What Can You Eat After a Filling? You can eat most foods after a filling, but it's best to avoid anything hard, chewy, or sticky if possible. For example, it's okay to eat pizza once it's cooled down a bit but avoid eating the crust. Also, keep in mind hot or cold foods may cause sudden tooth sensitivity.
Dentists recommend patients who have had tooth filling to wait at least 2 hours before they resume eating anything. Even then, you should avoid very hard or sticky foods. Chewing a pizza requires greater effort by your teeth, especially when you're eating chicken or beef pizza.
Your dentist or dental hygienist will let you know what you should and shouldn't do after you receive a new dental filling. Fortunately, there are no restrictions on eating or drinking after the procedure.
Foods that are okay to eat after a filling include mashed potatoes, yogurt, cheese, soups, pasta, and chili. Smoothies are also a good choice if you are experiencing a little soreness.
A tooth should not hurt, ache, or cause you discomfort from a new filling for an extended period of time. Any sensitivity from a tooth filling should be expected to go away quickly, at least within two to four weeks.
You can eat or drink right after the procedure. A composite filling hardens immediately under UV light. Still, your dentist might recommend that you wait at least two hours before eating because your cheeks and gums might be a little numb from the anesthetic.
Foods to Avoid After a Dental Filling
To avoid these issues, you should stay away from foods such as peanuts, chips, granola, hard candies, hard bread, gum, sticky candies, popcorn, caramel, and other items that may put stress on your filling. While smoothies are recommended, make sure they aren't too cold or hot.
For anyone unaware, dental fillings can be amalgam (metal) or composite (white). Patients usually find that amalgam fillings take around 24 hours to set, whereas white composite fillings are set whilst you're still in the practice.
You should be able to brush normally after the 24 hours has passed and the filling settles. Avoid Chewy And Hot Foods – When consuming food, sensitivity should be expected just after the filling is applied. Avoid foods that are at a hot temperature.
The maximum time required for filling a moderate cavity doesn't exceed 40 minutes per tooth. Therefore if you have three intermediate holes, expect to spend about a couple of hours at the dentist's office to restore your tooth to full functionality with dental fillings.
If your cleaning included a fluoride treatment or air polishing, you need to wait 30 minutes to eat. If you didn't have a fluoride treatment or air polishing, there's no need to wait. We do recommend avoiding foods that could stain or discolor your teeth for at least 6 hours after a cleaning.
If the seal between the filling and tooth enamel breaks down, decay-causing bacteria and food particles can get under the filling.
If you have just had a filling and aren't sure what you can eat, you should eat foods which are soft, rather than hard and/or chewy. Foods such as mashed potatoes, soft cheese, and soft pasta are great, as is soup or smoothies as there is no chewing involved.
Eating sticky foods too soon after a filling can dislodge your new filling. This doesn't happen often and is more likely with amalgam fillings than composite fillings. Take your time. By eating slowly, you can avoid biting down too hard and chewing on the side of your mouth where your new filling is located.
Generally, dental experts suggest that it takes about 24 hours for a filling to settle down. The stakes are higher for metal-based dental fillings like amalgams or gold fillings.
The short answer is: yes, but you should avoid it. Technically you can eat ice cream after getting a filling, but that doesn't mean that you should! Depending on the type of material used in the filling and the severity of the cavity filled, your teeth may be sensitive for days to a week after the procedure.
You might want to refrain from cold or hot drinks for a few days follow your filling procedure. Hard or sticky and chewy foods should also be avoided for up to two weeks following your procedure. Anything that will require you to take hard bites and chew a lot - such as meat - is probably out.
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.
White fillings are also quite inexpensive compared to other options like crowns, and the process itself can be a lot quicker. The longevity of this type of filling is decent usually lasting around 7 to 15 years, as long as they are kept in good condition.
It may surprise you, but having a cavity filled is actually a type of dental surgery.
Biting Too Hard. If you bite down too hard on your filling, you can damage it. The filling can take only so much pressure and the larger the filling is, the weaker it is.
How many cavities can a dentist fill at once? Dentists may fill as many cavities as the patient is comfortable with having filled. With this being said, in most cases, dentists do not recommend having more than 3 cavities filled in one sitting. Your mouth needs time to heal.