Sensitive white filling

[Jermaine]

Last month I went to see the dentist and had a white filling placed. However since then my tooth is quite sensitive to sweet, hot and cold food.

My dentist says there is nothing wrong with the tooth, that tooth sensitivity is not unusual following the placement of a white filling, and that it should eventually settle.

Should I be putting up with this pain. Is it really caused by the white filling or could there actually still be decay etc in my tooth? Pls advise.

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Hi

Thank you for your post. There can be many reasons for sensitivity after white filling placement and it usually settles down after a few weeks. If the tooth sensitivity has not settled after a few weeks, you need to have the tooth clinically and radiographically assessed.

Sometimes its possible to stop the tooth sensitivity by changing the filling to another filling type thats more insulating of the pulp. However there are occasions that deep white fillings cause irreversible inflammation of the pulp and in those situations, root canal treatment will be necessary.