AFTER CARE INFORMATION

After Care – White Composite Fillings

Unlike silver amalgam fillings, white resin (composite) fillings blend in with your existing tooth color, making them an attractive option for restoring a decayed tooth. In addition, the vast majority of fillings cause no severe difficulties, and most after-treatment concerns with composite fillings are similar to those for amalgam fillings:

Numbness

To remove tooth decay and fill the tooth, Dr. Welch will need to numb the nerves to the tooth’s root. If you are having a tooth filled, you can expect to have several numbing shots near the affected tooth; typically, the anesthetic makes a patient’s tongue and lips feel numb.

• After a composite filling, you may avoid eating hard, crunchy foods until the numbness has passed. When your mouth is numb, it’s very easy to bite your tongue or the inside of your cheek!
  

Discomfort or Pain

• You may experience mild pain or discomfort radiating from your jaw after having any kind of filling, and you can treat it with over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. 
  
• If your pain is radiating from or localized on a tooth, call Dr. Welch’s office as soon as possible. You may have an infection that needs to be treated, or your new filling may have been placed a little high on the tooth, so it needs to be reshaped.
  

Sensitivity

With virtually any dental procedure, sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks is a potential side effect. After receiving your new filling, you may notice temporary sensitivity to certain sweet foods, air, or extreme temperature.

• Consider using a sensitivity-reducing toothpaste for a few weeks after a filling if you are experiencing discomfort due to sensitivity.
  
• If your sensitivity lasts more than two weeks after your new filling has been placed, please call our office.
  

After any filling, it’s important to practice routine, healthy dental hygiene. Keeping your teeth clean is a critical component of good dental health, significantly reducing the likelihood that you will develop additional cavities or other dental problems.

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