Review and bite check
We ask exactly when and how it hurts, test the tooth with cold and with a bite stick, check the filling margins and, where indicated, take an X-ray. Most causes are identified in minutes.
About this treatmentDental condition · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Pain after a filling: what is normal, what is not, and when to come back
Some discomfort after a filling is expected. The tooth has been drilled, the nerve inside has been disturbed by vibration, heat and the chemicals in the materials, and the gum around it may have been nudged by the clamp and the matrix band. A sensitivity to cold that lasts a few seconds, a mild ache when the anaesthetic wears off and a tooth that feels slightly odd for a few days are all part of a normal recovery, and they fade over one to three weeks as the nerve calms. What should not happen is pain that gets worse rather than better, a sharp jolt every time you bite on the tooth, lingering pain after cold that goes on for a minute or more, or an ache that wakes you at night. Each of those has a specific cause and each is fixable, usually with something simple. The most common of all is a filling that stands a fraction too high, which takes a couple of minutes to correct. Our Wimpole Street dentists would far rather see you for a five-minute adjustment than have you tolerate a tooth that hurts.
Recognising it
How it usually feels
Brief sharp sensitivity to cold drinks or air
Normal in the early weeks; the nerve is irritated and settles as it recovers.
A jolt when you bite down on the tooth
Usually a filling sitting high, or a flexing composite; occasionally a crack.
Cold pain that lingers for a minute or more
Suggests the nerve is more inflamed than a normal recovery; needs assessment.
A dull ache that comes on without a trigger
Particularly at night or when lying down; the nerve may be struggling.
Soreness in the gum beside the filled tooth
From the clamp, the band or a rough edge; typically resolves in days.
Pain in a tooth other than the one filled
Referred pain is common; the filled tooth is not always the source.
Behind the symptoms
What's going on
- 01
A high spot on the filling
With the mouth numb it is hard to bite naturally, so the new surface can end up a fraction above the neighbours. That tooth then takes the first and heaviest contact on every closure, bruising the ligament around the root. It is the single most common reason for pain after a filling and is corrected by a few seconds of polishing.
- 02
Normal nerve irritation
Drilling generates heat and vibration, and bonding agents and acid etch are applied close to the nerve. The pulp responds with inflammation that produces cold sensitivity. In a healthy tooth this is self-limiting and improves steadily over two to three weeks.
- 03
A deep filling close to the nerve
When decay reached near the pulp, the remaining dentine is thin and the nerve may have already been inflamed by the decay itself. Some of these teeth recover; some progress to needing root canal treatment regardless of how well the filling was placed. We usually warn you at the time if a filling was deep.
- 04
Composite shrinkage and micro-gaps
White filling material contracts slightly as it sets. In a large filling this can pull at the tooth walls or leave a microscopic gap, so that biting flexes the filling and produces a sharp twinge. Replacing or re-bonding the filling usually resolves it.
- 05
A crack in the tooth
Heavily filled teeth are weaker, and a crack may have been present before the filling or opened afterwards. Pain when releasing the bite, especially on hard or fibrous foods, is the classic sign and it does not settle on its own.
Before your appointment
What you can do today
- Chew on the other side for the first few days and avoid very hot, very cold and hard foods while the nerve settles.
- Brush with a sensitive toothpaste and leave a smear on the tooth at night rather than rinsing it off.
- Take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen as directed on the pack if you can, since it targets the inflammation in the nerve as well as the pain.
- Test the bite gently: if the filled tooth clearly meets before the others, that is a high spot and it will not wear in on its own.
- Keep a simple note of whether the discomfort is improving, staying the same or worsening from week to week.
- Do not press on or repeatedly test a sore tooth; it prolongs the ligament irritation.
These are holding measures, not a substitute for an examination. Use any pain relief exactly as directed on the pack and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
In the chair
How we treat it at Wimpole Street
Bite adjustment
A high spot is marked with articulating paper and polished down until the tooth meets evenly. Relief is often immediate, with residual ligament soreness fading over a few days.
About this treatmentReplacing or re-bonding the filling
Where a gap or flexing is suspected, the filling is removed and replaced, sometimes with a lining under it to insulate the nerve, or a different material where the cavity is very large.
About this treatmentOnlay or crown
A tooth that is cracked, or one where a large filling keeps flexing, is strengthened by a bonded onlay or crown that holds the walls together and stops the pain on biting.
About this treatmentRoot canal treatment
If the nerve has become irreversibly inflamed, shown by lingering pain, spontaneous aching or a positive X-ray finding, root canal treatment removes it and resolves the pain while keeping the tooth.
About this treatmentFees
Costs to expect
If a filling placed at Wimpole Street is sore, the review and any bite adjustment are provided without charge in the weeks that follow. For a filling placed elsewhere, an examination with X-rays is expected to be £95, and an adjustment at that visit is normally included.
Replacing a filling is from £185. Where the tooth needs strengthening, an onlay or crown is £995. Root canal treatment, if the nerve has not survived, is around £695 for a front tooth or £895 for a molar, followed by a crown in most back teeth. We explain the likely sequence before starting so that you are not surprised by a second stage.
Figures are indicative prices for Wimpole Street and are confirmed in a written plan once a dentist has examined you. Fees match our South Kensington and St Paul's clinics.
Don't wait if
When to see a dentist
- Pain on biting that has not eased a week after the filling.
- Sensitivity that is getting worse rather than better.
- Cold pain that lingers for more than a minute after the trigger is gone.
- Aching that starts on its own, especially at night.
- Swelling in the gum, a bad taste or a tender lump near the tooth.
- A filling that feels rough, high or has a sharp edge catching your tongue or cheek.
FAQ
Common questions
Mild cold sensitivity and slight tenderness typically improve within a week or two and are gone within three or four. Deep fillings can take longer to settle fully. The trend matters more than the duration: discomfort that is steadily reducing is reassuring, while discomfort that plateaus or worsens should be reviewed.
Pain confined to biting points to a mechanical cause: a filling that is fractionally too high, a filling that flexes under load because it is not fully bonded, or a crack in the tooth. None of these settle on their own, but all are straightforward to diagnose, and a high spot in particular is fixed in moments.
Usually not. Most post-filling pain is either a normal recovering nerve or a bite issue. Root canal treatment becomes likely when there is lingering pain after cold, spontaneous aching, pain that wakes you, or when the filling was very deep and the nerve was already compromised by decay.
Yes, and it is a frequent source of confusion. Nerves from neighbouring teeth, and from upper and lower teeth on the same side, share pathways, so a problem in one tooth is often felt in another. Part of the review is confirming that the filled tooth is actually the culprit before treating it.
Marylebone, W1
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026
Leave your details and we will be in touch when the Marylebone diary opens. If the problem cannot wait, the same clinicians are already seeing patients in South Kensington and at St Paul's.
Related conditions
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
