. What happens is that the infection and pus keep building up underneath the gums. Since the pus is growing in a closed space and can’t drain away, the pus volume keeps increasing. The buildup of this infection causes the gums to bulge out as a result of the pressure.
Gum disease leads to tooth loss. The disease is also tied to other systemic ailments like heart disease, diabetes, and pregnancy complications. Gums disease starts with the formation of plaque on the teeth. When the patient doesn’t remove the plaque, the gums start getting out of control.

Impacted Teeth

Baby teeth erupt into the mouth in a specific sequence. They then are replaced by adult teeth over the years. The specific eruption pattern helps the jaw bones to grow and develop to their standard size. However, sometimes a baby’s tooth becomes so severely decayed that your dentist removes it. When that happens, the growth of the jaw is compromised. As is often the case, the neighboring teeth start collapsing into the newly vacated space. The dental collapse leads to a physical blockage to the eruption path of the adult teeth. Consequently, the adult tooth then becomes trapped or impacted. But this is not the only way teeth get impacted.
At times, the jaw doesn’t grow enough to accommodate all of the adult teeth. Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth that come into the mouth. As such, there may not be enough room left for them to come in straight. It is not uncommon to see the wisdom teeth tipping forward and jamming up against the front tooth. These teeth often cause pain and discomfort to the patient and need to be removed.

x-ray of jaw showing straight wisdom teethx-ray showing wisdom teeth are impacted on the bottom jaw

 

Missing Teeth

Picture of patient with congenitally missing lateral incisor toothOur genetic code is responsible for the creation of our organs, including our teeth. If the genes are missing or altered somehow, the teeth made by those genes will be affected. Sometimes teeth turn out misshapen, and at times the teeth are completely missing. Our upper front side teeth are typically the ones that are affected by this congenital condition. The missing teeth often impact the smile negatively.

Other Dental Diseases

There are many other diseases of the teeth. Here, we talked about some of the major ones. For more on common dental diseases, check out this cool article on WebMD.

Teeth Diseases – Multiple Solutions

The dentist can treat and correct the disease affecting the teeth in many ways. Tooth bondings, white fillings, root canal therapy, crowns, dental implants, and dental bridges are a few ways the dentist can help the patient. Our dentist, with over 20 years of experience, can treat all of these conditions. If you or a loved one is suffering from a tooth disease, contact us, and we’ll schedule a consultation with the doctor for you.

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Sensitive teeth to cold drinks or ice cream?

san marcos dentist performs white fillings
Cold sensitivity of the teeth can be due to small cavities by the gums.

Teeth Sensitive to Cold

Some people experience moderate even severe sensitivity from cold drinks or foods like ice cream or slushies. What causes this sensitivity and how can it be overcome? These are some of questions we’ll talk about here.

Sensitive Teeth – Common Causes

Cold sensitivity can be due to a number of reasons. If the tooth is chipped or if there is a cracked filling, the tooth can be cold sensitive. When the gums recede (or pull away), teeth oftentimes become cold sensitive.  Foods high in sugar or acidic foods deplete the teeth of their essential minerals and that can lead to cold sensitivity. These are some of the most common causes for this condition.

Your dentist through a dental exam and necessary pictures and X-rays can find the reason behind any tooth or part of your mouth that is cold sensitive.

Treatment – Cold Sensitive Teeth

Once the cause of the cold sensitivity is discovered, treatment can help relieve and reduce the sensitivity. Sometimes the result is apparent soon after treatment. For example, it a cracked filling is the culprit, once it’s repaired there should be no more sensitivity. Sometimes there maybe some time before you notice a major improvement. For example, if years of daily soda use have left the teeth sensitive to cold, daily home fluoride use can help reduce the symptoms slowly over time.

Sensitive Teeth – Our Body’s Defense

At the end of the day we need to listen to our body. When our teeth are sensitive they are telling us something is not right. Ignoring the sensitivity can lead to further more serious conditions. But if the symptoms are resolved quickly then our body’s defense mechanism worked and helped prevent further damage and disease.

If you have teeth that are temperature sensitive or sensitive for any reasons give us a call. If it has been a while since you saw a dentist, we can schedule you for a dental visit to help resolve the problem before it gets out of hand.