Tooth pain after a filling: how long it can last, what is normal and when to go back to the dentist

Is it normal for a tooth to hurt after a filling?

Short-lived sensitivity after a filling is common and does not in itself mean that the treatment has failed. A tooth from which decay has been removed and a filling placed may for a while respond with pain to cold, sweet things or pressure, because preparing the cavity irritates the tooth tissues.

In a study of 292 composite fillings in back teeth (Briso et al., 2007), sensitivity after 24 hours affected 5% of single-surface fillings, 15% of two-surface fillings and 26% of three-surface fillings. The larger and more complex the filling, the more often the tooth was sensitive, and in all groups the symptoms eased over the following weeks.

A 2026 Cochrane review, which brought together studies comparing filling materials, reports that pain or discomfort after the procedure occurred in about 5% of patients after both amalgam and composite. The authors rate the certainty of these data as very low, but the order of magnitude is clear: symptoms after a filling are not rare.

How long can a tooth hurt after a filling?

Sensitivity after a filling usually eases within a few days and is gone within a few weeks. In the study by Briso et al., the proportion of sensitive teeth fell in all groups at each follow-up, 7, 30 and 90 days after the filling was placed.

A patient leaflet from the UK’s National Health Service (Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust) says that sensitivity after a filling should usually settle within a few weeks, and that if it is not easing within 4 weeks you should contact the practice. It is a practical limit worth remembering.

More important than the duration itself is the direction of change. Pain that is weaker from day to day and appears only after a trigger points to ordinary post-operative sensitivity. Pain that gets worse, starts appearing for no reason or wakes you at night is a signal to come in sooner, without waiting for the 4 weeks to pass.

Why does a tooth hurt after a filling, and how can you tell the cause?

Pain after a filling has several typical causes, and each gives itself away through a different kind of pain: post-operative sensitivity, a filling that is too high, pulp inflammation after a deep cavity, and a cracked tooth. A review by Liu et al. (2020) indicates that pain which stops as soon as the trigger is removed points to sensitivity, pain that persists after the trigger suggests pulp inflammation, and pain on biting may mean a cracked tooth wall.

The table puts these symptoms in order, but it does not replace an examination. A filling that is too high and a cracked tooth cause similar pain on biting, and only a dentist can tell them apart, by checking the bite, tapping the tooth and, if needed, taking an X-ray.

Tooth hurts when biting after a filling: is the filling too high?

Pain on biting in the first days after a filling may be because the new filling is slightly too high and the tooth takes the pressure first. Patients usually notice this only once the anaesthetic has worn off, because during the visit, with a numb lip and tongue, it is hard to judge how the teeth meet.

A filling that is too high is put right with a simple bite adjustment: the dentist uses articulating paper to check where the tooth makes contact too early and gently grinds away the excess material. There is no reason to put up with this kind of pain for weeks, because the cause is mechanical and easy to check.

A cracked tooth can cause similar pain on biting. If pain on biting does not ease after the bite has been adjusted, the dentist looks for another cause, including a cracked wall, and assesses whether the tooth needs a restoration that covers the cusps, for example an onlay or a crown.

Sensitivity after a filling: where does it come from and what helps?

Sensitivity after a filling is a short, sharp pain with cold, sweet things or air that stops when the trigger goes away. It is more common with large fillings: in the study by Briso et al., three-surface fillings caused it after the first day about five times as often as single-surface ones.

In studies, the type of material matters less than the size of the cavity. The 2026 Cochrane review reports that post-operative sensitivity hardly occurred after bulk-fill composites and after composites placed in layers, and that the rate of symptoms was similar for amalgam and composite.

Until the sensitivity passes, it helps to spare the tooth. If the sensitivity affects several teeth or exposed tooth necks rather than a fresh filling, the cause is usually different, and what to do about it is described in a separate article on sensitive teeth.

• For a few days, avoid very cold and very hot drinks and food, as well as sweet snacks.
• Chew hard foods on the other side for as long as the tooth reacts to pressure.
• Brush as usual, with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste; avoiding the sensitive tooth does not make the symptoms settle faster.
• If you need a painkiller, choose an over-the-counter product and follow the leaflet or a pharmacist’s advice.
• Note down when the tooth hurts, after what trigger and for how long, because a description like this helps the dentist a great deal in finding the cause.

When does pain after a filling mean pulp inflammation?

Pain after a filling may mean pulp inflammation when the cavity was deep and reached close to the nerve, and the pain, instead of easing, lingers long after a trigger, comes on by itself or wakes you at night. The pulp is the tissue with nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth; deep decay and its removal can irritate it.

The NHS leaflet for patients who have had fillings warns that if the decay was very deep and close to the nerve, toothache may mean that the tooth is no longer healthy and needs further treatment. In its 2019 position statement, the European Society of Endodontology (ESE) recommends managing deep decay in a way that, where possible, keeps the pulp alive.

When pulp inflammation does not settle, endodontic (root canal) treatment is usually needed, which removes the affected pulp and allows the tooth to be kept. Whether the pulp can still calm down is decided by the dentist after an examination and an X-ray, not by the description of the pain alone. Pain in a tooth that has already had root canal treatment is a different situation, described in the article on root canal retreatment.

When should you go back to the dentist after a filling, and where can you get help at night?

Go back to the dentist if pain after a filling gets worse instead of easing, appears without a trigger or at night, the tooth hurts every time you bite, or sensitivity lasts longer than 4 weeks. The list gathers the signs that are not worth waiting out.

A practice with a contract with the NFZ, Poland’s National Health Fund, helps a patient in pain on the day they come in, as laid down in § 6 of the regulation on guaranteed dental treatment services. At night, at weekends and on public holidays there is the NFZ emergency dental service: on working days from 19:00 to 7:00, and round the clock at weekends and on non-working days. The free NFZ helpline, 800 190 590, will tell you where the nearest point is.

• Pain that gets stronger, not weaker, from day to day.
• Pain that comes on by itself, throbs or wakes you at night.
• Pain on biting that does not go away.
• Sensitivity that lasts longer than 4 weeks.
• Swelling of the gum or face, an unpleasant taste or fever: then urgently, the same day.
• Swelling that makes breathing or swallowing difficult: the hospital emergency department (SOR) or 112.

How it works at DentalBlue

At DentalBlue in Białystok, pain after a filling is assessed by a dentist at a visit, and any X-rays needed are taken in the clinic’s own radiology unit. In the clinic’s price list, “Korekta wypełnienia” (filling adjustment) costs 100 zł, “Naprawa wypełnienia” (filling repair) 200 zł, and “Wizyta z bólem” (visit in pain), which includes a panoramic X-ray, consultation, examination and pain relief, 340 zł. The final scope and cost are set by the dentist, and prices may change. When root canal treatment is needed, the clinic carries it out under a microscope. The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00 and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 16:00.