What Foods Are Best to Eat after a Filling? Smooth and soft foods like a smoothie, yogurt, flavored milkshake, tasty pasta, scrambled eggs or a nice soup are all great choices. Soft foods are better than hard, crunchy, or sticky foods right after you get a filling.
Perhaps the most nutritious and safest food to consider after a tooth filling are dairy products. That's the reason dentists recommend cottage cheese, milk and yogurt after most dental treatments. Dairy products are often easy to chew and are rich in nutrients.
Don'ts After Dental Filling
Sugary foods – These foods may trigger teeth sensitivity and promote bacterial growth around the new filling. Hot and cold food and beverages – Since a newly filled tooth increase teeth sensitivity, these kinds of foods may have a painful effect on you.
For example, if you had a filling made with gold or another metal, you can usually start eating right away. However, if your filling was made with a composite resin or another type of tooth-colored material, it's important to wait at least 24 hours before chewing on anything hard.
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.
Smooth and soft foods like a smoothie, yogurt, flavored milkshake, tasty pasta, scrambled eggs or a nice soup are all great choices. Soft foods are better than hard, crunchy, or sticky foods right after you get a filling.
It is best to avoid any hard, chewy, or sticky foods after a dental filling for up to two weeks. If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity you may also benefit from avoiding hot or cold drinks and foods. There is no need to wait to brush your teeth after a dental filling.
Avoid eating hard and sticky items
Foods such as candies, caramels, jerky, tough meats, or hard nuts may damage the newly filled tooth. It is better to eat soft foods, such as eggs, yogurt, pudding, or smoothies for a day or so after the procedure.
Typically you can reintroduce ice cream and other chilled desserts a few days after tooth filling to allow for sensitivity to go away.
What to eat after a dental 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.
You can generally eat right after leaving the dentist's office, however, you may have to wait 2+ hours to eat if you are still numb from the numbing agent used.
Many people are hesitant to brush and floss after a dental filling procedure, however, it is necessary to do so before the night ends. Although the tooth may be sore, it is still necessary to gently brush and floss. General dentists recommend a very soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid discomfort.
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.
This space is an area where bacteria can get in and cause more tooth decay and infection. Cavity fillings can also break or fall out completely. The fillings can become damaged from things like being hit in the mouth or even just biting on something hard.
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.
When brushing teeth, take more care brushing in and around the filling. The filling may feel a bit tender a day after particularly by the gumline. Therefore, when brushing around the area, do it softly and slowly. You should be able to brush normally after the 24 hours has passed and the filling settles.
Can I drink coffee after a filling? You may want to avoid consuming hot drinks like coffee or tea following a filling treatment as your gums and tooth will still be numb. Due to the local anaesthetic inserted into your gums, the affects of this may take a few hours to wear off.
Foods and drinks that are hot and cold could irritate the mouth, as well. Therefore, avoid drinking any coffee, hot tea, or ice-cold beverages until the mouth recovers. Instead, drink cool or warm temperature water, which keeps the mouth clean and avoids irritation.
The lifetime of a dental filling
Dental fillings that are made of metal or gold materials are known to last upwards of 20 years. On the flip side, more modern materials such as porcelain should also last a while, however, typically, not more than 10 years.
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.
People who require multiple fillings often ask how many tooth fillings can be done at once. Technically, there is no limit to the number of filling you can get in one session. However, dentists do not recommend having more than three fillings at a time. Your mouth needs time to heal after the dental fillings procedure.
There can be several different reasons why a filling can fail. A failed filling procedure could happen because the treatment wasn't carried out well in the first place, or perhaps the filling was used when another form of treatment, such as a crown, would have been a better option.
Do cavity fillings hurt? Here's the short answer: No. Most fillings cause little to no discomfort during any part of the procedure.