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Precautions to Take after Getting a Tooth Filling

Fillings make proper cavity recovery possible. Once a tooth cavity has been completely removed, the exposed enamel can be particularly vulnerable to inviting—you guessed it—even more cavities! Fillings don’t just make your teeth look more normal after the fact, but they also help to protect your teeth over time.

However, you’ll want to take a few precautions just after you’ve had a dental filling in St. Petersburg, FL. To ensure that the filling stays in place, and that your mouth doesn’t feel particularly uncomfortable once any anesthetic has worn off, here are a few tips to keep in mind for treating your teeth right after you’ve had a tooth filling.

 

Avoid Biting Your Cheek

It’s straightforward enough. Whenever one side of your mouth has been numbed to receive a filling, it’s a good idea not to chew food on that side of your mouth until the anesthetic wears off. This is because, with a lack of feeling, it’s that much easier to accidentally bite down on your cheek or your tongue on this side of the mouth. Avoid any added discomfort whenever the numb sensation wears off! Chew food on the side of your mouth where you can feel well. Or if you can’t feel on both sides from multiple fillings, consider getting a smoothie to curb your appetite in the meantime.

Temperature Troubles

 

It may sound soothing to drink hot tea after getting a tooth cavity filling in St. Petersburg, FL. It’s not innately a bad call! But just be careful of the temperature. If your entire mouth or most of it is numb, it can be difficult to detect if you are drinking something that’s too hot. You won’t know you’ve burned your taste buds a bit until the feeling returns to your mouth, or until you swallow and your throat feels all of the discomfort. Be careful with hot drinks whenever coming off the anesthetic!

 

A Note on Filling Types and Chewing Food

Silver and white fillings are both a little bit different. With silver fillings, you should avoid chewing foods for the next 24 hours after receiving a filling. If you have a silver filling on one side of the mouth, then just be sure to chew with the opposite side within that timeframe to ensure that it sets well and doesn’t fall out easily after the fact. White fillings give you a bit more flexibility. If you aren’t numb in that area, chewing is perfectly safe to do immediately after receiving a white filling. This type doesn’t experience getting dislodged, so there’s no risk.

A Note on Gum Sensitivity

The gums are where the anesthetic is injected, which means that this area may be a bit sore or uncomfortable for a day or so, but the feeling shouldn’t last very long. Gum sensitivity can last for a few days, however, if you’ve received a side filling. The area may also be more sensitive if the cavity that was removed reached very close to a nerve in your gums, resulting in potential soreness or a dull ache in this area for a few days. This discomfort will subside! And it certainly shouldn’t be debilitating or majorly distracting throughout your day.

 

General Dental Hygiene

Cavities and fillings are relatively normal. Ensuring that you are taking the best care of your teeth, though, can truly help you to manage and prevent cavities effectively, and can keep you from worrying too much in the future about dental filling costs in St. Petersburg, FL. The most important thing to keep in mind after receiving a filling is the importance of proactive dental hygiene care. Make sure to brush and floss twice a day, and don’t shy away from the use of mouthwash for curbing bad bacteria—and bad breath—in your mouth. Nothing will help keep you from needing another dentist trip like incorporating all the important steps of dental hygiene into your daily routine.

Hopefully, this has helped prepare you for your future dental filling and the brief recovery phase. In the interest of your health and of keeping all your teeth intact, fillings are incredibly necessary. To learn more about getting a dental filling in St. Petersburg, FL, be sure to check out your local dentists to better understand their services, offerings, and accommodations.