Re: Why does it hurt like hell if a fork goes near a filling?

The pain from the fork coming into contact with the filling is due to "galvanization". To cut a long story short a small electric current is generated and reaches the nerve.

This sensation can be quite perplexing, since you don't have to press hard with the fork to trigger the pain, and you can often chew down hard on food without any pain. The same happened to me after I had a big filling done about 16 days ago: I came in from the cold, had some beans on toast and wham!! Instant pain from the fork. It upset the nerve quite a bit, and I felt groggy for hours on end afterwards.

Fear not, however. The pain should begin to subside once your saliva corrodes the exposed metal. Eventually there will be no pain whatsoever - if you have older fillings you can verify this for yourself.

If you're still worried, please ring your dentist. They are the best person to ask about your teeth, and they'll be able to do some checks (including x-rays) to make sure all is well.

Hope this helps. Take care.