Not at all! You will feel no pain, as your dentist will numb the affected tooth and the gum surrounding it. In fact, a tooth filling will relieve pain, as it will seal away exposed nerve endings. 

Biting exerts a great deal of pressure on the teeth, so it can result in pain. When doing so, consider taking your time, trying not to bite all the way through, chewing slowly on the opposite side of the filling, as well as avoiding nuts, hard candy or ice.

– Inlays and onlays. They are stronger than fillings. Inlays sit inside the hole or the tooth, and onlays sit over the top of the tooth, building up its shape. They are forms of tooth decay treatment used when a tooth has too much damage for a filling but isn’t at the point where it requires a crown. These treatments require two visits: first, we will remove tooth decay and previous filling material, as well as making an impression of the area and placing a temporary filling to protect the area until your second visit. We will use the impression to create the inlay or onlay. On the second visit, we are to remove your temporary filling and cement the custom inlay or onlay onto your teeth.

– Dental crowns. They are caps placed on top of a damaged tooth, and they protect and restore the shape of your teeth when fillings can’t solve the problem. They can be made of porcelain, metals or ceramics.

– Root canals. They are dental procedures to treat infection at the centre of a tooth: they remove bacteria from the infected root canal and prevent possible reinfection. Your dentist will eliminate the infected pulp and clean the inside of your tooth; then they will fill it and seal it.

Soft foods are best when you just had a filling, so in order to reduce sensitivity and ensure it stays intact, foods that may help are mashed potatoes, dairy products, soups, pasta, or even smoothies.

If it’s a new filling, dark spots are usually rough spots picking up some stain from your diet and needs to be taken care of. If you notice that or any chipping or darkening beneath your older filling, schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible. For an old filling, these may indicate that it needs to be replaced due to wear and tear developed underneath your filling and needs to be polished at your dentist.

Sensitivity to heat or cold after a tooth filling is expected for a week or two, so your dentist will prescribe you some painkillers and maybe antibiotics to avoid infection. Ongoing pain after two weeks is rare, and should this occur, you should seek advice by calling us.

If you have early cavities that haven’t yet affected the dentine and are still in the enamel outer layers, they may be resealed by applying high fluoride paint, which encourages the tooth to add mineral content. If your diet includes a great deal of sugar or you don’t take very good care of your oral health, a cavity may form close to your tooth surface. This problem can be solved by improving your habits, and decay may stop. This is known as “arrested decay”. However, if your cavity has progressed into the dentine, it needs to be filled.