What to Eat and What to Avoid After Getting a Dental Filling

A dental filling is your key to fix a tooth that is cracked, chipped, broken, decayed, or worn out. It helps the tooth look and work like normal again. The dentist takes out the bad part of the tooth, cleans the hole, and fills it with a material. The material can be gold, silver, plastic, or porcelain.

How Your Diet Changes After a Dental Filling

The food you can eat after a filling depends on the material the dentist uses. For example, silver fillings need 24 hours to get hard and strong. You have to wait until then to eat normally. But a composite filling is ready right away. The dentist uses a blue light to make it set.

Another thing that affects your diet is the numbing medicine. The dentist uses it to make you feel no pain during the filling. But the numbness may last for a while after the filling. You may not be able to move your mouth well or taste anything.

You may also have more tooth sensitivity after the filling. The dentist has to remove the cavity and clean the tooth. This may expose the sensitive parts of the tooth, like the roots.

But don’t worry. Your dentist will tell you what you can eat and when you can eat solid food again.

Foods to Avoid After a Dental Filling

To be safe and careful, it is best to stay away from these foods for up to two weeks:

Hard foods – Things like nuts, candy, chips, pretzels, and hard fruits like apples or pears.

Chewy foods – Things like jerky, pizza crust, tough meat, and chewy candy.

Sticky foods – Things like caramel, taffy, toffee, gum, candy bars, and dried fruits.

These foods may make your fillings fall out if they are not fully hard. You may also bite your tongue, cheeks, or lips by mistake if your mouth is still numb.

Foods to Eat After a Dental Filling

You may not be able to eat everything you want, but you still have some good options. You can eat these foods without hurting your new fillings:

Soup and Broth – You can have a delicious lunch without chewing much. You can also get your daily nutrition by adding healthy ingredients to your soup.

Dairy Products – Things like yogurt, cheese, and scrambled eggs are easy to eat and good for you.

Smoothies and Shakes – This is one of the best solutions. You just need a blender to make them. You can enjoy your favorite fruit or protein drink.

Always talk to your dentist after you get a dental filling in Ellicott City. You can ask any questions before the filling too.

Things to Not Do After a Dental Filling

To help you heal faster, the dentists in Ellicott City advise you to avoid these things after a dental filling:

Hard, chewy, and sticky foods – These foods may cause pain or damage to your tooth. You may need another filling if that happens.

Sugary foods – These foods may make your teeth more sensitive and cause more bacteria to grow on your fillings.

Hot and cold food and drinks – These foods may hurt your teeth because they are more sensitive after a filling.

Grinding your teeth – If you do this often, you may wear down your teeth and your fillings.

In Conclusion

A dental filling near you is a treatment that can save your tooth from being pulled out. It is safe and simple. The only problem is that you have to watch what you eat after it.

At Excel Dental Care, our team is here to help you with the dental filling process and what to do after it. Call us today for an appointment, and we will help you keep your smile.