Recovery · 21 procedures · 273 timelines
Recovery Guide
Find out when you can resume normal activities after dental procedures. Select your procedure to see recovery timelines.
Select Your Procedure
Choose a procedure to see when you can resume specific activities.
Table 1 — Recovery guides
| Procedure | Longest wait |
|---|---|
| Dental Crown | 2-3 hours for permanent, avoid sticky foods with temporary |
| Root Canal | 72+ hours |
| Tooth Extraction | 7 days |
| Cavity Filling | 4+ hours |
| Dental Implant | 2-3 weeks |
| Wisdom Teeth Removal | 7-10 days |
| Braces Adjustment | Soft foods for 2-3 days |
| Dental Cleaning | Immediately |
| Dental Bridge | 2-3 hours |
| Dentures | 2-4 weeks |
| Custom Mouthguard | Immediately |
| Retainer | Immediately |
| Dental Veneer | 48 hours |
| Teeth Whitening | 48+ hours |
| Deep Cleaning (Scaling & Root Planing) | 48-72 hours |
| Dental Bonding | 48 hours |
| Gum Graft | 2-3 weeks |
| Dental Sealant | Immediately |
| Dental Bone Graft | Avoid entirely during healing |
| Tooth Contouring | Immediately |
| Inlay/Onlay | 24 hours |
Tables 2–22 — Activities by procedure
01
Dental Crown
13 activities
| Use a Straw | When numbness wears off |
| Eat Normally | 2-3 hours for permanent, avoid sticky foods with temporary |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Same day, gently around crown |
| Drink Coffee | 1 hour |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-3 hours for permanent crown |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | Same day |
02
Root Canal
13 activities
| Use a Straw | 24-48 hours |
| Eat Normally | 2-3 hours |
| Smoke | 72+ hours |
| Drink Alcohol | 24 hours |
| Drive | Immediately (if no sedation) |
| Exercise | 24 hours |
| Return to Work | Same day or next day |
| Brush Teeth | Gently, same day |
| Drink Coffee | 24 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-3 hours |
| Fly on an Airplane | 24 hours |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | 24 hours |
03
Tooth Extraction
13 activities
| Use a Straw | 7 days |
| Eat Normally | 24-48 hours for soft foods, 1 week for normal |
| Smoke | 72+ hours minimum, ideally 1 week |
| Drink Alcohol | 48-72 hours |
| Drive | If sedated, 24 hours; local only, when numbness wears off |
| Exercise | 48-72 hours |
| Return to Work | 1-2 days |
| Brush Teeth | Avoid extraction site for 24 hours |
| Drink Coffee | 24-48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 5-7 days |
| Fly on an Airplane | 24-48 hours |
| Kiss | When comfortable, avoid suction |
| Rinse Mouth | 24 hours, then gently |
04
Cavity Filling
13 activities
| Use a Straw | When numbness wears off |
| Eat Normally | 1-2 hours |
| Smoke | 4+ hours |
| Drink Alcohol | 1 hour |
| Drive | Immediately (if no sedation) |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | 1 hour |
| Eat Solid Food | 1-2 hours |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | When numbness wears off |
| Rinse Mouth | Same day |
05
Dental Implant
13 activities
| Use a Straw | 24-48 hours |
| Eat Normally | Soft foods for 1-2 weeks |
| Smoke | Avoid entirely during healing (3-6 months ideal) |
| Drink Alcohol | 72 hours |
| Drive | 24 hours if sedated |
| Exercise | 1 week for intense exercise |
| Return to Work | 1-3 days |
| Brush Teeth | Avoid implant area for 48 hours |
| Drink Coffee | 48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-3 weeks |
| Fly on an Airplane | 48-72 hours |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | 24 hours, then gently |
06
Wisdom Teeth Removal
13 activities
| Use a Straw | 7-10 days |
| Eat Normally | 1-2 weeks for full normal diet |
| Smoke | At least 1 week |
| Drink Alcohol | 72 hours minimum, 1 week ideal |
| Drive | 24 hours if sedated, longer if on pain meds |
| Exercise | 5-7 days |
| Return to Work | 3-5 days |
| Brush Teeth | Avoid surgical areas for 24 hours |
| Drink Coffee | 48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 1-2 weeks |
| Fly on an Airplane | 48-72 hours |
| Kiss | When comfortable, avoid suction |
| Rinse Mouth | 24 hours, then very gently |
07
Braces Adjustment
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | Soft foods for 2-3 days |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | Immediately |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-3 days |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
08
Dental Cleaning
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | 30 minutes |
| Smoke | 30 minutes |
| Drink Alcohol | Immediately |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | 30 minutes |
| Eat Solid Food | 30 minutes |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | 30 minutes |
09
Dental Bridge
13 activities
| Use a Straw | When numbness wears off |
