Problems with Dental Fillings Tooth sensitivity following placement of a filling is fairly common. A tooth may be sensitive to pressure, air, sweet foods, or temperature. Usually, the sensitivity resolves on its own within a few weeks. During this time, avoid those things that are causing the sensitivity. Pain relievers are generally not required.

Contact your dentist if the sensitivity does not subside within two to four weeks or if your tooth is extremely sensitive. He or she may recommend you use a desensitizing toothpaste, may apply a desensitizing agent to the tooth, or possibly suggest a root canal procedure.

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Pain Around Fillings:

There are several explanations for pain around fillings, each resulting from a different cause.

1. Pain when you bite or touch you teeth together. This type of pain occurs when you bite down. The pain is noticed soon after the anesthesia wears off and continues over time. In this case, the filling is interfering with your bite. You will need to return to your dentist and have the filling reshaped. If the pain still continues, it may indicate a further problem that requires additional treatment such as a root canal.
2. Pain to hot or cold. This pain is a very sharp pain that occurs only when your teeth touch something hot or cold; the pain goes away in a few seconds when the hot or cold is removed. If this pain lingers on for a long time even after the hot or cold is removed, it may indicate irreversible damage to the nerve and you should contact your dentist.
3. "Toothache-type" constant throbbing pain. If the decay was very deep to the pulp of the tooth, this "toothache" response may indicate this tissue is no longer healthy. If this is the case, "root canal" treatment may be required.
4. Referred pain. This is pain or sensitivity in other teeth besides the one that received the filling. With this particular pain, there is likely nothing wrong with your teeth. The filled tooth is simply passing along "pain signals" it is receiving to other teeth. This pain should decrease on its own over one to two weeks.