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.
A composite filling hardens immediately once a dentist puts a blue UV light on your tooth. You can generally eat when you leave your dental specialist's office. However, Rely Dental , BENBROOK recommends waiting for at least 2 hours before chewing on the filling if you're still numb.
During the filling process, some tooth cavities may require that the overall tooth be modified in shape by wedging or shaping. This can lead to a weakening in the overall structure of the tooth.
Once you have more filling material than natural tooth material your tooth no longer holds enough strength. In this instance, you might need an inlay, onlay, or dental crown to protect your tooth. You might also need a restoration instead of filling replacement if your tooth has several fillings in the same tooth.
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.
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.
The Ins and Outs of Eating with a Filling
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. If you have a metal amalgam filling, you'll have to wait a little longer before eating — typically a full 24 hours.
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.
There are procedures such as simple fillings that require a little local anesthetic to the tooth, which typically wears off within a few hours. It does not inhibit speaking or cause drowsiness, so yes, returning to work is fine.
Most of the time, fillings effectively treat a cavity. However, poor oral hygiene can lead to more cavities developing. Occasionally, additional cavities can develop around the edge of the filling. Fillings can also crack or shift over time and expose the area to further cavities.
If the filling has not been adequately prepared, the mixture may not bond properly to the tooth tissue and this may cause the filling to fall out or cause a gap, which could then allow further decay to form and lead to long lasting toothache as the pulp of the tooth becomes infected.
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.
Some people elect to not have numbing gels or anaesthetics when having a cavity filled, but does I hurt when you get a cavity filled without numbing? Well, the answer should be no. When having a filling, your dentist won't reach the dental pulp inside the tooth where nerve endings are, so no pain should be experienced.
Q: Is it painful to have cavity fillings? No. Your dentist will numb the area and use a numbing gel before injecting a local anesthetic known as Lidocaine. You may feel a bit of a sting, but that's a reaction from the local anesthetic when it starts to block the nerve signals to stop the pain.
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.
It is common to experience sensitivity to air and to cold or hot food (or drink items) for up to three weeks after a dental filling. You may also notice increased sensitivity from the pressure of biting on the new dental filling, particularly if the dental filling is for a deeper cavity.
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.
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.
In general, adults develop an average of three cavities during their lifetimes. This means that the average adult has three or four fillings in their mouth. Some patients end up with ten or more fillings depending on how well they care for their teeth.
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.
New research suggests that methyl mercury may cause damage even at low levels. "As toxicologists, we know that mercury is poison, but it all depends on the dose. So, if you have one dental filling, maybe it's OK. But if you have more than eight dental filings, the potential risk for adverse effect is higher," Yu said.