How To Care For Dental Fillings

By Dr Kunal Patel · 5 min read · 21 September 2020

Your oral health is at the forefront of everything we do here at Etwall Dental Practice. Whether you’ve just had a filling placed or you’re planning ahead of an upcoming appointment, this guide covers everything you need to know – from the first 48 hours through to long-term care, plus the warning signs that mean it’s time to give us a call.

Immediate Aftercare: The First 24–48 Hours

Numbness – Your local anaesthetic will typically wear off within 1 to 3 hours. Until it does, avoid eating or drinking anything hot, and be mindful of grinding, clenching, or biting your tongue and cheek – it’s easy to injure yourself without realising while the area is still numb.
What to eat – For the first 24 hours, chew on the opposite side of your mouth where possible. Stick to softer foods – soup, eggs, pasta – and avoid anything very hot, very cold, sticky, or hard (nuts, toffee, hard sweets can dislodge or damage a new filling). Stick to water as your main drink during this initial period.
Brushing and flossing – Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and be gentle around the treated tooth. Flossing is fine and encouraged, just take care not to catch or irritate the area, particularly within the first 24 hours.
Sensitivity – Mild sensitivity to hot, cold, sweetness, or pressure is normal for the first few days after any filling. This should ease on its own – see the warning signs section below for when it’s worth contacting us instead of waiting it out.

Caring for Your Filling by Material Type

How your filling behaves in these first hours and days depends on the material used:

Amalgam (metal) fillings set within about an hour of placement, but take up to 24 hours to reach full strength. We’d recommend avoiding hard or chewy foods on that side of your mouth for the first day. Once fully set, amalgam fillings feel noticeably softer to the bite than composite. Read more about amalgam fillings.

Composite (white) fillings are cured layer by layer using a UV light while you’re still in the chair, so they’re already hardened and usable as soon as you leave your appointment. They feel firmer to the bite than amalgam. Read more about white fillings.

Regardless of which material you have, the same general aftercare above applies – soft foods, gentle brushing, and avoiding temperature extremes – while the area settles over the first few days.

Long-Term Care & How Long Fillings Last

Good oral hygiene and regular check-ups are the single biggest factor in how long your filling lasts. A few things worth keeping in mind:
Staining: composite (white) fillings can discolour over time from smoking, red wine, tea, and coffee – the same way natural teeth do. Amalgam fillings won’t stain, but can wear down with heavy or repeated bite pressure.

Typical lifespan: amalgam fillings generally last 10–15 years; composite fillings typically need replacing after around 5 years, though this varies depending on the filling’s location in your mouth and how much biting pressure it takes.
Routine check-ups let us catch wear or early damage before a filling fails completely, which is almost always simpler and less costly than dealing with a filling that’s already come loose or cracked.

When to Contact Etwall Dental Practice?

Some sensitivity and adjustment is completely normal in the days after a filling. Get in touch with us if you notice any of the following:

Pain or sensitivity that persists beyond two weeks, or gets worse rather than better
Sharp, throbbing pain, particularly if it wakes you up at night
Your bite feels uneven, or one tooth feels like it’s hitting before the others
Swelling, redness, or bleeding in the gum around the filled tooth
A rash, itching, or unusual reaction around the treated area
The filling itself feels loose, chipped, or has visibly come away

If your filling falls out, contact us as soon as possible to arrange a repair. In the meantime, keep the fragment if you can (we may be able to reuse it), rinse gently with warm salt water, avoid chewing on that side, and – if you have it – a pharmacy-bought temporary dental cement can protect the exposed tooth until we can see you. Please don’t use household glue or anything not designed for use in the mouth.

Ready for Your Next Check-Up?

The best way to make sure your filling – and the rest of your teeth – stay in good shape is with regular check-ups and hygiene visits. If it’s been a while since your last appointment, or you’d simply like your filling looked at, book a check-up or hygiene appointment with the team at Etwall Dental Practice. Call us on 01283 733391 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get you booked in.

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