Why does the tooth hurt after filling the canals

Rare people who care about their health go to a dentist for a routine examination. Therefore, they have to run to the doctor when caries has affected most of the dentin and the toothache becomes unbearable. Having visited the dentist, we hope that everything bad is behind and that after the medical help the tooth will not hurt. However, this is not always the case. Often, after the patient arrives home, the pain does not recede. In this case, it is very important to find out what kind of pain it is - a residual phenomenon after treatment or a complication in the form of a doctor’s mistake. In this article, we’ll talk about the phased filling of the tooth canals, pain that can occur for various reasons and ways to solve the existing problem.

Stages of dental filling

In order to understand where pain can come from when filling a tooth, you need to consider the treatment of caries in more detail.

1. First of all, the doctor conducts an examination, evaluates the condition of the tooth and draws up a treatment plan. In order to assess the scale of destruction, an x-ray is taken, on which a carious cavity is visible.
2. Before starting treatment, the patient is anesthetized. The type and amount of the drug depends on the individual characteristics of the patient.
3. Then the doctor proceeds to clean the tooth from the cavity. This is one of the most important stages of tooth treatment, since even a small piece of affected dentin left during treatment can lead to repeated inflammation.
4. In some cases, caries penetrates the tooth so deeply that it affects the nerve. Dental nerve inflammation is called pulpitis. With pulpitis, the doctor is forced to remove the diseased nerve. This is done using special tools. It is very important to remove all segments of the inflamed nerve.
5. Then the doctor takes another x-ray to check if there is any tooth decay in the tooth cavity.
6. After this, the cavity is carefully dried from saliva and treated with various antibacterial solutions. This is done to cleanse the canal of germs and bacteria that can cause inflammation under the seal.
7. Next, a seal is installed. This process is long and multi-layered. First, dentin is prepared for better adhesion of the composite material, then a phased filling is applied with intermediate fixation with ultraviolet. In some cases, with severe inflammation, a temporary filling is placed, no more than three weeks. But usually a permanent seal is installed, which lasts quite a long time - up to several decades. The upper part of the fillings is selected by color depending on the shade of the natural tooth.
8. The final stage is grinding the fillings to preserve the bite. This is very important, since an incorrect bite can exert pressure on adjacent teeth, a person will not be able to close his jaw and chew normally, which leads to serious discomfort.

So the standard tooth filling is carried out. Knowing all the stages of the treatment procedure, you can better understand what error can lead to pain after filling the tooth canal.

Why does a tooth hurt after filling?

Causes of toothache after canal filling

If the pain is not physiological, it is most likely a doctor’s mistake or a reaction to the material from which the seal is made. Let's try to consider in more detail - why the tooth hurts after the filling procedure.

1. One of the main causes of tooth pain is insufficient cleaning and removal of the carious cavity. If even microscopic remains of a tooth affected by caries remain in the canal, inflammation begins with a vengeance. The treatment in this case is quite long - you need to open the canal again, clean it again and seal it again.
2. Another reason that causes pain may be a cyst. If the treatment was wrong - that is, either the carious cavity was not cleaned enough, or it was not processed before the filling was installed, then a cyst may form near the tooth - a tissue bag with fluid or pus. In this case, tooth pain is usually accompanied by a general deterioration in the patient’s well-being - the patient feels weak, his temperature rises - both general and local, the gums turn red, swell.
3. In some cases, pain can occur when the teeth are clenched. This indicates insufficient polishing of the seal. When the patient clenches his teeth, a filling that is not fitted under his jaw puts pressure on the soft tissues of the dentin, which gives such painful sensations. If the tooth hurts only when it is compressed, then repeated treatment will not take much time - only high-quality grinding is required.
4. After treatment, the tooth may hurt if the inflamed nerve is not completely removed. The pain with residual pulpitis is quite acute, throbbing, worse when you touch the tooth. In this case, the treatment is also long - you will have to open the canal again, remove the filling and remove all the remnants of the inflamed nerve.
5. In some cases, the cause of pain in the tooth may be perforation of the dental canal. It happens that during the cleaning of dentin from the cavity in the wall of the tooth, a hole can be made. Often, the doctor does not notice this, because recently only automatic tools have been used. Subsequently, a filling is placed inside, which directly contacts the gingival mucosa from the inside. This leads to severe pain. The treatment is quite painstaking - the sealed canal is opened again, to remove the hole, the perforation is treated with a special glue that will not allow the filling material to come into contact with soft tissues.
6. Quite rarely, but such cases do occur, a foreign object remains in the dental canal, namely, part of the doctor’s small instrument. The pain in this case is not pronounced, but can gradually increase over time. In this case, it is necessary to open the canal, remove the foreign body and fill the tooth again.
7. The cause of pain after tooth filling may be an allergic reaction to the filling material itself or to anesthesia. If the reaction was to a drug for pain relief, the pain will gradually disappear, you just need to survive the situation. If the reaction arose on the paste for filling, then the material will have to be replaced, otherwise the inflammation will only intensify.

These are the main factors that can cause toothache after filling. But how to determine this cause? How to understand why a tooth hurts and what to do with it?

What to do if the tooth hurts after filling the canal

First, you need to understand that it is almost impossible to distinguish physiological and pathological pain from each other in the first days after treatment. You need to wait a few days, maybe the pain will subside. To moderate it, in the first days after treatment you need to drink painkillers - Analgin, Trimol, Pentalgin, Nurofen, Ketoprofen, etc. To relieve pain in the oral cavity, warm rinses with sea salt, baking soda, a decoction of chamomile and calendula will help. You can moisten a cotton swab in tincture of valerian or lemon balm and attach to the painful area. A piece of ice will help relieve inflammation from the gums. It is much more useful to freeze not just water, but a decoction of chamomile - it soothes and relieves swelling and inflammation. In case of severe pain, moisten the cotton with a solution of Lidocoin and apply to the painful area. If the pain is postoperative, it will disappear within 2-3 days.

The choice of a dentist is very important, because only an experienced and highly qualified specialist will help you get rid of the disease not only effectively, but also safely. Do not go to underground clinics of dubious quality, do not be seduced by suspiciously low prices. Be sure to ask your doctor about his qualifications, licenses for various types of treatment, the degree of professional skills, and his experience. In the end, you can use the word of mouth method - ask your friends if they have a trusted dentist who can solve your problems. After all, the recovery period largely depends on the skill of the dentist.

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