Rinsing your mouth after inlay/onlay: the short version
Rinse the same day as an inlay or onlay appointment. A bonded inlay or onlay is fixed with cement that is hardened before you leave, and rinsing has no effect on it. The same is true during the in-between stage: the temporary that covers the tooth while the lab makes the final piece is not loosened by water or mouthwash.
What is actually going on
These restorations are made outside the mouth, so there are often two visits and two slightly different situations. After the first, the tooth carries a soft temporary filling and may be sensitive, since a good deal of tooth has been shaped and the temporary does not seal as tightly as the final piece. Cold rinses can make it ache, and lukewarm water is easier. After the second, the porcelain or gold piece is bonded with a resin cement. You may taste the bonding chemicals for an hour, and the gum between the teeth may be sore where bands and wedges were placed, which warm salt water soothes. A rinse sometimes brings out a tiny hard crumb of excess cement. That is usually just leftover cement, though a rough patch that remains along the edge should be polished.
The first time, step by step
Rinse the same day, once your lip and tongue can keep water in. Lean over the sink for the first try, since back-tooth numbness often lingers. Use lukewarm water and swish as usual. After the first visit, expect the temporary to feel slightly rough and the tooth to notice temperature. After the bonding visit, the water may carry out a chalky taste and perhaps a tiny hard fleck. Then run floss gently beside the tooth; it should pass and come out clean. Finish with your tongue along the join, which should feel like one continuous surface. Tell your dentist about a ledge, a catch, or gum that stays sore between those teeth.
Rinse Mouth After Inlay/Onlay: What You Need to Know
Wait time
After a inlay/onlay, you can typically resume rinsing your mouth same day.
Why
No concerns
Tips for Rinsing your mouth After Inlay/Onlay
- 01Use lukewarm rinses while the temporary is in, since the prepared tooth often reacts to cold.
- 02Ease a sore gum between the teeth with warm salt water for a couple of days after the bonding visit.
- 03If rinsing leaves a persistent rough or sharp feeling at the edge of the new piece, ask your dentist to smooth it.
Common mistakes
- 01Swishing sugary or acidic drinks around a tooth that is wearing a temporary. Temporaries seal loosely, and sweet liquid seeping under the edge is a common reason the tooth aches between visits.
- 02Rinsing hard to clear food packed beside the temporary instead of flossing carefully. Packed food needs lifting out; slide the floss out sideways so the temporary is not pulled up with it.
- 03Using mouthwash to mask a sour taste that keeps seeping from the temporary. That taste suggests leakage under it, and the tooth is better resealed by the dentist than perfumed.
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 |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
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.