Many people do not know it, but a tooth filling can fall out – and this can happen to you more than once. There is quite like the shock of realizing that your filling has fallen out of your tooth. There are many reasons why this can happen, but the first thing that you should do is to not panic. A quick call to your dentist should get you on your way to a healthy, happy mouth.
If a filling falls out and it is not brought to the attention of the dentist, you can experience severe discomfort, pain, increased sensitivity, and tooth loss. It is not exactly the end of the world when this happens, but it is important that you schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible to avoid any possible long-term problems with your tooth.
Here are some reasons why tooth fillings can come out. It is important to know these reasons so can determine what is causing your filling comes off, or if it is a filling that is actually coming off. Knowing will also give you an idea of how to treat it at home while you are waiting for your dentist appointment, as well as what you can expect your dentist will do with it.
Before filling is applied, the surrounding decayed material has to be removed. This ensures that there will be no further tooth deterioration will happen. If the teeth still continue to decay in that area, or a different decaying spot reaches the site of the filling, the filling will not have anything to hold onto, causing it to fall out. Fortunately, this can easily be fixed with a quick appointment with your dentist.
If the tooth fillings come out just shortly after it was placed, a debonded filling is most likely the culprit. There are times when a chemical reaction happens in the filling which causes it to fail to bond with the natural teeth. This leads to the filling falling out just weeks or even days after its application. This is not your or your dentist’s fault and is easily fixable.
Do you grind your teeth, chew ice, or clench your jaw when you lift weights, then these are most likely the reasons for a filling falling out. Such intense pressure placed on the filling might be too much for it to handle, and such repeated force can cause the filling to pop out. Be a little more conscious of these habits and try to reduce their occurrence to avoid losing your fillings in this manner.
There are different types of fillings that your dentist might use, depending on the location of the filling. For tooth areas that are visible, a composite filling is a common pick. Fillings for the back of the mouth are mostly amalgam since they are stronger. Ask your dentist for more information about these kinds of fillings and which one is best for you.