What is a tooth filling? It’s a procedure that uses a dental material to fill the hole or defect on your teeth. The eroded part of your teeth is removed by using a drill and replaced with a tooth filling – either white or silver fillings. After this dental treatment, a common question asked by most patients is “can I eat after a filling?” The answer is that it depends upon the filling material used and if whether you were given anesthesia or not.
If you were given anesthesia, you should wait for it to wear off before you can eat. The anesthesia causes your teeth, cheeks, lips and tongue to be numb for hours. And when your mouth is numb, then obviously you won’t be able to eat properly and even have the risk of aspirating your food. Just wait for the numbness to subside or until you are able to feel your teeth, cheeks, lips and tongue again. Be careful also that you do not bite your cheek, lip or tongue while still under anesthesia.
As mentioned earlier, there are two different types of filling materials:
White (Composite) filling – this material is a white paste made of resin. The good thing about this type of filling is that it hardens right away, especially after being exposed to blue light. After the procedure and after the anesthesia has worn off, you can eat right away.
Silver (Amalgam) filling – this kind of filling is made of several metals such as silver, copper, zinc, tin and mercury. It does not harden instantly as it takes 24 hours to harden completely. You will be advised to wait an hour before you can eat. But you should only eat soft foods like soup and avoid anything hard first. Then after 24 hours, you can solid foods.
You may also feel some sensitivity to hot and cold on your teeth after the dental treatment. Your gums may be also sore and feel a little pressure. But these are all normal for the first few days. You can treat the discomforts by rinsing your mouth with warm salt water three times a day and taking over-the-counter pain medications. Oral hygiene should also be maintained as well as regular check-ups with your dentist.