Life happens. One minute you could be happily chewing on a caramel apple, and the next moment you find yourself gasping in horror when you realize a filling has come out of your tooth. These things happen, and it can be hard to predict when they might strike. The best bet is to know ahead of time what to do.
Like any dental emergency, the key is to respond quickly and appropriately. A fast response minimizes any discomfort and can keep problems from cascading and becoming worse.
If a filling comes out, you need to contact your dentist right away to have a new one put back in. Our staff is prepared for emergencies and we can usually accommodate someone quickly to help them get back to normal.
The lack of a solid, complete structure will make the tooth easy to break, so be careful when chewing around the missing filling.
What About Crowns?
A dental crown that slips off the tooth structure that anchors it is a similar dental emergency. The difference is that you may be able to wear the crown over the exposed tooth as a cap until your dentist can help. If that is the case, denture cement can be used to keep it snug while you wait for your appointment. Clean out the inside of the crown first and keep the area as clean as possible.
Again, make sure you contact your dentist’s office right away to secure an emergency appointment as soon as possible. When you call is the perfect time to ask any questions you have about how to care for your mouth.
The dentist will evaluate your displaced crown and decide if it can be reattached, or if a new one needs to be fabricated. If a new crown must be built, you may be surprised at how much quicker the process is today than when you first had a crown built. In the past, crowns took weeks to be built, but today many of our offices are equipped with an E4D system that can fabricate crowns, veneers, inlays and onlays to be placed on the same day.
Having a filling come out can be scary and intimidating. If you take the situation seriously, follow the steps above, and respond quickly you will have your dental emergency well under control.
Need A Filling Repaired?
If you’ve lost a filling, call right away our Friendly Dental of Worcester office at (508) 340-4611, our Unique Dental of Worcester office at (508) 556-6241, our Taunton Dental Center office at (508) 386-9018, and our Uxbridge Family Dental Office at (508) 714-7046.
