What to Eat After Fluoride Treatment?
Eating time frame tends to be a frequently asked question for patients in the dental chair. When you visit your dentist for your regular cleaning and checkup, your hygienist may apply a fluoride varnish or have you swish with a fluoride rinse. If they do, they will let you know any restrictions to follow once you leave the office.
Eating Right After Dental Cleaning
You do not need to wait after your cleaning. A lot of times, patients come in during their lunch hour so of course they will want and need to eat relatively soon after having their teeth cleaned. To avoid any sensitivities, it could be best to avoid anything extreme temperatures. Hot or cold foods could have more effect than they usually would, and crunchy foods may also not feel great on your gums. This is a normal reaction. Teeth and gums can be more sensitive than normal immediately following a cleaning. After you have given your teeth and gums a few hours to recuperate, certainly have all the hot, cold and crunchy foods you like!
Fluoride Treatments
A fluoride treatment is often applied to help strengthen your teeth, aiding in the repair of enamel and protecting against decay. If your hygienist applied any sort of fluoride treatment, they will advise that you wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking. This waiting period allows the fluoride time to seal over your teeth (though you will not see or feel this!). Typically, by the time you get back to your office or to the restaurant for lunch or dinner, you will have passed that 30-minute mark. You will still want to be aware of what you choose to eat. Read on to learn a few tips on what to eat immediately following a dental cleaning.
What to Eat After a Cleaning
As we mentioned earlier, there may be some foods to consider before consuming immediately following a dental cleaning. Some of these types of foods include those that are:
- Hot
- Cold
- Sticky
- Crunchy
- Spicy
- Citrusy
While this may seem restrictive, especially if you are among those patients that use their lunch hour for dental visits, your teeth are more sensitive than usual. A salad or sandwich that is not too crunchy or crusty, yogurts, eggs and cheese will all make a great post cleaning lunch!
Make sure you also avoid any sugary beverages or any that could stain your teeth. Coffee and tea and sodas should be skipped. Try to opt for room temperature water for at least a couple of hours following your dental cleaning.
More on Fluoride Treatment : Teeth Sensitivity and Fluoride Treatments