While dental fillings don’t last forever, losing one is still a serious matter. You’ll have a dental emergency if you leave this missing restoration unchecked, suffering a lower quality of life as a result. The good news is that your Baytown dentist can tell you how to respond to a lost dental filling. Using such knowledge, you can keep your situation from getting worse. So, keep reading to learn the steps you should take when you’ve lost a dental filling.

Call the Dentist

The first thing to do is to call your local dentist. You can’t put the lost filling “back in” yourself, so you’ll need a dental expert’s help as soon as possible.

 

Please tell the dentist whether you’re in pain during the call. If you are, they can potentially set an earlier appointment for you to reduce your wait. The dentist can also use this call to provide guidance on what you should do from home. That way, you can protect your exposed tooth from further damage and risk.

 

Remove any Debris

A tooth without its filling is more likely to suffer tooth decay, infection, or both. Therefore, try to remove debris from the treatment site before your visit.

 

A solid option for this step is to gargle with salt water after eating. By doing so, you’d remove food debris from your filling-less tooth and reduce any inflammation of your mouth tissues. The swishing would just require a half-teaspoon of salt and a cup of warm water. Mixing the latter ingredients makes salt water, which you’d gargle for a few seconds before spitting.

 

Gently Care for Your Tooth

You mustn’t let your exposed tooth get further damaged. (If you do, you’ll deal with higher treatment prices.) To fulfil that task, make sure to care for your pearly white gently.

 

You could do several things to provide such gentle care. For example, brush the area where the filling came out very gently when you practice oral hygiene. Being rough would only bring further risk to your tooth, leading to further complications. Another idea is to avoid chewing on the side of your mouth that had the filling.

 

Consider a “Temporary Filling”

Last but not least, consider using a “temporary filling” until your dental visit. This stopgap measure would keep your tooth safe while you wait to see a dentist.

 

You can find several suitable materials for a temporary filling, whether online or at stores. Key examples of these would be dental wax or similarly goopy substances with FDA (or ADA) approval. Once placed over the unfilled tooth, they’d protect your smile from harmful bacteria, food debris, and more.

 

For more details on how to respond to a lost filling, ask your dental provider. They’ll gladly tell you what to do!

 

About the Practice

Aesthetic Family Dentistry is based in Baytown, TX. Led by Dr. Dean V. Hutto himself, our practice takes a conservative approach to comprehensive and personalized dental care. We’ll only ever suggest procedures that’d benefit your smile, with results always tailored to your specific needs. This rule applies whether you’re getting preventive, cosmetic, or even restorative treatments. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (281)-422-8248.