{"id":237,"date":"2024-05-23T21:54:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T21:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/blog\/?p=237"},"modified":"2024-06-23T21:57:01","modified_gmt":"2024-06-23T21:57:01","slug":"lost-dental-filling-heres-what-you-should-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/blog\/2024\/05\/23\/lost-dental-filling-heres-what-you-should-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Do If You Lose a Dental Filling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tooth-colored-filling-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Close up of tooth-colored filling in dental mirror\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tooth-colored-filling-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/tooth-colored-filling.jpg 612w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Dental fillings have been used for generations to treat tooth decay because they are effective and offer long-lasting results. Unfortunately, your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/tooth-colored-fillings.html\">dental filling<\/a> won&#8217;t last forever. If your filling has fallen out, don&#8217;t panic! You need to get to an emergency dentist right away. Here&#8217;s what you should do if you lose a dental filling.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Causes of Dental Filling Failure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The average lifespan of a dental filling is about 5 to 15 years. Various factors can affect the life expectancy of a filling. The most common causes of filling failure include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>New Decay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chewing Too Hard<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Biting into Hard or Crunchy FOods<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Grinding or Cleaning Your Teeth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trauma to the Tooth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chemical Reactions that Loosens the Filling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Lost Filling is a Dental Emergency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you&#8217;re not experiencing any pain, a lost filling is a dental emergency. You don&#8217;t want to delay treatment because your tooth will be vulnerable to bacteria, infections, and breaks if you wait to have it replaced.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Never use over-the-counter cements or adhesives to try to replace your filling. You can trap bad bacteria underneath the material, which can cause a minor issue to turn into a big problem, like the loss of your tooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Handling a Lost Dental Filling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve lost a filling, it&#8217;s normal to have some anxiety about the situation. Take a deep breath and follow these tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Call Your Emergency Dentist:<\/strong> Contact your dentist to explain the situation. They&#8217;ll schedule you for an appointment to replace the filling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep Your Mouth Clean:<\/strong> It&#8217;s important to keep your mouth clean until your tooth has been repaired. Brush after every meal and floss at least once a day. Rinsing your mouth with salt water will kill harmful bacteria while also reducing any pain or inflammation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eat Carefully:<\/strong> Avoid any hot or cold foods and drinks because they can cause sensitivity. Choose soft foods and chew on the opposite side of your mouth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>M<strong>anage Discomfort:<\/strong> Take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you have any discomfort. You can also apply an oral numbing medication. Use it according to the manufacturer&#8217;s instructions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use a Temporary Filler:<\/strong> You can find temporary filling material at many pharmacies, which is available over-the-counter. They are made with zinc oxide and can help fill the gap in your tooth until you\u2019re able to see your dentist. Remember that it is only a temporary solution.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your emergency dentist will examine your mouth to determine if you require any additional treatments prior to replacing your filling, like treating any new decay. They&#8217;ll replace the filling using a tooth-colored material that will blend in with your enamel, so only a trained dental professional will know it is there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Dr. Christopher Nowacki<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/meet-dr-nowacki.html\">Dr. Nowacki<\/a> has over 20 years of experience in dentistry. He strives to provide each patient with personalized, compassionate, and high-quality dental care. He has the training and qualifications to treat the most complex oral health issues, including dental emergencies. Dr. Nowacki is a proud member of several professional organizations, including the American Dental Association. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/request-an-appointment.html\">Request an appointment<\/a> through his website or call his office at (321) 339-1203.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dental fillings have been used for generations to treat tooth decay because they are effective and offer long-lasting results. Unfortunately, your dental filling won&#8217;t last forever. If your filling has fallen out, don&#8217;t panic! You need to get to an emergency dentist right away. Here&#8217;s what you should do if you lose a dental filling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Lost Dental Filling? Here&#039;s What You Should Do<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you have lost a dental filling, you\u2019re going to need to see an emergency dentist. Here\u2019s what you should do until your appointment.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beautifulyoudental.com\/blog\/2024\/05\/23\/lost-dental-filling-heres-what-you-should-do\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lost Dental Filling? Here&#039;s What You Should Do\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you have lost a dental filling, you\u2019re going to need to see an emergency dentist. 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