| Eat Normally | 2-3 hours |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | 1 hour |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-3 hours |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | Same day |
10
Dentures
13 activities
| Use a Straw | When comfortable |
| Eat Normally | 2-4 weeks for full adjustment |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Clean dentures daily |
| Drink Coffee | Immediately |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-4 weeks |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
11
Custom Mouthguard
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | Immediately |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
| Brush Teeth | Immediately |
| Drink Coffee | Immediately |
| Eat Solid Food | Immediately |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
12
Retainer
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | Immediately |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
| Brush Teeth | Immediately |
| Drink Coffee | Immediately |
| Eat Solid Food | Immediately |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
13
Dental Veneer
13 activities
| Use a Straw | When numbness wears off |
| Eat Normally | 2-3 hours |
| Smoke | 48 hours |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Same day, gently |
| Drink Coffee | 48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 24 hours |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | Same day |
14
Teeth Whitening
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | 24-48 hours for best results |
| Smoke | 48+ hours |
| Drink Alcohol | White wine only for 48 hours |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
| Brush Teeth | 30 minutes |
| Drink Coffee | 48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | Immediately |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
15
Deep Cleaning (Scaling & Root Planing)
13 activities
| Use a Straw | When numbness wears off |
| Eat Normally | 2-4 hours |
| Smoke | 48-72 hours |
| Drink Alcohol | 24 hours |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | 24 hours |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Wait until evening, brush gently |
| Drink Coffee | 2 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-4 hours |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | 24 hours for salt water, prescription rinse as directed |
16
Dental Bonding
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | 24 hours |
| Smoke | 48 hours |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | 48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 24 hours |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
17
Gum Graft
13 activities
| Use a Straw | 1 week |
| Eat Normally | 2-3 weeks |
| Smoke | 2+ weeks |
| Drink Alcohol | 1 week |
| Drive | 24 hours if sedated |
| Exercise | 1-2 weeks |
| Return to Work | 2-3 days |
| Brush Teeth | Avoid graft area 2 weeks |
| Drink Coffee | 48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 2-3 weeks |
| Fly on an Airplane | 1 week |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | As directed, usually 24 hours |
18
Dental Sealant
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | Immediately |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | Immediately |
| Eat Solid Food | Immediately |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
19
Dental Bone Graft
13 activities
| Use a Straw | 1 week |
| Eat Normally | 2-3 weeks |
| Smoke | Avoid entirely during healing |
| Drink Alcohol | 1 week |
| Drive | 24 hours |
| Exercise | 2 weeks |
| Return to Work | 2-3 days |
| Brush Teeth | Avoid surgical area 1 week |
| Drink Coffee | 48 hours |
| Eat Solid Food | 3-4 weeks |
| Fly on an Airplane | 1-2 weeks |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | 24 hours, then gently |
20
Tooth Contouring
13 activities
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Eat Normally | Immediately |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | Immediately |
| Eat Solid Food | Immediately |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | Immediately |
| Rinse Mouth | Immediately |
21
Inlay/Onlay
13 activities
| Use a Straw | When numbness wears off |
| Eat Normally | 24 hours |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Same day |
| Brush Teeth | Same day |
| Drink Coffee | 1 hour |
| Eat Solid Food | 24 hours |
| Fly on an Airplane | Immediately |
| Kiss | When comfortable |
| Rinse Mouth | 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. Always follow your dentist's specific post-operative instructions.
Having Recovery Problems?
If you're experiencing unusual pain, swelling, or other concerns after your procedure, check your symptoms.