Tuesday 27 December 2016

Chewing Tips after a Filling

You are likely to experience soreness and tooth sensitivity for a few hours after getting your fillings done in the dentist's office. This can make drinking and eating an uncomfortable affair.

Fortunately by avoiding foods and following a few common sense chewing tips you can decrease discomfort considerably:

Bite lightly and chew slowly: Biting puts a lot of pressure on our teeth, making them very sore after we get a filling. When you chew your food, make sure you take time and try not to chew it entirely at once; this habit will prevent your teeth from impacting. Also, if possible, try to chew from the opposite side of the filling.

Close your mouth while chewing: For many people cold air may cause pain in sensitive teeth. Therefore, apart from being good manners, keeping the mouth closed while eating will reduce your chances of cold air coming your mouth and leading to pain.

Reduce sticky foods: Some fillings, especially silver amalgam, take some time to set once you have left the dentist's office. Consuming gummy or sticky foods can, in some cases, dislodge a filling. Therefore, it is best to avoid them.

Avoid cold or hot drinks: Temperatures that are moderate are less likely to cause pain in sensitive teeth.

Pass on the sweets: Soft drinks and sugary foods tend to trigger sensitivity in some and may promote the growth of bacteria around the edges of the new filling.

Don't bite on hard candy, nuts, or ice: Apart from causing undue pressure on the projection, chewing on hard foods can displace a fresh filling that has not been set properly. This is particularly important for amalgam fillings, as they take some time to set when compared to composite fillings.

Food suggestions:

Stick to healthy, soft foods after getting a filling. Avoid hot but try warm vegetable soup, or smoothies made out of bananas, berries, nut butter and milk. Slowly, introduce harder and hot and cold foods. If your teeth feel sensitive after a week, make sure to schedule another appointment with the dental expert, as they may have to remove the decay properly.

Practicing good hygiene and keeping teeth healthy can also help in ensuring long-lasting fillings. Make sure to brush twice a day with a toothpaste containing floss and fluoride. In case you feel any tooth pain, talk to your dentist. It is easier to perform a filling on a tooth that has less decay as it can help to shorten the process of recovery so you can start eating the foods you love.

It is important to always follow the recommendations of your dentist regarding chewing tips, the type of foods to eat after the treatment, and the amount of time to wait to eat solid foods after getting softer filling materials like, amalgam. In case the teeth remain sensitive for weeks after filling, or if pain increases instead of decreasing over time, get in touch with a dentist to explore the reasons and potential solutions. At times a painless or minor adjustment, such as shredding down a mounted area, is what is required to relieve the tooth pain. In other times, sensitivity may be a sign of a serious problem.

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