My Filling Fell Out! How Long Can I Wait? Our Dentist Answers Your Questions

Did your filling fall out? It’s not a big deal. Sometimes you bite down on something too hard, sometimes a filling breaks and falls out just because it’s old. Anyone who’s had an old filling come loose will tell you it’s more of an inconvenience than anything. Especially if your filling fell out and it doesn’t hurt at all, you’re likely wondering how long you can wait until you have to see an emergency dentist.

Our answer is: Even if it doesn’t hurt, come see us to get your broken filling repaired ASAP.

If your filling fell out and it does hurt? Call us immediately, and let us know the tooth with the fallen-out filling is causing you pain. A severe toothache after a filling breaks and falls out means the nerve is exposed. Not only is that painful for you; it also means your nerve is exposed to bacteria and food debris in your mouth.

The last thing you want is that tooth missing its filling to become infected or further decayed. We can schedule you for an emergency dental appointment — likely that very day! We tend to keep a few appointment slots open just for such dental emergencies. Your care is a priority and important to us.

In Pain after Your Filling Fell Out? What to Do While You Wait to See Us

If you are in pain after your filling fell out, you can find effective, natural relief at home while you wait to see an emergency dentist. Some things you can do to relieve pain after a filling falls out, and to protect the exposed tooth, are:

• Take an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen
• Apply a cold compress or an ice pack for 15 minutes to reduce pain and swelling.
• Apply clove oil to the tooth and gum for pain relief. You can find clove oil at the drugstore or even in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. A whole clove will also do the trick.
• Apply a topical numbing agent, like Anbesol or Orajel, to temporarily numb the tooth and gums.
• Swish with lukewarm saltwater every few hours to clean the area and relieve pain.

Can Your Broken Filling be Repaired, or Will You Need a Replacement Filling?

If you recently got a filling, we can probably redo it at a reduced rate. This depends on how old the filling is. It also depends on if we originally recommended a crown, but you opted for a weaker filling out of cost concerns.

Different cases of broken fillings require different solutions. For minimal damage on a filling you managed to save when it fell out, we’ll likely just refill the filling. If the exposed area has suffered more decay or infection, we might recommend a root canal. Perhaps we’ll recommend a crown to offer better coverage, especially if you’ve had that filling break or fall out more than once.

Fillings do fall out. They aren’t made to last forever. If it’s a new filling, we can work with you, though a more thorough covering such as a crown might be best. Either way, we’ll get you taken care of. You’re in good hands.

Keep a Simple Broken Filling from Becoming a Complex Problem: Call Us

Even if you are not in pain, call us anyway. If your tooth feels fine, it’s not an immediate dental crisis, but your tooth still needs attention. The tooth underneath the filling is now exposed, and will continue to decay. You might need a root canal if the damage under the lost filling is extensive enough. If left to degrade long enough, your tooth could even snap in two. Then you’ll need a tooth extraction and perhaps a dental implant, which gets expensive. That’s why you should get a missing filling taken care of right away.

When you call us to tell us your filling fell out, the first thing we’ll ask you is are you in pain? In most cases, you won’t feel a thing, especially if you’ve already had a root canal done to that tooth. But occasionally tooth crown pain will occur. We’ll try to get you treated right away, but in the meantime, no worries – now you’ve got some at-home solutions to try.