Visiting a dentist to have a fluoride treatment is an easy and fast procedure that makes your teeth stronger by protecting the enamel, which prevents cavities. But when it comes to it, as soon as the treatment is over, you must be saying: when do I eat? This is one of the most frequently asked questions that people pose after leaving the dental office, and with good reason as it takes too soon to eat until the fluoride attaches properly to your teeth making the treatment less efficient.
Knowledge of how to follow instructions after the fluoride treatment will see you benefit to the best of this great preventive dental care. As in dental health observing due care guidelines will help boost health, so in all health services observing due process will help boost dental services and that is why at LiT Dental we consider observing proper protocols to achieve accurate and reliable results each time.
What is the Length of Time I Can Wait to Eat without Interfering with the results after taking the Fluoride?
A general rule that most dental practitioners advise following a dental fluoride procedure is to wait at least 30 minutes or an hour before eating, although some dentists recommend waiting even more, as long as 2 hours, to achieve the best fluoride absorption. The time spent in waiting is necessary so that the fluoride can bond completely with your tooth enamel, forming a protective layer that makes the teeth stronger and more resistant to decay.
The query on whether it is bad to eat immediately after fluoride has a definite response: yes, it is easy to negate the fluoride treatment by simply eating and washing off the front line of the fluoride. Depending on the type of fluoride product that you were using during your visit to the dentist or dental hygienist, you will be given special instructions after fluoride treatment.
Does the Fluoride Treatment that you receive change your ability to eat or drink?
Yes, the kind of fluoride treatment you are receiving is a great difference as to whether you should wait a long time before you eat. There are various types of professional fluoride applications namely varnish, gel, foam, and rinse, each possessing various rates of absorption and also duration of waiting periods. The longest waiting time is associated with the fluoride varnish that your dentist paints in your teeth because it requires time to dry and bond.
Fluoride gel or foam, which is usually used in tray that a patient bites several minutes, has a shorter waiting time but needs time to act. The knowledge of such differences assists in the answer to the question: does fluoride work when you eat too soon – the answer is yes and yes, but dependent upon the type of treatment you had.
Varnish vs. Gel Differences
- Fluoride varnish: This viscous liquid which is applied directly onto teeth takes the longest period of waiting – 4 to 6 hours before eating and some doctors advise against brushing after the application of the varnish because it is thought that the fluoride should be allowed to sink in to the teeth.
- Fluoride gel or foam: These are treatments administered in mouth trays and have shorter waiting times- between 30 minutes up to one hour before a meal- since the fluoride is absorbed into enamel of the teeth more rapidly during the first application time in the tray.
What Foods and Drinks to Avoid Oral Properly in the Immediate Period after a Fluoride Treatment?
Although the initial waiting period is over, some foods and beverages are not supposed to be consumed a few hours after fluoride treatment as much as possible. Hot drinks and foods may disrupt the connection of the fluoride, heat changes the ability of fluoride to bond to enamel. Hard or crunchy food such as chips, nuts, hard candy or raw vegetables may lash off the coating of fluoride before it has time to absorb.
Caramel or taffy are sticky desserts that can remove tooth surfaces of fluoride. Acidic foods and drinks – citrus fruits and tomatoes, soda, dressings that have vinegar can reverse the protective effect of fluoride. After fluoride treatment, adherence to the instructions concerning the food consumption will safeguard your investment in preventive dental care.
Foods to Avoid
- Hot drinks: Coffee, tea, hot chocolate or soup.
- Immense foods: Chips, crackers, nuts, popcorn, hard candy.
- Sticky: Caramel, taffy, gummy candy, dried fruit.
- Acidic products: sports drinks, wine, tomatoes, citrus fruits, soda.
- Hard foods: Hard bread, raw vegetables, hard meats.
- Sweet pastry: Candy, cookies, cake, ice cream.
Can You Drink Water or Other Drinks Immediately after a Fluoride Therapy or Should You Wait?
Water can usually be acknowledged to be good to drink soon after receiving fluoride therapy except that most dentists suggest that even water be left at least 30 minutes to enjoy maximum absorption of fluoride. The most important question being does fluoride still work when you eat goes further to beverages as well as plain water being the safest choice as long as you definitely need to drink something; it still has the capacity to wash off some of the fluoride in case you drink it at the same time.
Other drinks must certainly take the entire recommended time. Milk, juice, soda, coffee, tea and alcoholic drinks all disrupt the process of bonding fluoride and should be avoided at least one to two hours or more in case of fluoride varnish.
Drinking Guidelines
- Plain water: Wait at least 30 minutes; do not gulp but swallow slowly
- Dairy / milk: Wait at least 1-2 hours before eating.
- Juice and acidic drinks: Do not take within 2-4 hours of treatment.
- Coffee and tea: Wait at least 2 hours; heat and tannins are not compatible with fluoride.
- Soft drinks, soda: do not eat within the 4 hours; soda neutralizes fluoride.
- Alcohol: See several hours; alcohol may remove coatings of fluoride.
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Conclusion
Although we cannot assist you on your questions about fluoride treatment, we can assist you in learning more about your genetic background and affirm biological relations with the help of professional dental care. The teeth whitening and the other dental services at LiT Dental are offered by the highly qualified team that takes all the necessary steps and pays strict attention to details that would guarantee the right results all the time.
