Oral Health›Dental visits and treatments

Pain After a Filling: What Is Normal and When to Go Back

Some sensitivity and soreness after a filling is common and usually settles. Here is what to expect as the numbness wears off, how long sensitivity can last, the signs that something is wrong, and what a dentist can do.

Updated September 2026·By the OHA editorial team·7 min read·How we write
Key takeaways
  • A filled tooth can be sensitive to hot, cold, sweet foods or biting for a while. It usually settles, but sources give different timescales, from a few days to 4 weeks.
  • Move carefully until the numbness wears off, so you do not bite or burn your lip. The injection site may be sore for a while.
  • Go back to your dentist if sensitivity is not settling or is getting worse, pain lingers after something hot or cold has gone, it hurts sharply to bite, or the filling breaks or falls out.
  • Swelling, a bad taste, a high temperature or intense pain can mean an infection (abscess), which needs an urgent dental appointment.
  • Trouble breathing, swallowing or speaking, or swelling around the eye or neck, needs emergency care.

healthdirect Australia describes a filling as usually a simple treatment, adding that it might make the tooth sensitive for a short time. For how fillings are done, see fillings and root canal treatment.

What is normal after a filling?

Numbness wearing off

The Better Health Channel (Victoria) says the tooth is numbed first with a local anaesthetic if needed: an injection that numbs the area while you stay awake. The NHS says possible side effects include soreness or minor bruising where the injection was given and a tingling or burning feeling as the anaesthetic wears off, and that these usually get better within minutes or hours. It advises moving carefully until the anaesthetic has fully worn off, because you may not notice if you injure yourself. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reminds parents to make sure a child does not bite or burn a numb lip.

Sensitivity

The Australian Dental Association calls this post-operative sensitivity: the tooth can be sensitive to hot or cold or when biting down. healthdirect lists sweet foods, hot or cold foods, and biting your teeth together as triggers. The American Association of Endodontists (AAE), the US body for specialists in the inside of teeth, explains that recent dental work may have inflamed the pulp, the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels, causing a temporary symptom.

A 2020 review in Australian Prescriber describes the difference between two kinds of pulp inflammation. Sensitivity or sharp pain to cold, heat or sweet things that lasts only seconds to minutes suggests reversible pulpitis, which should settle. If the inflammation progresses, the pulp may not be able to heal (irreversible pulpitis), and the pain tends to be dull or throbbing, harder to pin to one tooth and longer lasting.

How long should it last?

Sources give different timescales:

  • healthdirect says to see your dental professional again if the tooth is still sensitive after a few days.
  • The Australian Dental Association says the sensitivity usually goes away after a few days but can last 1 or 2 weeks, and to return if it does not go away or gets worse.
  • Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust says it should normally settle within a few weeks, and to contact the clinic if it has not settled within 4 weeks.
  • The AAE suggests waiting 2 to 4 weeks, and having the tooth checked if the pain persists or worsens.

Sensitivity that is getting worse, or turning into pain, is a reason to go back sooner (Australian Dental Association, AAE).

What can help while it settles?

  • Painkillers. For toothache, the NHS suggests ibuprofen or paracetamol, and says children under 16 should not take aspirin. A pharmacist can advise.
  • Go gently. The NHS suggests soft foods, avoiding chewing on the sore tooth, and avoiding foods that are sweet, very hot or very cold.
  • Keep cleaning. The NHS suggests a soft toothbrush around a sore tooth. Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust advises brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to look after fillings.
  • Sensitive-teeth toothpaste. For brief sensitivity to hot or cold, the AAE suggests a toothpaste made for sensitive teeth and a soft brush. The Australian Dental Association notes that these toothpastes will not help if decay is the cause. See tooth sensitivity.

With a temporary filling, the Oral Health Foundation advises avoiding chewing on that side for a few hours, and avoiding hard, sticky or chewy foods.

Signs that something is not right

Contact your dentist if you notice any of these:

  • Pain that lingers. The Australian Dental Association says pain that continues after the hot or cold thing has gone may be a sign of decay. The AAE says lingering pain, typically lasting more than 30 seconds, suggests the pulp has been irreversibly damaged, and to see a dentist as soon as possible.
  • Sharp pain when you bite. The AAE says this may be caused by decay, a loose filling or a crack in the tooth, or damage to the pulp, and should be checked by a dentist. See cracked tooth.
  • Pain from a deep filling. Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust explains that if the decay was very deep and close to the nerve, toothache may mean the tooth is no longer healthy and needs further treatment.
  • A broken or lost filling. The Better Health Channel says to see your dental practitioner as soon as possible if part of a filling breaks off or the whole filling falls out. The Oral Health Foundation says pharmacy temporary filling kits are only a short-term measure.
  • Pain that fades, then returns as a throbbing ache. The Australian Prescriber review explains that when an inflamed pulp dies, sensitivity to hot and cold may stop at first. Dull, throbbing pain can follow if the inside of the tooth becomes infected and the tissue around the root tip is inflamed, which can make the tooth hurt when bitten on or tapped.

