• Question: What causes the pain induced when a piece of silver foil touches a tooth filling?

    Asked by danrumford to Cat, Daz, Holly, Johnson, Pamela on 22 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Cat O'Connor

      Cat O'Connor answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      Hi Dan,

      I think the pain we get is like a little electric shock and even thinking about it now is giving me the shudders!! Ehhhh

      Fillings are made up of a combination of metals and this combination forms a battery….I have no idea how but that’s what the internet has told me!! Then when you chew a piece of tin foil or say a bit of wrapper from a kit-kat, the foil creates a connection with the ‘battery’ and using the saliva (which is pretty good at conducting electricity) a little shock is sent between the foil and ‘battery’ right down to the nerve root the battery sits on top of and that’s where we get the dash of pain from! Oh and that nasty taste: caused by tin ions released in the reaction!

      Yuk

      Maybe someone else may have a more scientific answer but I honestly can’t think about it any more , ehhhhh

      Hope this helps,

      Cat

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