After Your Dental Filling | The Do's and Dont'ts

Your anesthesia should wear off approximately 1 to 3 hours after the procedure. It is very important not to chew on the numb side (to prevent biting tongue, lip, etc.) until the anesthesia wears off. With that in mind, don’t eat until the numbness wears off.

Children should be observed until the anesthesia has worn off. Due to the strange feeling of the anesthetic, many children chew on the inside of their cheeks, lips, and tongue which can cause serious damage.

Your tooth (or teeth) may be sensitive to hot, cold or pressure from this procedure. This is completely normal. The possible symptoms of hot, cold or pressure sensitivity will cease within a few days to a couple of weeks. In very few instances, this sensitivity could last longer than a couple of weeks. As long as your teeth or gums are continuing to feel better, (not staying the same, or getting worse) everything is fine, and there is no need for concern.

The gum tissue could have been irritated during the procedure and may be sore for a few days. The anesthetic injection site may also feel sore or bruised. This soreness for the first few days after the filling is not uncommon. If there is a throbbing pain after a week, please call us.

You may (and should) brush and floss your teeth on a regular basis, especially around the new filling. Dental fillings and crowns are still susceptible to cavities, especially at the edge where the filling or crowns meets the tooth. Take care to brush and floss at these edges, especially at the gumline and in between the teeth. This is where potential problems begin (e.g. more tooth decay or gum disease).

This is also true for root canal treated teeth. The difference here is that in teeth with a root canal, a cavity doesn’t hurt since the nerve is not present. The tooth structure can still get a cavity. These are generally diagnosed at the dentist during an exam or found on an x-ray.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please call us or book an appointment on our website.