How soon after dental cleaning can I eat?

A deep periodontal cleaning, also called scaling and root planing, is a treatment that we use to carefully clean the crowns of the teeth, as well as the root surfaces under the gums. This treatment works to remove any bacteria, toxins and tartar located in pockets between the tooth roots and the gums.

To make a deep cleaning as comfortable as possible for our patients, our experienced periodontists use a local anesthetic in the mouth, and we can administer laughing gas if needed!

After this procedure, you may feel some soreness or tenderness in your gums. This should go away within a few days, once your newly cleaned gums have healed.

During your healing stage, it’s important that you support your gums and care for them properly to promote a quick and healthy recovery. As you can imagine, caring for your gums has everything to do with the food you eat!

Here’s what you need to know about eating after a deep periodontal cleaning:

How long after a deep cleaning can you eat?

After the deep cleaning procedure, when your mouth is still numb and the local anesthetic and (optional) laughing gas is wearing off, it’s important that you refrain from eating. Eating while numb can increase the chances of you biting your cheeks or tongue and disrupting the healing process.

Once the numbness wears off and you can feel your tongue and lips again, you can eat! This may take a few hours though.

It’s important to be cautious with what you eat during the healing process. The last thing we want is a piece of popcorn or other hard food getting lodged in your gums. Ouch…

What to Eat After a Deep Cleaning

Let’s start with what not to eat. Here are some foods to avoid after a deep cleaning:

  • Avoid sharp or crunch foods, like nuts and popcorn, for at least 24 hours post-treatment
  • Avoid hot foods and beverages, like hot soup or hot coffee, for about 48 hours post-treatment
  • Avoid highly acidic foods, like oranges and tomatoes, for at least 48 hours post-treatment
  • Avoid spicy foods and alcoholic beverages for at least 48 hours to promote healing

Can you eat ice cream after a deep cleaning?
You may not want to eat anything too cold when your gums are still sensitive. It’s best to avoid any food or beverages that are especially hot or cold until your gums are healed.

Can you eat meat after deep cleaning?
If the type of meat is challenging to eat, like a steak or pork chop, it may not feel too great biting into it with sensitive gums. Soft lunch meats or pull-apart meats should be okay to eat!

Can you eat pizza after deep cleaning?
Pizza can be relatively chewy and difficult to pull apart. You can use your discretion with pizza, but it’s best to avoid any food that requires too much pressure from your gums.

Here are some examples of soft foods to eat after a deep cleaning:

  • Soups: not hot!
  • Pastas
  • Soft cooked rice
  • Yogurt
  • Eggs
  • Bananas
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Apple sauce
  • Soft lunch meats
  • Smoothies
  • Mac ‘n’ cheese
  • Soft vegetables

Proper nutrition is also fundamental to fast healing! Try to get as many nutrients in your diet as possible and drink lots of water. If you have a blender, try blending up some super fruits to make a nutritious smoothie.

Here’s a tasty recipe for a hearty smoothie that promotes healing:

Heal & Recover Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 c ice
  • 1 small ripe banana
  • 1 small ripe avocado
  • 1 medium orange
  • 1/2 c fresh spinach
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 orange

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.
  2. Pour into a glass
  3. Enjoy!

How long does it take for gums to reattach after a deep cleaning?

On average, it can take about a week for your gums to heal and reattach to your teeth roots. During this time, eat with caution! Eating a balanced diet of easy-to-chew foods is best.

As your gums heal, you’ll be able to reintroduce regular foods back into your diet! If you have any questions during the healing process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We love to hear from you, and we’re here to support you and your gums.

If you’re looking for a top periodontist in Tampa or New Port Richey, we’d love to meet you! Request an appointment today.

It is the art of removing food residue, plaque, and tartar from teeth through teeth brushing and flossing. However, teeth cleaning at home and in a dental office are not the same. While both cater to your oral hygiene, professional dental cleaning in a dental clinic is more thorough.

Once you visit a dentist near you for professional dental cleaning, various dental protocols will ensue. They include the following:

  1. Root planing and scaling – are steps for scraping off plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth. Root planing and scaling are crucial for first-time patients who have a severe buildup of tartar on their teeth.
  2. Teeth brushing – a dentist or dental hygienist will use an electric-powered toothbrush to brush your teeth. The process will be more thorough than your teeth brushing at home. Besides, the dental expert will use special toothpaste packed with components abrasive enough to leave your teeth clean. Besides, teeth brushing will go a long way in removing any discoloring on your teeth, leaving them brighter and whiter than before.
  3. Dental flossing – when a dentist flosses your teeth, it is different from when you do it at home. The flossing will rid your mouth of plaque and food residues in hard-to-reach parts of your mouth and in between your teeth.
  4. Rinsing and treating – the dentist will rinse your mouth to remove any loose debris left behind. After that, (s)he will apply a fluoride treatment to enrich your teeth with fluoride, a natural mineral that strengthens teeth. The fluoride treatment will increase your teeth’ resistance to bacteria that cause dental cavities.

Why Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned?

From far, the benefits of teeth cleaning near you will not be obvious. You have to enquire with a dentist near you to learn about the incredible benefits of professionally cleaning your mouth. Some of those benefits are:

  1. Boosting oral hygiene – although your dental hygiene routines at home are crucial for maintaining good oral health, you still need dental assistance. A professional cleaning session will remove any residues and plaque in parts of your mouth that you may have missed over time. Besides, getting a professional to clean your teeth every three months acts as a clean slate for you to excel in dental hygiene.
  2. Identify and detect dental issues early – before dental cleaning begins, the dentist examines and evaluates the state of your oral health. This way, your dentist will detect any anomalies that threaten your dental health.
  3. Strengthen your teeth – fluoride is necessary for sustaining strong teeth. After your cleaning session, your dentist will apply a fluoride varnish that acts as a layer of protection to your teeth’ enamels, resisting dental cavities.
  4. Reducing the risk of dental infections – gum diseases and dental cavities are the most common types of oral infections. They occur due to plaque buildup on teeth that happens gradually over time. Teeth cleaning with specialized dental tools targets plaque in different surfaces of your teeth, significantly lowering the risk of dental infections.

Guidelines for Eating After Dental Cleaning

What you eat after visiting a dentist can influence the success of your treatment. After a dental cleaning, your dentist will recommend a couple of food groups to help maintain clean and healthy teeth. The goal is to stick to foods that do not stain your teeth, more so because your teeth will be more permeable after teeth cleaning than before.

Is it OK to eat after dental cleaning?

If you just got a regular dental cleaning, you may eat and drink right away; however, you should be wary of what you consume. You may want to avoid extremely hot or cold foods as they can increase the sensitivity you may be feeling. Hard foods can get lodged between your teeth and cause discomfort.

What not to do after dental cleaning?

What can you not do after a deep teeth cleaning?.
Don't eat anything while your mouth is still numb..
Don't eat sharp, crunchy, grainy, or challenging foods on the first day..
Don't drink hot beverages for about 48 hours..
Don't rinse your mouth for about 48 hours..

Should I eat before or after a teeth cleaning?

It is recommended you do not have anything to eat or drink (except for water) at least 5 hours before your scheduled appointment. This will prevent food debris from lodging in your teeth, which can irritate you during a cleaning and give your dentist a little extra work to do.

Can you eat right after a deep cleaning?

Once the numbness wears off and you can feel your tongue and lips again, you can eat! This may take a few hours though. It's important to be cautious with what you eat during the healing process. The last thing we want is a piece of popcorn or other hard food getting lodged in your gums.