Picture two stones in a river—side by side, nudging and bumping against each other as the current flows. Not much happens at first. But over the days, weeks, and years, their edges soften. Their surfaces grow smooth. The sharpness fades. This is the quiet but persistent effect of dental attrition—and when it comes to your teeth, it’s one of the stealthiest, most misunderstood forms of wear.
Dental attrition is what happens when your teeth wear down from constant tooth-on-tooth contact. No external elements are involved—just your own upper and lower teeth grinding and clashing like tectonic plates. It doesn’t hurt at first. It’s slow, like time itself, chipping away at the integrity of your enamel with every clench, every bite, every unconscious grind.
Now, imagine you recently had a filling. Just a routine visit. The dentist patched up a cavity, made everything look nice and smooth. But then, oddly enough, the pain starts. A tooth ache after filling gets worse, not better. It doesn’t make sense—you were supposed to feel relief, not this new, nagging discomfort.
Let’s connect the dots.
When you’ve experienced dental attrition, your teeth may already be flattened, shortened, or missing subtle enamel ridges that once cushioned your bite. Your mouth has adapted to these worn-down surfaces. Then, suddenly, a new filling enters the scene—smooth, higher than the worn neighbors, and not yet “acclimated” to the bite.
In the world of mouths, balance is everything. Even a millimeter’s difference can throw things off. That fresh filling—now higher and less worn than the rest—is like a newly paved road in the middle of an old cobblestone alley. As your upper and lower teeth meet, they repeatedly strike that one spot. The tooth becomes the “high contact point,” absorbing far more pressure than it should.
That pressure causes trauma—first to the enamel, then deeper into the dentin, and eventually down to the nerve. The result? That tooth ache after filling getting worse becomes more than a passing annoyance—it’s the signal of a deeper imbalance rooted in attrition.
And dental attrition doesn’t just stress your filled tooth—it reshapes your entire bite. Over time, your teeth can shorten, your jaw may reposition itself slightly, and your muscles adapt in unhealthy ways. This can lead to temporomandibular joint pain, more bruxism, and even further enamel loss. It’s a vicious loop, and your poor, newly filled tooth often becomes the scapegoat.
Let’s use another metaphor: Think of your teeth like the keys of a piano. Dental attrition is like slowly sanding down the tops of each key. Now, insert one brand-new, full-sized key into the mix. When you press down to play, that key sticks out. It takes the brunt of the pressure. That’s exactly what happens when dental attrition surrounds a fresh filling. That one tooth becomes overloaded—and very, very sore.
So what can you do when your tooth ache after filling keeps getting worse, and attrition may be the hidden culprit?
1. Get a Bite Adjustment
A dentist can gently polish the high points of the filling to rebalance your bite and reduce pressure.
2. Address Bruxism
If grinding is the cause of attrition, a night guard or behavioral therapy can protect your teeth and prevent further wear.
3. Consider Occlusal Analysis
Specialized tools can map out how your teeth touch and identify which areas are overloading others.
4. Be Proactive
If you’ve had multiple fillings or crowns, and your teeth are showing signs of flattening, discuss long-term bite management strategies with your dentist.
. But unlike time, it can be slowed, managed, even reversed with the right care. And when a tooth ache after filling gets worse, it’s often not just the filling itself—but the story your teeth have been telling quietly for years.
