The good news is that the filling had to be replaced, and that there was no sign of decay under the filling or below the gum (since the filling was at a lower part of the tooth in question, and NO! there will be no photographs of it).
The bad news was that the whole experience in the dentist's chair reminded me of why I effing hate/fear dentists. While the needle injections (yes, I had two) weren't too bad because of the numbing agent applied to the gum before the injections, the pain in my jaw afterward, not to mention the muscular stress put on the whole area by the procedure itself... well, it *hurts* now that the freezing has worn off.
I have taken two Tylenols, so hope that the pain will diminish. Now that I am awake, after napping for part of the afternoon, I am also *hungry*. Need to pursue food. And something to drink, but not too hot or too cold. The area is sensitive.
I'm just glad that the tooth is healthy, other than the filling having to be replaced. Avoiding a root canal due to decay under the filling and in the below gumline area is a big win today! Yay me! :)