dental fillings Archives | Sterling Heights Dentist, Dr. Farhat of Dental 1 Care

When Can I Eat After a Tooth Filling?

September 4, 2018 by sterlingheightsdentalcare Leave a Comment

When Can I Eat After a Tooth Filling?

Tooth fillings are generally not welcomed with open arms by patients once their dentist makes such a recommendation.

Aside from the seemingly primal fear of the sound of the dental drill, the pain expected once the anesthesia wears off makes people wonder if they can eat at all after the filling session is done.

So if you’re wont to ask: “When can I eat after a filling?” Dr. Farhat, a trusted orthodontist in Sterling Heights, MI, has the following answer and tips to ensure minimal discomfort after getting a filling:

Tooth Filling Tips

The anesthetic administered prior to the filling procedure normally wears off after about one to three hours. Once this happens, you may start eating soft foods such as soup or porridge (nothing too sticky, though).
After the filling work is done, some discomfort, tooth sensitivity, and soreness may be experienced for a couple of hours, days or even weeks.
What you can eat after getting your teeth filled is dependent on the material used. Silver may require you to avoid hard foods and no direct chewing for up to 24 hours. Teeth with composite (white) fillings which harden right away can be used for chewing as soon as the anesthesia wears off. Softer filling material like amalgam may require you to wait longer before you can bite or chew on solid foods.
Take note of whether or not you feel the recently filled teeth hitting first when you bite, as this should not be the case. A quick visit to your dentist would be necessary.
Be sure to bite and chew gently, and try to avoid using the filled teeth for these right away.
Since cold air can trigger tooth sensitivity in some people, always make it a point to chew with your mouth closed to prevent tooth pain.
Our friend Dr. Ben Kacos, says to avoid getting any of your fillings dislodged because of food, try not to eat sticky food at first, and wait for the filling to completely set.
Extreme heat and cold can trigger tooth sensitivity, so choose to consume moderately warm or cool food items and beverages.
Lay off the sweets! Consuming sugary drinks and foods can lead to bacterial growth in the areas around the new filling.
Keep away from tough, hard food items like hard candies, nuts, and ice. Aside from possibly causing pain and discomfort, biting hard can dislodge any unset fillings.

With the above expert advice, you should know by now that getting tooth fillings do not equate to starving afterward. Additionally, pain management is quite possible if you follow your dentist’s instructions. So, happy filling!

Dental Filling Aftercare | What Should You Expect?

August 11, 2016 by Lauren Edvalson 1 Comment

Dental Filling Aftercare: Tips and Reminders

After getting a dental filling, it is essential to follow the prescribed aftercare in order to ensure that you prevent damage to your teeth and the fillings. Here are some dental filling aftercare tips that you will need to follow closely.

While the anesthetic is wearing off

The anesthetic used by your dentist can wear off after two to four hours, although there are some anesthetics which can last up to seven hours. While the anesthetic is still in effect, the area where it has been applied will remain numb.

While your mouth is still numb, it is best to avoid foods and beverages that are too hot. Because your mouth is still numb, it can be difficult to assess the temperature of food and drinks and there is a risk that you can burn your mouth. You may also have some difficulty in controlling the food and beverages you consume while the anesthetic is still in effect.

You should also avoid eating while the anesthetic is still in effect because you might not feel it if you bite on your lip, tongue or cheek. If it is your child who got the dental fillings, pay close attention to him as kids find the numbing effect amazing and may do something that can hurt them while the anesthetic is still in effect.

Eating | Can I Eat After a Filling?

If you have had a composite or glass ionomer filling, you can eat after the filling has been set by the blue light at the dentist’s office. However, it is highly recommended that you go on a soft diet until the filling sets completely (24 hours will suffice).

After getting a filling, you should avoid biting on hard food and objects because fillings are not as strong as normal teeth. This means that you should cut hard food into smaller pieces or chew on the other side of your mouth.