Signs of infection

An infected tooth can form a dental abscess, a build-up of pus. The NHS lists intense toothache, sensitivity to hot or cold, a bad taste in your mouth, difficulty opening your mouth or chewing, redness, a swollen face or jaw, swollen glands in the neck and a high temperature. It needs urgent treatment by a dentist. See dental abscess and bad taste in the mouth.

What can a dentist do?

healthdirect says a dentist will examine your mouth, ask what makes the pain better or worse, and may take an X-ray. Options include:

  • Repairing or replacing the filling. The Australian Dental Association says that if sensitivity comes from decay or a filling that is breaking down, the sensitivity usually goes away once the tooth is fixed, but can get worse and turn into bad pain if it is left.
  • Root canal treatment if the pulp is irreversibly damaged or infected (AAE, healthdirect). Your dentist may refer you to an endodontist, a root canal specialist (AAE). See fillings and root canal treatment.
  • A crown, a cap over the whole tooth, or, if a tooth is badly infected, removal (healthdirect). See crowns and veneers.
  • Draining an abscess. The NHS says the dentist will drain the pus, and you may be given antibiotics.
When to see a dentist
  • Sensitivity is not settling, is getting worse or is turning into pain (Australian Dental Association, AAE).
  • Pain lasts more than 30 seconds after something hot or cold, or it hurts sharply to bite (AAE).
  • Toothache lasts more than 2 days or painkillers do not help (NHS, healthdirect).
  • The filling has cracked, chipped or fallen out (Better Health Channel).
  • Numbness or other side effects of the anaesthetic are not getting better: the NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111.
Get help urgently
  • Possible abscess (intense pain, swelling, a bad taste or a high temperature): in the UK, the NHS says ask for an urgent dentist appointment or get help from NHS 111, not a GP. In Australia, the healthdirect helpline (1800 022 222) can advise 24 hours a day.
  • UK: the NHS says call 999 or go to A&E if you are finding it hard to breathe, speak or swallow, have a swollen or painful eye or sudden problems with your eyesight, have a lot of swelling in your mouth, or are finding it hard to open your mouth. Do not drive yourself.
  • Australia: healthdirect says get emergency medical care if toothache or gum swelling causes problems breathing or speaking, or swelling around your eye or neck. It also notes that pain from the heart can sometimes feel like toothache: see jaw pain for heart attack warning signs.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for my tooth to hurt when I bite after a filling?

healthdirect and the Australian Dental Association both say a tooth can be sensitive when biting after a filling. healthdirect says to go back if it is still there after a few days. The AAE says sharp pain when biting can mean a loose filling, a crack or damage to the pulp.

Will I need root canal treatment?

Not necessarily. The AAE says pain lasting more than 30 seconds after something hot or cold suggests the pulp is irreversibly damaged and root canal treatment may be needed to save the tooth. Your dentist can check.

Should I ask for antibiotics?

healthdirect says antibiotics are usually not used for toothache unless there is a clear infection. The Australian Prescriber review says there is a lack of evidence that antibiotics ease the pain of irreversible pulpitis, and advises prompt dental treatment instead.

Sources

  1. Dental fillings, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  2. Toothache and gum swelling, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  3. Fillings, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  4. Sensitive teeth, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  5. Dental fillings, Better Health Channel (Victoria), accessed September 2026
  6. Dental fillings, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, accessed September 2026
  7. Stainless steel crowns (conventional technique): a parent's guide, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, accessed September 2026
  8. Local anaesthetic, NHS, accessed September 2026
  9. Toothache, NHS, accessed September 2026
  10. Dental abscess, NHS, accessed September 2026
  11. Temporary fillings, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  12. Tooth pain, American Association of Endodontists, accessed September 2026
  13. Management of dental pain in primary care, Timmerman A and Parashos P, Australian Prescriber, 2020, accessed September 2026

This article is general information about oral health. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a dentist or doctor who knows your situation. If you have pain, swelling, bleeding that does not settle, or a problem that is getting worse, see a dental professional. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service.

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