Pain after white fillings

Dr. Hall,
I saw another question about pain after having white fillings. My scenario sounds exactly like the one you outlined, where I wanted white fillings (after my wife had several at her dentist that looked great) and my dentist seemed reluctant. I had two done a week ago and have a constant aching on the side of the mouth where they were done.  The dentist warned me about the possibility of infection from saliva and seemed very reluctant when I said I wanted white fillings. The procedure was quite painful. Now I have this aching. Is it likely to clear up on it’s own? I am reluctant to call this dentist back. I am using Advil to help with the pain.
– Mark from Washington

Mark,
Thanks for a great illustration of something I try to teach our visitors — don’t try to push your dentist out of his or her comfort zone. When dentists know how to do these white fillings properly, they far prefer them to the old silver/mercury amalgam fillings. And when they are done right, there is no contamination from saliva.

We have a page on our web site devoted to the reasons for having pain after new white fillings.

If your dentist is reluctant to do a procedure that you want, in most cases it’s wise to back off.

I would recommend getting these fillings replaced by a dentist who knows how to do them right. If they were indeed contaminated during the bonding process, not only have you allowed bacteria to get in the little tubules of the dentin of your teeth, but the filling is not sealed against continual contamination. You may be able to get insurance coverage for this, but even if you can’t, I wouldn’t risk further harm to your teeth.
– Dr. Hall

Related links:
Tooth pain after filling
Silver fillings – many dentists call them silver fillings, but they have more mercury in them than silver. I like to call them amalgam fillings, which is the more correct term for a mixture of silver and mercury.
Find a cosmetic dentist.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

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