After a Dental Filling

If local anesthesia was used, numbness in your lips, tongue, or cheek will typically wear off within 1-3 hours. During this time:

• Avoid chewing on the numb side to prevent biting your cheek or tongue.
• Avoid hot foods and drinks -- you may not be able to feel the temperature and could burn yourself.
• Be careful not to bite your lip.

It is normal to experience some sensitivity after a filling, especially to hot, cold, pressure, or sweet foods. This usually resolves within a few days to a couple of weeks.

• Use a sensitivity toothpaste (such as Sensodyne) to help manage discomfort.
• Avoid extreme hot or cold foods and drinks for a few days.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers can help if needed.

• Brush and floss normally.
• Avoid very hard foods (ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels) and sticky foods (caramel, taffy) for the first 24 hours.
• Composite (tooth-colored) fillings are set immediately and can be used for normal chewing right away.
• Amalgam (silver) fillings take about 24 hours to fully harden -- avoid chewing hard foods on that side until then.

Contact our office if you experience:

• Pain that increases over time rather than improving
• A sharp edge on the filling that irritates your tongue or cheek
• The filling feels loose, cracked, or falls out
• Sensitivity that worsens or does not improve after 2 weeks
• Swelling or signs of infection near the treated tooth