Eating normally after inlay/onlay: the short version
Allow 24 hours after an inlay or onlay is cemented before eating completely normally on that tooth. You can eat once the numbness wears off, on the other side, while the cement finishes setting. If you are in the waiting period between visits with a temporary in the tooth, be careful for the whole of it: avoid sticky and hard foods on that side, since temporaries pull out and break easily.
What is actually going on
An inlay or onlay is a custom-made piece that fits into or over part of a back tooth. Traditional ones are made in a lab, so you spend one to two weeks with a temporary filling material in the prepared cavity. That temporary is soft and only lightly retained. Sticky foods lift it out, hard foods crack it, and if it is lost the prepared tooth can be sensitive and the final piece may not fit as well. At the fitting visit the restoration is bonded with resin cement. The cement is firm when you leave and continues to gain strength during the first day, which is why heavy chewing on it waits 24 hours. After that it works like the rest of the tooth. Because these sit on chewing surfaces, a bite that feels high is noticed quickly and is easily corrected.
The first time, step by step
Once 24 hours have gone by since the final piece was bonded, bring that tooth back with a moderately firm meal, something like chicken and rice, before anything tough or crunchy. Chew a few mouthfuls on it and take note of three things: whether it touches before the other teeth, whether cold food makes it twinge, and whether its edges feel flush to your tongue. Then floss on both sides of it. A snag or a shredded strand suggests excess cement or a rough margin. Any of these is a small correction, so tell your dentist instead of waiting to see if it wears in.
Eat Normally After Inlay/Onlay: What You Need to Know
Wait time
After a inlay/onlay, you should wait 24 hours before eating normally.
Why
Allow cement to set
Warning
Careful with temporary
Tips for Eating normally After Inlay/Onlay
- 01While the temporary is in, chew on the opposite side and avoid gum, caramels, nuts, and hard crusts.
- 02On the day the final inlay or onlay is fitted, eat soft foods on the other side and save tough or crunchy foods for tomorrow.
- 03If hot or cold foods sting the tooth in the first weeks, lukewarm meals help while it settles.
- 04Call your dentist if the temporary comes out or the finished restoration feels high when you bite.
Common mistakes
- 01Chewing on the restored side the same evening because the numbness has gone and the tooth feels solid. Firm is not full strength, and the cement is still hardening for the remainder of the first day.
- 02Using a stick of gum to check that the new piece is secure. Gum is about the stickiest test available, and on the first day it pulls at a bond that has not finished curing.
- 03Biting a cherry stone or an unpopped kernel on a ceramic onlay. Porcelain copes well with broad chewing pressure and poorly with one hard point, which is how a cusp fractures.
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 |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| 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.