Driving after inlay/onlay: the short version
You can drive immediately after an inlay or onlay appointment. These restorations are placed using local anesthetic only, which does not impair you. You will have a numb cheek and lip on one side for a few hours after each visit, and that is the extent of it.
What is actually going on
An inlay or onlay involves a preparation visit, where the tooth is drilled and shaped and a scan or impression taken, and a bonding visit, where the finished piece is tried in and cemented. Some offices design and mill the piece on site, which turns the two visits into a single longer one with a wait in the middle. During that wait you remain numb but otherwise normal, and the same is true when you leave. Since the work is on back teeth, a lower inlay usually means a nerve block and a numb half of the lower lip and tongue, while an upper one numbs less. Neither changes your reflexes. As with any long restorative appointment, sedation is an option some anxious patients arrange in advance, and it would mean needing a driver.
The first time, step by step
Inlays and onlays are placed under local anesthetic, which does not restrict driving. The first drive follows the preparation visit, with a numb cheek and, for a lower tooth, a numb half of the lip and tongue, plus a soft temporary sitting in the prepared tooth. After the bonding visit the numbness is the same but the tooth is finished. In both cases the car is a poor place to eat. Wait until you can feel your cheek, and then judge the bite: if the tooth seems to touch first when you close, let your dentist know so it can be eased.
Drive After Inlay/Onlay: What You Need to Know
Wait time
After a inlay/onlay, you can typically resume driving immediately.
Why
No impairment
Tips for Driving After Inlay/Onlay
- 01If you are having a same-day milled inlay, bring something to read; you can drive afterward but the appointment is long.
- 02Hold off on eating in the car until the numbness has gone, to avoid biting your cheek or tongue.
- 03Tell the office beforehand if you are considering sedation, so they can explain their escort policy.
Common mistakes
- 01Chewing gum on the drive home from the preparation visit. Gum grips a temporary filling and can lift it out, and with a numb cheek you will not be sure which side you are chewing on.
- 02Eating lunch in the car during the milling wait at a same-day appointment. The cheek is numb and the prepared tooth is open, so food packs into it and soft tissue gets bitten.
- 03Clenching on the new piece all the way home to judge the fit. Numb teeth cannot report a high spot accurately, and the real test is a normal meal after feeling returns.
Other Activities After Inlay/Onlay
See when you can do other activities after your inlay/onlay:
Table 1 — Other activities after inlay/onlay
| Activity | Wait |
|---|---|
| Use a Straw | When numbness wears off |
| Eat Normally | 24 hours |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
Recovery info
Recovery timelines are general guidelines based on typical cases. Individual recovery may vary based on your health, the complexity of your procedure, and other factors. Your own dentist's or surgeon's post-operative instructions always take priority over anything on this page. Call them if you are unsure.