Dental Emergency – When a Filling Falls Out

A dental emergency can happen at the most inconvenient times, even during the COVID-19 restrictions. In light of this, in conjunction with Smile Docs®, we will publishing a series of articles called: “What Can You Do When You Can’t Get To See The Dentist”.

If you are experiencing a dental emergency, the Australian Dental Association guidelines allow us to take emergency appointments and the treatment of pain only (level 3 restrictions).

What To Do If a Filling Falls Out and Your Tooth is Very Sensitive

Today, I want to discuss what to do if your a filling falls out.

When a patient calls because a filling fell out we always instruct them to come into the office ASAP so we can repair the problem and do a new filling procedure. It can be scary when a filling falls out, but rule number one is don’t panic. If a filling fell out while you were eating, stop chewing immediately and take the filling out of your mouth. You don’t want to swallow the filling whether it is a resin composite, gold fillings, silver fillings or composite filling. Swallowing any foreign body is never a good idea.

Tooth fillings can come loose for a variety of reasons including age and from biting down hard enough to break the bond of the filling. Metal and composite filling are meant to last about 10 years but there are a lot of factors that will affect the longevity of your filling.

When you need a filling it is typically because of cavities. Having fillings can be restorative for a decayed tooth. Good oral hygiene is good for your oral health but sometimes over-vigorous brushing or flossing can weaken the filling.

What you need to know is that when a filling fell out it does not mean anything too serious, you may experience some tooth pain. During normal operation, it can be repaired quickly and easily by our friendly staff. The most important thing you can do is call the practice quickly because there may be other problems that caused the filling to fall out.

Under the current COVID-19 regulation we are not allowed to place fillings so it is best that you clean the area and fill it with a temporary filling material like Denta Fix Cement and avoid the area until we go back to normal operation and fix it for you.

If you have a dental emergency and would like to schedule an appointment, click on the contact form below or you may call our office directly.

Dr Rammo and his justSMILE practice are still operational, give them a call if you have any concerns about your dental health.

Meanwhile make sure that you keep your social distance stay at home and take care of yourselves.

Remember to exercise hydrate and eat well, bear in mind that this virus has a serious effects in people with certain medical conditions and in people with lower immunity.