By a USA Dental Clinical Review Team

Receiving a new dental filling should relieve pain—not create new symptoms. However, some patients in the United States notice that shortly after a filling, their tooth becomes sensitive when drinking cold or hot beverages and may even produce a squeaking, grating, or rubbing sensation while chewing.

Although these symptoms can be concerning, they are usually explainable and, in many cases, easily corrected by your dentist.

A landmark study published in PLOS ONE provides the earliest known evidence of invasive dental treatment in human history. Researchers led by Dr. Alisa Zubova examined a 59,000-year-old Neanderthal molar discovered in Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.

Having a tooth removed is one of the most common dental procedures in the United States. Most extractions heal without problems, and a small amount of bleeding or blood-tinged saliva during the first 24 hours is completely normal. However, continuous or heavy bleeding is not normal and should never be ignored.

There are few moments more alarming than biting into a favorite meal and suddenly hearing a loud crack. One second you're enjoying dinner, and the next you're holding part of your tooth in your hand.

As a dentist, I've seen this situation hundreds of times.

One of the most common stories patients tell me begins like this:

"I was eating a piece of hard beef, roasted pork, ice, nuts, or candy... then I felt something snap. Now my tooth is broken."

That moment creates immediate panic.