What happens if you eat after fluoride?

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

​If your dentist recommends a fluoride treatment for you from time to time and you always elect to wait, you should think again. Fluoride treatments are a safe, minimally invasive and pain free approach to strengthening the teeth and preventing tooth decay. Maybe you have said no because you were concerned about how long the treatment would take and what you would need to do in recovery. You may be surprised to hear the fluoride treatment procedure is quick and easy and requires little to no post-treatment instructions. Below is more information about fluoride treatment and post-treatment guidelines.

The Fluoride Treatment Procedure

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is used in overall and oral healthcare to strengthen teeth and bones. When fluoride is directly applied to the teeth, it adds mineral to the outside layer of the tooth, or the tooth’s enamel, helping to keep the tooth strong and prevent tooth decay. You most likely are exposed to fluoride on a daily basis through the tap drinking water in your community. Adding fluoride to drinking water is a public health initiative that was mandated years ago to help improve the oral health of the population in the United States. There are many ways to increase your daily fluoride exposure. In addition to the professional fluoride treatment offered at a routine dental exam, in-home fluoride treatments, and toothpaste or mouthwash with added fluoride are additional approaches to increase your daily dose of fluoride.

What to Eat After Fluoride Treatment

Generally, there are few post-treatment instructions that follow a fluoride treatment. Commonly, you can eat after a fluoride treatment. Your dentist will provide you post-treatment guidelines and any specific instructions to follow. In general, patients are advised to wait 30 minutes after a fluoride treatment before eating or drinking. This 30-minutes allows time for the fluoride treatment to seal to the teeth. Additionally, you may want to think more about what you are eating after a fluoride treatment. Immediately following the treatment, the teeth and gums are extra sensitive. When the teeth are still sensitive it may be best to avoid extremely cold or hot foods and beverages. Additionally, it may be a good idea to avoid foods that are high in acidity. Here is a list of foods to avoid after a fluoride treatment:

• Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes)
• Spicy foods
• Crunchy or hard textured foods
• Frozen or extremely cold foods (such as popsicles or ice cream)
• Sugary drinks

Here is a list of recommended foods to eat after a fluoride treatment, including:

• Soft foods (applesauce, mashed potatoes, yogurt, bananas, etc)
• Soups or liquid foods
• Hard-boiled eggs

If your next routine dental visit is approaching, you should consider a fluoride treatment. The treatment will help keep your teeth strong, prevent tooth decay, and may help reduce tooth sensitivity. Fluoride treatments are a low cost and effective way to improve your oral health. Don’t let your concerns about what and when you can eat after the procedure keep you from making the right choices for your health.

Tooth Sensitivity After Fluoride Treatment