“Should your tooth hurt after a filling?”

It could. Probably best to call the office that did the filling and let them know you are concerned. Tooth may just need to settle down after being worked on, or the filling could be high and need adjusted. Or the filling may have been really deep and is going to need a root canal.

Simply put, no, a tooth should not hurt after a filling. But sometimes that is not the case. Your dentist should give you post operative expectations after the treatment. If a filling is large or close to the nerve, there could be some sensations (hot, cold or biting sensitivity) to be expected. All of these should go away and if they don’t, a follow-up is necessary.

Hope this helps,

Jossi Stokes, DDS

Yes. If the decay was deep, it can be sensitive to air and cold for the first 2-3 weeks and this will diminish as the pulp recedes from the deepest part and lays down reparative tooth structure in it’s wake. If it hurts to bite or after chewing, the filling may require a trim.

Dear Reader,

Generally, teeth don't hurt after having been filled. However, some do experience pain. Usually, it could be from a deep cavity near the pulp ("nerve") or the filling could be too high and is sore from biting on it. Depending upon the filling material used, some patients (like me) have tooth sensitivity to tooth colored filling material. It's not unusual for a tooth to be sensitive for 2 to 3 days after being filled. If it's painful, not just sensitive, and more than a couple of days, talk to your dentist so they can get you comfortable and pain free.

Hope this helps,

Steven Chamish, DDS, FAGD, FIOCI