Written by Dr. Cristian Dunker, BDSc, MBA
After Your Filling or Restoration
A filling restores a tooth damaged by decay, wear, or fracture. Tooth-coloured composite fillings are set with a curing light and are fully hardened before you leave, so there is no waiting period before you can use the tooth. Most of the care needed in the first day relates to the anaesthetic rather than to the filling itself.
While You Are Still Numb
Avoid eating, and avoid hot drinks, until the numbness has completely worn off. Numbness usually lasts two to four hours, and often longer for lower back teeth.
Take care not to bite your lip, cheek, or tongue. This is the most common injury after a filling appointment.
Watch children closely until sensation has returned. A numb lip invites chewing and can cause a significant ulcer.
An ulcer caused by an accidental bite may take seven to ten days to heal. Warm salt water rinses help.
Eating After a Filling
Once the numbness has gone, you can eat normally on a composite filling.
For the first 24 hours, chew on the opposite side if the tooth feels tender.
Avoid very hard foods such as ice, whole nuts, and hard lollies on the restored tooth.
Sticky foods such as toffee and chewing gum are best avoided for the first day.
If Your Bite Feels High
Your bite was checked and adjusted before you left, but this was done while you were numb, and numb muscles do not close in quite the same way.
If the tooth feels as though it hits first, or you find yourself avoiding closing fully on that side, contact us for a simple bite adjustment.
A high filling is the most common cause of ongoing discomfort after a filling, and it is corrected in a few minutes.
Do not wait for it to settle on its own. A tooth left biting too heavily stays sore and can become genuinely inflamed.
Managing Sensitivity
Some sensitivity to cold, pressure, or sweetness is normal, particularly where the filling was deep or close to the nerve.
Sensitivity usually settles within a few days and almost always within two to four weeks.
Use a desensitising toothpaste containing potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride if needed.
Avoid very hot and very cold foods and drinks for the first few days.
Take ibuprofen or paracetamol as needed, following the dosage instructions on the packet.
Sensitivity that improves week by week is a good sign. Sensitivity that is getting worse should be reviewed.
Deep fillings placed close to the nerve can take several weeks to settle, and occasionally a tooth does not recover and needs root canal treatment. This is uncommon, and it reflects how much damage the tooth had before it was repaired rather than a problem with the filling.
Temporary Fillings
A temporary filling is a placeholder. It is softer than a permanent restoration and is designed to be removed.
Avoid chewing directly on it, and avoid sticky foods, which can pull it out.
Floss carefully around it. Slide the floss out to the side rather than pulling it straight up, which can lift the temporary out.
A small amount of surface wear is expected.
Attend your follow-up appointment as scheduled. A temporary filling left in place too long allows bacteria back into the tooth.
If the temporary comes out completely, contact us promptly rather than waiting for the scheduled appointment.
Fissure Sealants
Sealants are set immediately and need no waiting period. Your child can eat as soon as any numbness has worn off, although sealants are usually placed without anaesthetic.
Avoid sticky and chewy foods on the day of placement.
The tooth may feel slightly different to bite on for a day or two while your child adapts.
Sealants are checked at each routine visit and repaired or replaced if they wear or chip.
Tooth Reshaping and Polishing
Reshaping removes a small amount of enamel to smooth an edge or improve the shape of a tooth.
Mild sensitivity to cold for a few days is normal, as freshly shaped enamel is briefly more permeable.
A desensitising toothpaste helps, and fluoride applied at your next visit supports remineralisation.
Avoid whitening products and acidic drinks for a few days.
What Is Normal During Recovery
Numbness for two to four hours after the appointment
Cold or pressure sensitivity for several days
Mild gum tenderness where the matrix band or clamp sat
A tooth that feels slightly different for a day or two
A gradual reduction in all symptoms week by week
When to Contact Your Dentist
A bite that feels high or uneven once the numbness has gone
Pain that increases rather than settles after the first few days
Pain that lingers for more than 30 seconds after something hot or cold
Spontaneous pain, or pain that wakes you at night
A filling that feels rough or chipped, or that has come out
A temporary filling that is lost
Swelling of the gum or face, or a bad taste coming from the tooth
If you notice any of these signs, contact ArtSmiles on the Gold Coast for review. Pain that wakes you at night or lingers after cold is the one worth reporting promptly, as it suggests the nerve is inflamed and the tooth needs assessment.
You can book a consultation online or get in touch with us if you have concerns during your recovery.
