Fillings

What to Expect After Your Filling

Getting a filling is a routine part of keeping your smile in good shape, and most patients feel back to normal pretty quickly. Here is a quick rundown of what your mouth may feel like over the next few hours and days, plus a few tips to help everything settle smoothly.

Lingering Numbness

Your lip, cheek, or tongue will likely feel numb for an hour or two after you leave the office, thanks to the local anesthetic. Hold off on eating or drinking anything until full feeling returns, since it is easy to accidentally bite your tongue or cheek without realizing it.

Tooth Sensitivity

Don't be surprised if your tooth feels a little sensitive to hot or cold for the first few days. This usually fades on its own within a week or so. If it bothers you, an over-the-counter pain reliever can take the edge off.

Eating and Chewing

Once the anesthetic wears off, you can go back to chewing normally. The whole point of a filling is to restore your tooth so it works just like it did before.

How Your Bite Feels

Sometimes a new filling can feel slightly high or uneven when you bite down. Give it a day or two to see if your mouth adjusts. If it still feels off, give us a call. A quick polish to fine-tune the bite is an easy fix.

Gum and Tissue Irritation

The gums right around the tooth may feel a bit tender for a short while, especially if the filling sat near the gumline. This typically calms down within a few days as everything heals.

Keep Up Your Routine

Brush twice a day and floss like usual. Strong oral hygiene is the best way to protect both your filling and the rest of your teeth from new decay.

Temporary Fillings

If we placed a temporary filling, you will need to come back so we can swap it out for the permanent one. Try not to skip or push back this visit, since temporaries are not meant to last.

Long-Term Wear

Fillings are durable, and with good care many last for years. Like anything that gets daily use, they can wear down over time and may eventually need to be replaced.

Signs to Watch For

Give us a call if you notice sharp pain when biting, sensitivity that keeps getting worse instead of better, or a rough spot or gap around the filling. These are easy issues to address when caught early.