What to do if a filling falls out

Fillings are fitted in a way that ensures a strong hold on teeth to cover sensitive, open areas beneath. But, unfortunately, this doesn’t make them invincible, and through general chewing, changes to the shape of teeth caused by tooth decay and regular wear and tear, fillings may fall out.

When this happens, the area below your teeth that the filling was added to cover becomes exposed, increasing the risk of food getting stuck and causing tooth decay and cavities. You can’t prevent fillings from falling out, but knowing exactly what to do if they do could reduce further damage to the affected and surrounding teeth. In this blog, we offer tips on what to do when a filling falls out and explain how you can cover a gap left behind by a filling or reattach a loose filling.

What to do if you lose a filling

As soon as a filling appears to be loose or becomes completely unattached, you should call your dentist immediately to schedule an appointment. During the process of calling your dentist, you can ask for any guidance on anything you should do before your appointment to avoid causing damage to your now exposed tooth and the surrounding area.

At this point, it would be advisable to store your filling in a safe place as your dentist may be able to reuse it for the replacement filling, or seeing it could help to understand why it came detached and how it can be prevented from happening again.

You should also change your eating habits and put an emphasis on dental hygiene to prevent food from getting stuck in the gap left by the missing filling and potentially causing damage. For example, the area should be cleaned thoroughly with a toothbrush but carefully to ensure it doesn’t negatively impact your teeth and gums. It would also be advisable to avoid chewing on the side of your mouth that the missing filling is on and gargle with salt water to eliminate bacteria in the mouth.^[1]

Can you put a filling back in?

If a filling detaches from your mouth, you may be wondering if you can simply put it back in. In fact, it is possible to reattach a filling safely and securely providing you use a suitable product that is non-toxic and safe within the mouth.

For example, if a filling comes loose and you’re unable to see a dentist for several days or even weeks, you could use a denture adhesive to reattach it. However, this isn’t likely to work as a permanent fix. Instead, it would be a way of keeping it temporarily secure until a dentist could find a long-term solution.

How to fix a loose tooth filling

Whether it’s to prevent food from being housed within a broken tooth or filling and potentially causing decay or as a way of maintaining the state of your mouth before seeing a dentist, it can make sense to find an effective way to cover up the gaps opened up by the filling becoming detached or reconnect a loose filling to the tooth.

Formulated with the same strength as products used by dentists, DenTek Temparin Max would be a suitable solution as it’s designed to cover holes caused by lost fillings, caps and crowns or work as an adhesive for reattaching loose fillings to teeth. It comes with an adhesive solution that is non-toxic and safe within the mouth and an applicator that simplifies the process of attaching the solution to teeth.

To use Temparin Max, all you need to do is put some of the adhesive solution onto the applicator, put it in your mouth and apply it to the affected area. It can be placed in the gap caused by the missing filling or used as a glue to reattach the filling itself to the tooth. Once applied, it will strengthen and offer the same level of protection as a filling or another professional dental product would. However, it’s important to bear in mind that it’s a temporary fix and using a tooth repair kit will only fill the gap or fit the filling temporarily until you’re able to get a more permanent solution from your dentist.

Resources:

_{[1] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/how-to-keep-your-teeth-clean/}