If you lose a filling when you are eating, brushing or flossing, and you are scared of the dentist, it can turn a traumatic event into a total disaster. Perhaps the initial decay and subsequent filling were such a horrendous experience you are frightened of seeing the dentist to have the filling replaced. Not only is it an odd sensation to be missing part of your tooth, but there can also be tooth sensitivity and a good deal of pain now that the tooth is exposed. The Dental Suite will help you to cope and replace the filling with no pain at all.
What To Do If You Lose A Filling
Most fillings will not last forever. Regular dental visits every six months allows your dentist to keep an eye on fillings that are at risk. But, if a filling does come out in between dental visits remove the filling from your mouth so that you don’t accidentally swallow it or breathe it in.
Most fillings will pass without a problem if swallowed but can cause an infection in your lungs if accidentally inhaled. Call your dentist immediately to schedule an appointment to have the filling replaced and take some paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve the pain.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
If you can’t see your dentist right away, you need to keep your mouth very clean. An unfilled tooth can trap food which then causes harmful bacteria to accumulate. Brush gently and carefully inside the hole where the filling was to remove all food debris. You can also rinse your mouth out with warm salt water after eating.
Temporary Fillings
Losing a filling can expose nerves that make your tooth sensitive to both hot and cold. The sensitivity can be quite painful and over the counter pain medications can help. You can also use an over-the-counter dental cement. An emergency dental kit will equip you to address common dental emergencies without delay. Designed for temporary use until you can get to a dentist, some kits contain everything you need to handle situations ranging from toothaches to lost crowns and fillings.
See The Dentist
It is important to remember that these temporary filling materials are only meant to last for a few days at most. You still need to see your dentist as soon as possible. Many dentists have times set aside in their schedules for emergencies. When making an appointment, ask if they want to you keep the filling or not. In most cases, there’s no need to save the filling. However, there are some cases where the dentist may want to see it.
Pain-Free Filling Replacement
The dentists at the Dental Suite are trained in sedation dentistry and will help you overcome your fears with pain-free treatment. If you are careful not to damage further the tooth and practice good oral hygiene and then get to your dentist promptly, there should be no reason your dentist can not treat the tooth with another filling.
Be aware, in some cases, the loss of the filling may have been caused by damage to the tooth or a deep cavity under the filling. If the idea of treatment seems too traumatic, we can administer anaesthetic without the use of needles, and we can offer IV sedation or many other solutions.
Are you nervous of the dentist but need your fillings replaced? Please post your comment below we would love to hear your personal experience.
