If you have a cavity, making sure it gets treated with a dental filling should be your number one priority. Here, our Winnipeg dentists offer our patients some advice about what to do and what no to do after receiving a filling treatment.
Do be careful about eating after a dental filling.
Depending on the type of filling that was placed, you may want to be cautious about what you eat immediately following the filling procedure. Because composite white fillings harden instantly under the blue light your dentist uses, you can eat and drink immediately following the procedure.
Some options for good food to eat after your filling treatment can include scrambled eggs, crackers or soup. Foods which don't require lots of chewing are good choices.
On the other hand, if there is pain and swelling, wait until it decreases before eating.
Metal dental fillings take some extra time to harden though, so many dentists recommend you wait at least 24 hours after your treatment before eating any solid food.
In order to avoid biting your cheek, tongue or lips, you will likely want to wait until local anesthetic wears off before attempting to eat. Make sure to ask your dentist for advice about when the best time to eats after your filling is.
Don't eat sticky, hard or chewy foods for up to two weeks.
You may want to refrain from hot or cold drinks and foods for a few days following a dental filling. Sticky, hard or chewy foods are also a no-no - for up to two weeks. Anything that will require you to take hard bites and chew a lot - such as meat - is probably out.
You should also try to avoid acidic foods to prevent infection from arising.
Do take over-the-counter painkillers if you notice pain, discomfort or tooth sensitivity after a filling.
You may notice some mild to moderate discomfort and pain following the filling. The majority of the time, you should notice that pain and swelling decrease within 12 hours and you can eat whatever you want without experiencing tooth sensitivity, or irritation around the area.
To alleviate your pain or discomfort after getting a dental filling, take over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
In the event, pain, sensitivity or discomfort do not disappear after 24 hours, contact your dentist to schedule an appointment to check on your filling, to ensure that infection is not developing.
Don't hesitate to brush your teeth or floss after a filling.
Remember, you don't have to wait to brush or floss your teeth after a dental filling! As long as your gently brush and flood carefully around your tooth, you should be able to keep the area around your new filling clean.
Do contact your dentist if you experience a persistent toothache
Though it's true that you may feel some mild pain or discomfort, a persistent sharp or throbbing toothache can indicate that the decay has reached your tooth's pulp. You may need a root canal. Contact your dentist, who can address it for you promptly.