If you have a cavity, you will need to get a filling placed by your dentist. The Vancouver dentists give you some tips on what you should and should not do following a filling treatment.
Do be careful about eating after a dental filling.
Based on the type of filling your dentist placed, you should be careful about what you eat after the filling procedure. Because composite white fillings harden immediately under the blue light your dentist uses, you can eat and drink immediately following the procedure.
Some good foods to eat following a tooth filling are scrambled eggs, crackers and soup. Choose foods that requires minimal chewing.
However, if there is pain and swelling, wait until it subsides before eating.
Metal dental fillings take a bit more time to harden, so most dentists will suggest waiting a minimum of 24 hours after receiving the dental filling to eat solid foods.
To avoid biting your cheek, tongue or lips you will want to wait until the local anesthetic wears off before trying to eat. Ask your dentist for advice on what they think is the best time to eat following your filling.
Don't eat sticky, hard or chewy foods for up to two weeks.
You might want to avoid cold or hot food and drinks for several days after a dental filling. Keep away from chewy, sticky or hard foods for up to two weeks. Anything that requires you to take hard bites and chew a lot (such as meat) is most likely out.
You will also want to bypass highly acidic foods in order to prevent infection.
On the bright side you don’t have to wait to brush your teeth or floss after a dental filling.
Do take over-the-counter painkillers if you notice pain, discomfort or tooth sensitivity after a filling.
You might have some mild to moderate discomfort and pain following the filling. However, you should notice the pain and swelling decrease within 12 hours and you can eat whatever you want without experiencing tooth sensitivity, or irritation around the area.
Take over-the-counter painkillers with ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease any physical pain or discomfort after a dental filling.
If you find that the, pain, sensitivity or discomfort does not disappear after 24 hours, contact your dentist to schedule an appointment to check on your filling, to make sure infection is not developing.