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If you have a cavity, having a dental filling placed by your dentist is a necessary procedure. Here, our North York dentists offer some advice about what you should and should not do after a filling.
Do be careful about eating after a dental filling.
Depending on the kind of filling placed, you may want to be cautious about what you eat immediately following your procedure. Because composite white fillings harden instantly uner the blue light that your dentist uses, you can eat and drink immediately after your procedure.
Some options for good foods to eat following a tooth filling include soup, scrambled eggs and crackers. Look for food that requires minimal chewing.
On the other hand, if there is pain or swelling, wait until this decreases before eating anything.
Metal dental fillings generally take a bit of time to harden, so most dentists will recommend that you wait at least 24 hours after receiving the dental filling before eating any solid foods.
To avoid biting your lips, cheek, or tongue, you will likely want to wait until the local anesthetic wears off before attempting to eat. Ask your dentist for advice about when is the best time to eat after your filling.
Don't eat sticky, hard or chewy foods for up to two weeks.
You may want to refrain from cold or hot drinks after your dental filling too. Stick, hard or chewy foods should also be avoided for up to two weeks. Any food that asks you to bite down hard or do a lot of chewing is a good idea to avoid for some time.
You’ll also want to avoid highly acidic foods to prevent infection.
Do take over-the-counter painkillers if you notice pain, discomfort or tooth sensitivity after a filling.
You may notice mild to moderate discomfort and pain following your filling. Most of the time, you should notice that pain and swelling decrease within 12 hours and that you will be able to eat whatever you want without experiencing tooth sensitivity or irritation around the area your filling was placed.
Take over-the-counter painkillers with ibuprofen or acetaminophen to alleviate any physical pain or discomfort after a dental filling.
If pain, sensitivity, or discomfort persist after 24 hours from your filling procedure, contact your dentist to schedule an appointment and ot check in on your filling to help ensure that an infection isn't developing.
Don't hesitate to brush your teeth or floss after a filling.
Did you know that you don’t have to wait to brush your teeth or floss after a dental filling? As long as you brush gently and floss carefully around the tooth, you should be able to keep the area clean as usual.
Do contact your dentist if you experience a persistent toothache
While it's true that you may feel some mild pain or discomfort, a persistent throbbing headache may indicate that the decay has reached the pulp of your tooth. If this is the case, you may require a root canal. Contact your dentist and they will be able to develop a treatment plan to address it for you promptly.