What to eat after getting cavity filled

December 1, 2021

Table of Contents Show

Factors Affecting Your Diet After Dental Filling Treatment
We Have the Following Promotions
What to Not Eat After a Dental Filling
What Can You Eat After a Dental Filling?
Don’ts After Dental Filling
Final Words
Accepting Insurances
Tips for New Fillings
Can you eat anything after getting a cavity filled?
What not to eat after getting a cavity filled?
How long do you have to wait to eat food after a cavity filling?

A dental filling is a procedure to repair a cracked or broken tooth, a tooth damaged by decay, or a tooth worn down by misuse, restoring it to its original shape and functioning normally. First, the dentists remove the decayed tooth material, clean the space, and place the filling material. Types of materials used as fillings include gold, silver, plastic, and porcelain.

Factors Affecting Your Diet After Dental Filling Treatment

Dentists in the Colony, TX, say that the selection of food you can eat after a filling treatment significantly depends on the filling material used. For example, silver fillings typically take 24 hours to harden completely and reach maximum strength and allow you to eat normally. On the other hand, a composite filling immediately sets just after a dentist directs a blue ultra-violet light on your tooth.

Numbing medication may also affect what you can eat after a dental filling. Dentists apply local anesthesia during the filling treatment. The numbing effect of this medication may last even after the procedure. You won’t be able to move your mouth correctly and taste anything.

We Have the Following Promotions

Free

New Patient Consultation
Saturday Visits Available

Free

New Patient Exam & X-Ray
Free Second Opinion

There may be increased tooth sensitivity after treatment. The procedure includes removing the cavity and cleaning the affected area, thereby exposing the sensitive parts of the teeth, such as its roots.

However, most of the time, your dentist will be able to suggest what you should be having and when you can start eating solid food after your dental filling procedure.

What to Not Eat After a Dental Filling

To be on the safe side and to consider the things listed above, it is best to avoid these types of foods for up to two weeks:

Hard foods – Nuts, candies, chips, pretzels, and fruits such as apples or pears.
Chewy foods – Foods such as jerkies, pizza crusts, fibrous meat, and chewy candies.
Sticky foods – Caramel, taffy, and toffee, chewing gum, candy bars, and dried fruits or roll-ups.

Your dental fillings may fall out when eating these foods if the filling material has not fully hardened. You may also accidentally bite your tongue, cheeks, or lips when your mouth is still numb from the anesthesia.

What Can You Eat After a Dental Filling?

While you are somewhat limited on what food you can eat, there are still other food options that you can partake without risking your newly filled tooth.

Soup and Broth – You can have a tasty lunch requiring much chewing at all. You can reach your daily nutritional needs by adding healthy ingredients to your recipe.

Dairy Products – Foods such as yogurt, cheese, and scrambled eggs do not require much chewing and biting. More importantly, these types of foods are some of the most nutritious out there.

Smoothies and Shakes – One of the best food solutions, you just let the blender do the work. Slurp and gulp your favorite fruit or protein shake.

Always speak to your dentist after you’ve had dental fillings in The Colony, TX. Feel free to ask any questions before the procedure.

Don’ts After Dental Filling

To help in your fast recovery, dentists here in The Colony, Texas, advise you to refrain from doing the following after having a dental filling:

Hard, chewy, and sticky foods – At the very least, you may feel discomfort on your tooth, and at the very worst, the filling may fall out, which may require another procedure.
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.
Refrain from grinding your teeth – if you habitually grind your teeth, you can wear down the top of your teeth, along with your new fillings.

Final Words

A dental filling procedure is a restorative treatment that is the last recourse to saving a tooth before it is deemed subject to removal. It is a risk-free treatment with typically minor complications. Usually, the only setback is the limitation on what food to eat afterward.

At Main Dentistry, our professional team is ready to help guide you through the dental filling process and what to do after your procedure. Contact us today for a consultation, and we will help you retain your smile.

Accepting Insurances

A dental filling is one of the most common procedures in dentistry, so it’s extremely likely that you’ll require one (or several) over the course of your life. By treating tooth damage caused by decay, a filling can restore the function and appearance of a tooth while also preventing further decay. The treatment process is quick, painless, and requires very little post-treatment care. But can you eat after a filling?

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.

Why? These days, most dentists primarily use composite fillings, which look inconspicuous in the mouth due to their whitish color (which mimics the color of your natural teeth). Since composite fillings harden as soon as your dentist applies a UV light, your filling will be hard and secure immediately. You can feel free to dine right away if you like. If, on the other hand, your dentist applies an amalgam (silver) filling, they may recommend that you avoid chewing on the side of the mouth with the filling for about 24 hours, which is about how long it takes for an amalgam filling to fully harden. But even then, you’re free to eat immediately after the procedure.

What can you eat after a filling? Anything you like! Whether your preferred dish is hot or cold, sticky or smooth, spicy or mild, your newly filled tooth can handle it. However, you may find it more comfortable to avoid hard foods (such as hard candy, nuts, and ice), which can put pressure on your teeth, and very hot and cold foods, which may trigger sensitivity.

Tips for New Fillings

Although you can carry on eating and drinking as you usually do, you should follow a few simple rules to ensure that your dental filling heals successfully:

Part of your mouth will be numb after the procedure due to the local anesthetic administered by your dentist. Although this effect will fade within a few hours, be careful not to hurt your mouth in the meantime. Avoid chewing or biting on your lips, tongue, and cheeks.
Sensitivity to heat and cold is a common side effect following a dental filling procedure. In some cases, it will last two weeks or longer. If you find the sensitivity bothersome, try using desensitizing toothpaste. If the sensitivity persists, talk to your dentist.
If your mouth feels sore and achy after the procedure, you can take over-the-counter pain medications for the first couple of days following your treatment. Ibuprofen and Tylenol are commonly recommended.
During the procedure, your dentist will aim to get your bite as comfortable and even as possible. However, if your bite feels “off” afterward or you’re experiencing discomfort (such as a dull ache), give your dentist a call. Sometimes a quick adjustment by your dentist can alleviate the issue.
Your restored tooth will function like all your other teeth, so continue brushing and flossing as normal. Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristled brush, and floss at least once a day.

Looking for an experienced, reliable, and friendly dentist near Springfield, Missouri? Contact Wilkinson Dental. Dr. Wilkinson and his team will give you the personalized treatment you deserve using state-of-the-art technology. For exceptional and comprehensive dental care, schedule your first appointment today by calling 417-708-0556 or requesting an appointment online. We look forward to hearing from you!

Can you eat anything after getting a cavity filled?

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.

What not to eat after getting a cavity filled?

What to Not Eat After a Dental Filling.

Hard foods – Nuts, candies, chips, pretzels, and fruits such as apples or pears..

Chewy foods – Foods such as jerkies, pizza crusts, fibrous meat, and chewy candies..

Sticky foods – Caramel, taffy, and toffee, chewing gum, candy bars, and dried fruits or roll-ups..

How long do you have to wait to eat food after a cavity filling?

Your dentist will likely recommend waiting for at least 24 hours before chewing on the side of your mouth where the filling is located. Composite (white/tooth colored) filling. A composite filling hardens immediately once a dentist puts a blue UV light on your tooth.