When anesthesia has been used, your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid eating or chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. If you can’t wait to eat, then use the side of your mouth that isn’t numb to chew. Your new tooth colored composite fillings are fully hardened before you even leave the office and should be ready to chew whatever you want when you are ready to eat. 

Discomfort around the injection site and the gums near the treated area is common. This swelling and/or discomfort tends to peak about 72 hrs after a filling and tends to diminish after that with passing of time. Current research shows that the best way to treat post-operative discomfort and swelling following a filling is to take 2 tablets of 200mg ibuprofen (commonly known as Advil) and 1 tablet of 500mg acetaminophen (commonly known as Tylenol) by mouth every 4 hours as needed. It is important to only take these three pills together as needed by mouth every four hours. It is equally important to not take a higher dosage of these pills or to take them more frequently than every four hours. Only take ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen if you know your medical history does NOT contraindicate you from taking these medications. If you have any doubt about whether or not you are able to take these medications, you should contact your physician to see if you are able to do so. If you are unable to take ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen, take what you would typically take to relieve a headache to treat your post-operative pain or consult with your physician and/or dentist about alternatives. It is best to start taking any pain medications while you are still numb, as pain responds better to proactive treatment than reactive treatment. Please continue with any other medications as prescribed, unless instructed otherwise by your physician or dentist.

You can also use a warm salt water rinse up to 4 times a day to help provide your gums relief. Do this by mixing one teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. 

Your jaw may be sore from holding open during the filling procedure. If you need a supplement to the recommended acetaminophen and ibuprofen, you can apply ice to the area for the first 72 hrs following the procedure. Apply ice packs for 15 minute on / off  increments. Repeat this process as needed. Do not apply the ice pack directly to your skin. 

It is common for teeth to experience some temperature sensitivity after treatment which can last several weeks. One of the most common causes of sensitivity to chewing following filling placement is the need for a bite adjustment. If you have chewing discomfort with the recently filled tooth lasting more than 3 days after,  please contact our office because this chewing discomfort will not go away on its own. A simple bite adjustment (without anesthetic) will likely be needed and often solves this problem. If temperature sensitivity does not improve or worsens with time or biting discomfort does not improve with adjustments, further dentistry, (like a root canal and or crown) will likely be needed to keep your tooth and resolve its symptoms. The larger/deeper a filling is, the greater the probability of post-operative discomfort.

The timeframe for development of potential discomfort associated with deep cavities varies greatly.  We typically place a “medicine” called a pulp cap on teeth with deep cavities to help soothe the nerve of the tooth and minimize the risk of pain flare ups associated with deep cavities and their corresponding fillings.