Bottom left 2nd molar broken in half, restored with fillings gum around it now red, swollen, and irritated. Is this normal?

[aran215]

So recently, my bottom left second molar (the last one before the wisdom tooth) broke in half. My dentist restored it using dental fillings—not a crown or root canal, just fillings to rebuild the structure. It seemed fine at first, but now the gum around that tooth is really red, swollen, and irritated. It’s not super painful, but it’s definitely tender and feels inflamed.

Is this kind of gum reaction normal after a big filling? Or could it be a sign of an infection or something wrong with the restoration? The tooth itself doesn’t hurt much—it’s just the surrounding gum tissue.

Would really appreciate any input! This doesn’t seem right.

 

[Dr M]

Could be that there is a rough part of the filling, that is irritating the gum. I would suggest trying to rinse with luke warm salt water, three times a day, for about 2 weeks, and then see if the inflammation disappears. If not, I would then suggest going to the dentist, for an x-ray, to confirm if there is no infection present and then polish the margins of the filling around the gum line.
If you haven't had a cleaning in a while, I would suggest getting this done as well.

 

[Emma Mike]

Some mild gum irritation can happen after a big filling, especially if the area was worked on heavily or if the filling goes close to the gumline. But if the redness, swelling, or tenderness isn’t improving, it could be a sign something’s not quite right — like some irritation, leftover bacteria, or even a small gap near the filling.


It’s probably a good idea to pop back to dentist for a quick check, just to be safe and for your own peace of mind. Sometimes it’s something simple they can easily sort before it turns into a bigger issue.


Hope it settles down quickly!

 

[aran215]

Could be that there is a rough part of the filling, that is irritating the gum. I would suggest trying to rinse with luke warm salt water, three times a day, for about 2 weeks, and then see if the inflammation disappears. If not, I would then suggest going to the dentist, for an x-ray, to confirm if there is no infection present and then polish the margins of the filling around the gum line.
If you haven't had a cleaning in a while, I would suggest getting this done as well.

Thanks so much for the advice! I’ll start with the salt water rinses and give it a couple of weeks to see if the inflammation calms down. If it doesn’t improve, I’ll definitely get an X-ray and check the filling. And I’ll look into getting a cleaning too. Appreciate your help!