Bleeding after “deep” filling

[Augustmoon]

Hello,

I had a “deep” filling done on an upper molar about 6 weeks ago now. The filling was in between 2 teeth and they had to use a wedge. It was painful and sensitive for a few weeks so I went back to the dentist to have it checked out and they found a little overhang and fixed that. Everything improved a lot but it was still bleeding when flossing so my dentist sent me to an endodontist. They could not find anything wrong and didn’t think I needed a root canal or anything. But it still bleeds when I floss (I floss twice a day). Why is this happening and what else can I do? Or does it simply need more time to heal? Could my gums have been damaged from the wedge? I’m scared to go back again. Would salt water rinse help?

 

[Gordon]

Why on earth did they send you to an endodontist for a gum problem? Weird!

Either there is still an overhang on the filling or else there maybe a poor contact between that tooth and the one next to the bleeding area, causing food to pack into the space. Have you noticed this happening? Going back to your dentist would be your best chance to get this sorted out I'm afraid.

 

[Augustmoon]

@Gordon I think they thought the tooth was bothering me and that they wanted to be sure I didn’t need a root canal. I haven’t even been chewing on that side because I also recently got a crown on the lower and just giving that time so I don’t think food is getting stuck there. I floss regularly and have been keeping the area clean! What does poor contact mean?

 

[Gordon]

The bit where the two teeth meet is called the "contact point" (for obvious reasons). If there isn't a good contact between the teeth then plaque can form there, which will cause a bit of gingivitis which usually presents as bleeding on brushing/flossing...