When eating sugar or starch, the bacteria that accumulate in the plaque on the teeth will eat the food debris and produce acid. This acid will attack and erode tooth enamel, according to health experts Healthline (America).
Depending on the material used, the filling tooth can be eaten immediately or needs to wait a certain amount of time before eating.
The initial lesions will be tiny holes in the enamel, then grow and cause tooth decay. To treat tooth decay, the most common method is fillings.
The dentist will remove damaged tissue in the cavity and fill it with a filling material. This material is very diverse, from composite resin, glass, gold, silver amalgam to porcelain. The durability of the filling hole will depend on the material used.
Filling time depends on the procedure and the type of material used. Usually, the dentist will start filling the tooth with a local anesthetic in the place where the tooth needs to be filled. As a result, patients will feel no pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Damaged tissue in the deep hole will be removed with specialized dental tools such as dental drills, dental lasers or pneumatic abrasive tools. This will help the wormhole be cleaned of bacteria and food debris.
If the hole is severe enough to affect the nerve, the dentist will use fillers to create a protective lining. With composite resin fillings, the dentist fills the cavity with this material and uses a UV light to harden them, then abrades them to match the upper teeth.
How long after filling can I eat and drink?
Dental check up
If using composite resin, we can eat and drink immediately after filling. Since the filling is UV-hardened, it will not be affected by heat or hard foods.
However, if you still feel numbness in the tooth that has just been filled, your dentist will usually recommend stopping eating or drinking for about 2 hours. After this time, the anesthetic will wear off.
For people with silver or gold fillings, dentists often recommend avoiding chewing on that tooth for about 24 hours. After this time, the filling will harden completely.
In some cases, patients after filling will experience some minor side effects, such as sensitivity to hot or cold foods. This condition sometimes lasts up to 14 days after filling.
At that time, a good way to handle it is to avoid eating foods that are too hot or too cold, and avoid foods that are hard or highly acidic. Ideal foods are soft foods such as soups and eggs. In addition, sticky and sticky foods should also be avoided because in some cases they can move the filling. Healthline.