The same foods and beverages that cause your natural teeth to get discolored can also stain your fillings.

Sensitivity and pain

Sensitivity is fairly common with dental filling aftercare. It may be triggered by hot, cold or sweet foods, pressure, and even air.

Over time, this sensitivity will decrease until it is eventually gone. This usually takes a few weeks. During this period, you should avoid food and drinks that are too hot or too cold. You can also use a toothpaste made for sensitive teeth.

However, if the sensitivity worsens, you should return to your dentist as soon as possible. In some instances, the pain may be caused by the bonding technique used or by a deep filling. Your dentist may redo the filling or put a sedative dressing on the tooth before examining the tooth again.

A day or two after the anesthetic wears off, you may feel some soreness on the area that has been treated, especially if a matrix band was used. Some patients may feel pain while biting because the filling was set too high. This is a result of the additional pressure from the filling which affects the tooth’s ligaments. Normally, the pain wears off after a few days.

If you have trouble or feel pain when biting down on your tooth that has been treated, you should go to your dentist. He or she will reshape the filling. Electrical or galvanic shocks are fairly common for patients who have amalgam fillings. This is the result of the electrical current generated in the mouth.

If you need more information about dental care in Sterling Heights. contact the professionals at Dental 1 Care today!

The 9 Things That You Need to Know About Dental Fillings

April 21, 2016 by Lauren Edvalson Leave a Comment

9 Things You Need to Know About Dental Fillings

You probably already know that dental fillings will be applied to your teeth if you’re not compliant with proper oral care requirements. If you’re not good to your teeth, you surely can expect to see cavities in your future. There’s no reversing the effects of this kind of dental damage; the only thing that you can really do is to prevent it from getting worse. And to do this, dental fillings will have to be applied to your damaged teeth.

There really is nothing too complicated about dental fillings. However, if you wish to know more about what they’re made of, their benefits, and their impact on your dental health, listed belong are nine important things to know about them.

There are five common kinds of dental fillings

Gold, porcelain, silver amalgam (which is made of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper), composite resin, and tooth-colored plastic. Gold and silver are very durable. Meanwhile, the tooth-colored options can restore the natural and original appearance of the damaged teeth, making them the ideal options for teeth that can easily be seen.

Most dental patients these days opt against silver amalgam because of its mercury content.

Mercury is a neurotoxin and exposure to it can lead to serious health risks. However, there’s just a very small amount of mercury from silver amalgam, so the health risks attached to mercury cannot be expected to manifest because you’ve decided to use silver amalgam as a dental filling.

Pregant women should consider different fillings.

Despite the safe amount of mercury in silver amalgams, pregnant women are advised to opt for a different kind of dental filling instead.

Allergic reactions to dental fillings.

Some people have allergies to dental fillings because of the metals used. Allergic reactions usually come in the form of skin rashes and itching. If you have an allergic reaction to your filling, better have it replaced by something else ASAP.

How dental fillings protect you.

Dental fillings protect the sensitive nerves of damaged teeth, but you can expect some sensitivity after the placement of a filling.

Minimizing Constant Sensitivity.

If there’s constant sensitivity despite the dental filling, you can use desensitizing toothpaste to alleviate the discomfort.

Dental Filling Aftercare.

After the application of dental filling, it’s important to just let it cure even more. So don’t eat for an hour or two after the treatment. If you are still having doubts on when you can resume eating contact Dental1Care and let a dental professional give you the necessary information.

Silver amalgam filling aftercare.

If you opted for silver amalgam dental filling, avoid chewing or biting on the treated tooth for 24 hours.

Dental filling aftercare for children.

Children who receive dental fillings will have numb lips and tongues due to the treatment. It’s important to tell them not to bite on their numb lips and tongue because they won’t be able to tell if they’re already biting too hard and injuring their lips or tongue.

If you have additional questions about fillings contact a dental professional at Dental1Care. The knowledgeable dentists can help ease any anxiety you may feel about getting your cavities filled.