Is it normal to have pain after filling a cavity?

Written by Li Bao Hua

Dentistry

Updated on September 02, 2024

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Mild pain after filling a cavity is normal. This is often seen when glass ionomer materials are used for fillings. Glass ionomer materials expand in volume within 24 hours of mixing, which can stimulate the dental nerves and cause pain. However, the pain should gradually decrease or disappear after 24 hours. If there is severe pain after the filling, it may be due to the filling material being too high or the tooth decay being too deep, reaching the dental nerves and causing nerve pain. This situation is abnormal and requires root canal treatment.

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Written by Fang Xiao

Dentistry

1min 8sec

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How to treat tooth decay without a cavity?

Once a cavity forms, there is definitely a cavity hole. It might appear that there is no hole on the surface, but the texture has already softened, forming a cavity hole; it's just that it has not been discovered by oneself. It can be seen by a doctor using an examination and can also be detected by taking dental X-rays. At this point, one should follow the treatment principles for cavities, which involve removing the decayed and necrotic material inside the cavity and then filling it with filling material. If it is an interproximal cavity, the decay inside can be removed via an X-ray and then filled. Some occlusal pit and fissure caries, which are relatively shallow, can be treated with topical fluoride medication. For cavities, it is important to detect and treat them early. Regular oral hygiene should be maintained, with brushing in the morning and evening, and rinsing after meals. If a cavity is not treated in time, it will become deeper and ultimately turn into a residual root, which will need to be extracted.

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Written by Li Bao Hua

Dentistry

48sec

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Can a decayed tooth be extracted?

Whether a tooth with caries can be extracted depends on the extent of the decay. If the decay is shallow, it can be treated with a one-time filling. If the decay is deep, reaching the nerve, nerve-killing treatment is required, followed by anti-inflammation measures and, after inflammation control, root canal filling. In other words, teeth should be preserved through root canal treatment whenever possible and not extracted. If the caries has reached the deep layers of the tooth dentin, or is at risk of causing a perforation, such conditions are considered non-salvageable and the tooth should be promptly extracted. After extraction, timely dental prosthetics should be placed.

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Written by Fang Xiao

Dentistry

1min 13sec

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Do early-stage cavities need to be treated?

Cavities refer to the chronic, progressive destructive disease of the hard tissues of the teeth under the influence of plaque bacteria. For early-stage carious white spots, fluorides, fluoride toothpaste, or topical fluoride application can be used to halt the progression of cavities at that stage and prevent further development. Inactive caries can be effectively prevented and treated by brushing and rinsing. If not taken seriously, the cavity will continue to develop deeper, which can be classified into superficial, moderate, and deep caries. After the occurrence of cavities, patients may experience pain from thermal stimuli and pain from food impaction. When the stimuli are removed, the pain disappears. Cavities need treatment. If left untreated, they can lead to pulpitis, periapical periodontitis, and even result in tooth loss. Thus, early-stage caries should be adequately attended to, with an emphasis on early detection and treatment of cavities.

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Written by Fang Xiao

Dentistry

1min 17sec

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If the cavity doesn't hurt, does that mean it hasn't reached the nerve?

It is necessary to make judgments based on the patient's symptoms and examination results. Dental caries refers to the chronic, progressive, destructive disease occurring in the hard tissues of the teeth under the influence of various factors such as plaque bacteria. Whether dental caries is painless or has reached the nerve, the simplest clinical method is to judge based on the patient's symptoms, asking whether the patient experiences pain. In the early stages, there are only changes in the color and texture of the tooth, which do not cause pain. In the later stages of the disease, due to necrosis of the dental pulp, pain may not occur. At this time, diagnosis can be assisted by dental films; an X-ray can show the low-density shadow produced by the caries, and whether this low-density area significantly erodes into the dental pulp, which is also an auxiliary diagnostic method. Therefore, it is important to maintain oral hygiene, brush teeth morning and evening, and rinse mouth after meals.

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Written by Li Cui

Dentistry

1min 7sec

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Can tooth decay pain be relieved with Sichuan pepper?

If a patient has dental caries and is experiencing considerable pain, and there are no medications available nearby, they can temporarily use Sichuan peppercorns for pain relief. This is because certain components within Sichuan peppercorns can alleviate some of the pain, although they do not treat the dental caries directly. Thus, it is recommended that if a patient is suffering from toothache due to dental caries, they should seek timely treatment at a hospital. The specific treatment plan should be based on the extent of damage caused by the dental caries. If the damage is minor, the tooth generally does not require special treatment; however, if the dental caries are severe and have damaged the tooth structure, root, or even the dental nerves or gum tissue, it is advisable for the patient to consider tooth extraction followed by a dental restoration. The specific recommendations should still be based on a doctor’s diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan should be established.