Is it normal to have gum pain after getting cavities filled?
Hey, first time caller here! This is a bit of a long one, but it gets to the point fairly quickly.
6 days ago, I went to the pediatric dentist to get some small cavities filled (they weren't deep). The dentist, whom I've been acquainted to for at least two years now (my old one retired when I was 18), prepped me for the procedure without incident. She injected Novacaine into my upper right gums (I decided not to have the nitrous oxide-- Or rather, the "laughing gas" they put on your nose that makes you groggy afterwards) and got to work; I didn't feel any pain at all while she was drilling.
After everything was done, I still felt okay even though the right side of my mouth was numb. The dentist told me to expect some soreness and tenderness for a few days, which I normally have no trouble with (I usually ate soup with a soft sandwich for dinner following cavity fillings; I always brush regularly and am getting into the habit of flossing). Everything went okay for the next 3 days aside from some minor tooth pain, which gradually diminished in that time. However, I've had moderate pain and tenderness near the injection site (no more than a 4-5 on a scale of 10) in my upper gums off and on since the second day. It was usually ignorable and went away with some Excedrin and Sensodyne toothpaste.
The pain is worse in the mornings, but goes away within a half-hour to an hour after I wake up. My teeth don't hurt when I eat and do my daily activities; drinking cold water also helps soothe the gum pain. It hurts a tiny bit if I clench my back teeth, which I try not to do (It goes away when I release my jaw) My mom, who is a registered nurse, told me that the dentist most likely had to hit a nerve in the back when injecting the novocaine during my visit. Going by her experiences, she told me that it should take about 2 weeks or so for my mouth to fully heal. The gum pain has gradually gone down in the past 2 days, but some pain still flares up and goes away nowadays.
Is it normal to have pain in my gums for this long to 2 (or maybe more) weeks after a novocaine injection?