Yes, and you should. Flossing is exactly what protects a new filling, because the edge where the filling meets your tooth is the most likely place for new decay to start. The only thing that changes is technique: for the first day or two, slide the floss out sideways instead of snapping it back up through the contact, so you do not catch and lift the fresh margin.

With a tooth-colored composite filling, you can floss the same day. Composite is cured hard with a curing light before you leave, so it is at full strength immediately. With a silver amalgam filling, give it about 24 hours before flossing that tooth, because amalgam keeps hardening for roughly a day after placement. If you are not sure which you received, ask us, or simply wait a day to be safe.

Ease the floss down through the contact rather than snapping it, curve it into a C shape against the side of the tooth, slide it gently under the gum line, and then pull the floss out to the side and free rather than yanking it back up. That last step is the one that matters. Pulling straight up drags floss against the new edge and is the most common way people damage a filling in its first week.

That is worth a phone call. Shredding usually means the filling has a slight overhang or a rough spot at the margin, and it is a five-minute polish to fix. Left alone, that rough edge traps plaque in a place a toothbrush cannot reach, which is how decay starts underneath a brand new filling. Nothing about it is your fault and nothing about it is a big repair, but it does not resolve on its own.

Mild tenderness for a few days is normal, particularly if the cavity extended below the gum line and we needed to work close to the tissue. Keep flossing gently rather than skipping the tooth, since skipping it lets plaque build up and keeps the gum inflamed. If the soreness is getting worse after a few days, or the gum bleeds heavily every time, call us.

A properly bonded filling will not come out from normal flossing. If one does come loose, flossing revealed the problem rather than caused it, and it usually means the bond had already failed or decay was left with too little healthy tooth to hold the filling. Save the piece if you can, avoid chewing on that side, and call us so we can see what is underneath.

A water flosser is a good addition and a poor replacement. It is excellent at flushing debris and it is gentle on a tender area, which makes it useful in the first few days. It does not scrape the sticky plaque film off the flat surface between two teeth the way string floss does, and that surface is exactly where decay around a filling begins. Use both if you like the water flosser.

If you were numbed, do not eat until the numbness is completely gone, because it is very easy to bite your cheek or tongue without feeling it. Go easy on very hard or very sticky foods on that side for a day. Some cold sensitivity for a week or two is normal. What is not normal is a filling that feels tall when you bite, which means the bite needs a quick adjustment and is a short appointment.