Can Flossing Damage Fillings?

Flossing is one of the most crucial oral practices that everyone should do for proper oral hygiene to be attained. Flossing removes the food particles that stick between your teeth that your toothbrush bristles cannot reach.

However, there are concerns about flossing for people who have dental fillings. This is because the movement caused by flossing between teeth might dislodge or damage the filling.

This article will help you unfold this concern of whether flossing can damage fillings.

Why Do My Teeth Hurt After a Filling?

Mild discomfort or sensitivity after getting dental fillings is normal. This is because the dentist removes the decayed part of your tooth and fills the hole with the composite or porcelain material.

However, if the pain is severe and affects your daily routine, it would be best to look for a dentist who fixes dental fillings near you so that they can look at your teeth and find out the cause of the pain. Specific reasons can cause your teeth to hurt after a filling.

First, an allergic reaction can cause your teeth to hurt after a filling treatment. This has to do with the kind of material that the dentist used to make the filling. Most people have an allergic reaction to composite dental fillings.

Moreover, pulpitis can also lead to toothaches after a dental filling procedure. Pulpitis is where your tooth pulp becomes inflamed. The inflammation can lead to tooth sensitivity and severe pain.

In addition, pulpitis can be caused by a cavity not identified during the dental filling treatment as it was deep in the pulp layer.

This is why you should visit certified dentists like the ones in Great Lakes Dental Associates, as they will be able to take x-rays of your tooth and identify deep cavities.

Change in bite also causes pain in your teeth after a temporary tooth filling. This is because when the dentist installs the filling on your affected tooth, it can become taller than the other teeth, affecting your bite.

As a result, you can damage the filling when biting on hard foods causing pain in your teeth.

You can experience short-term sensitivity after getting a dental filling. This is because when the dentist removes the cavity from your teeth, the cavity can be deep inside your teeth, and the hole is covered with a filling.

The disadvantage of deep dental fillings is that they are close to the nerve endings, which can cause uncomfortable sensations and irritation.

Choose The Right Type of Floss

After a dental filling treatment, it is crucial to look for the right type of dental floss for your teeth. This is important as having suitable floss after a filling will prevent the floss from displacing the dental filling.

It would be best if you steered away from using dental flosses with wax. Whether it is dental tape or any other type of dental floss that has wax, it is recommended to avoid using waxed floss as they are thick, meaning the thick floss between teeth can damage or displace the filling.

Instead, go for thin dental flosses like the water flosser, which has been proven to be better than regular floss as it can also reduce plaque, gingival bleeding, and periodontitis.

Moreover, you can look for Superfloss from the nearby pharmacy, as the appliance is excellent for patients with dental appliances like bonded wire retainers, bridges, fillings, and traditional braces.

Why It Hurts to Floss Weeks After Filling Up

Pain after a dental filling procedure is normal and should clear out in a week or a few days. However, you can still experience pain after flossing, and you might wonder what’s causing the pain.

The first reason you feel pain after flossing is how you floss your teeth. This is one of the most common reasons you will feel pain after flossing with a dental filling. Therefore, you should look for a dental hygienist or a dentist so that they show you the correct way of flossing your teeth.

Gingivitis can also cause pain after flossing your teeth. If the dentist does not treat your gums when filling up the cavity in your teeth, the gum disease can advance, causing pain and bleeding, which can worsen when flossing.

Another reason why you feel pain when flossing with dental fillings might be because your filling is loose or cracked.