Tinnitus Spike After Dental Filling Replacement with Laser and Drilling

[Eric N]

So, I just had my fillings replaced. The dentist was able to remove them with a laser, but some drilling—approximately 30 seconds to a minute—was still needed at the end. I asked him to use a five-seconds-on, five-seconds-off approach, and he followed that. He also used an electric drill, which is quieter than an air-powered one. I kept my earmuffs on during the drilling. Because of bone conduction, it was unpleasantly loud at times, but not extreme. I am not sure if it would have been any better without the earmuffs, and I wasn't willing to test it. This was actually the first time I had a drill used since developing tinnitus 13 years ago.

Now I am experiencing a moderate to moderately high spike. It is certainly not the worst spike I have ever had, but it is definitely louder. I am not noticing any other symptoms like muffled hearing or hearing sensitivity.