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.
Stay away from anything sticky, crunchy, sugary, acidic, and very hot or cold. Instead, you can have soft healthy foods like bananas, a cool (not cold!) fruit smoothie, or lukewarm vegetable soup. These kinds of foods won't trigger any teeth sensitivity issues, and you won't risk damaging your new filling.
It is best to avoid very hot or cold foods immediately after getting a filling. Dentists recommend patients who have had tooth filling to wait at least 2 hours before they resume eating anything.
Avoid sugary foods.
Not only can sugary foods and drinks potentially trigger sensitivity, they can promote the growth of bacteria around your new filling.
Avoid hard, chewy, or sticky foods for up to two weeks especially if you got a silver filling. If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity, you may benefit from avoiding hot and cold drinks and foods.
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.
Dentists generally advise patients not to eat or drink anything for the first hour after the filling is placed. A full 24 hours need to pass before the person attempts to eat hard foods. People who opt for composite fillings are often cleared to eat whatever they want right after the procedure.
Eating sticky foods too soon after a filling can dislodge your new filling. It 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.
For at least 24 hours after your tooth extraction, you should consume only soft foods and liquids. You can ease into a more normal diet when you feel comfortable doing so. Try to stick with easy-to-chew foods for a few days. Initially, choose cool foods like yogurt, pudding, Jell-O, and ice cream.
White fillings don't last as long as silver fillings, and on average sustain for about 7-10 years. Nonetheless, they're still an incredibly strong, successful treatment for most cavities.
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.
The reason your dentist normally numbs your mouth as part of the filling process is that they must use a drill to remove decayed tissue from inside the tooth. Without anesthesia, you may feel some twinges of pain while that is happening.
Overall, the average time to complete a dental filling is about 20 minutes to an hour. However, the exact time it takes to get a dental filling can deviate based upon things like the type of filling, dental material, and the size of the decayed area.
Since an amalgam filling is more likely to be on a chewing surface and thus taking a lot of pressure, it is best to take it easy for a full day, to ensure the filling gets to maximum hardness before you eat and chew as normal.
It's relatively common for you to have some pain or sensitivity in the treated tooth after a filling. After all, a dentist was just poking around and drilling in the tooth. Usually, any discomfort should fade after a day or two.
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.
There is no single number of how many times you can have a filling replaced. Usually, we will stop replacing the dental filling after the hole becomes too large. Once you have more filling material than natural tooth material your tooth no longer holds enough strength.
If a dentist drills too deep, he or she might cut through the bottom of the tooth. This can create an infection, swelling, and failure of the procedure. A failed root canal may lead to loss of the tooth, damage to the jaw bone, and gum issues.
In general: amalgam fillings last 5 to 25 years. composite fillings last 5 to 15 years. gold fillings last 15 to 20 years.
Composite tooth fillings can often yellow or brown over time due to foods and beverages you intake, or other variables. If you get your teeth professionally whitened, the composite filling will not brighten and may be more noticeable.
Silver-colored fillings—also called dental amalgams—are made of a combination of metals such as silver, tin, copper and mercury. White fillings—also called composite fillings—are made of plastic and ceramic.
Although white fillings once had a reputation for being less hardwearing, technology has moved on rapidly over the last decade, and white fillings are now much stronger. The additional benefits mean white fillings are increasingly the first choice for people who need their teeth filled.