Lost Filling | Dental Emergencies

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

It never fails. Dental fillings always seem to fall out at the most inconvenient times. The tooth may also feel sharp and more often than not, a toothache soon follows. If you find yourself in a situation where the filling has come out and you can not get to the dentist right away, do not worry. Below is a simple and effective temporary solution to relieve the toothache and save your tongue or cheek from getting ripped to shreds from the jagged tooth until your dental visit.

Materials needed:

- toothbrush and toothpaste
- floss
- over the counter pain medicine
- dental wax (also known as orthodontic wax)
- Q-tips or cotton ball
- clove oil

Step 1:

When the filling falls out, do not panic. If possible, save the piece of filling that has fallen out. The dentist can use this piece to help determine why the filling became loose and dislodged. Sometimes, the dentist can recement the filling instead of having to drill away more healthy tooth structure to place a new filling.

Step 2:

Brush and floss your teeth gently to remove any debris. Be careful not to brush and floss your teeth too hard, especially around the tooth that is missing the filling. Rinse and spit gently. The tooth that has lost the filling may be cracked, so you do not want to forcefully brush and rinse your teeth.

Step 3:

Dip the Q-tip into the oil cloves and blot the Q-tip to remove any excess oil. Gently rub the Q-tip on the tooth. Clove is a natural sedative to the nerve in your tooth.
*Oil of cloves is very strong and you do not need much of it to soothe the tooth*

Step 4:

Take a piece of dental wax and rub it between your fingers to soften it. Once softened, mold the piece of wax over the tooth. The wax will help protect the tooth from air and debris.

One of the reasons why people experience a toothache when a filling is lost is because the dentin, (soft part of the tooth) or nerve is exposed to air and debris. The dental wax will act as a barrier and protect the tooth.

Even if you are not experiencing a toothache, it is still important to protect the tooth until you can visit your dentist.

Step 5:

Take the over the counter pain medicine at the recommended dosage. Do not stop taking the pain medicine once the toothache subsides. Many people make the mistake of stopping the pain medicine once the toothache is gone. By taking the pain medicine at regular intervals, the medicine has a chance to build-up in your system. When the tooth acts up again, the pain will be less and easier to relieve if you already have the medicine in your system.

Step 6:

Call and schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Do not wait. Some people hold off going to the dentist to have the filling replaced because the tooth may not hurt, there may be no sharp edges, out of fear of the dentist, or because of finances. However, the longer you wait to get the tooth fixed, the more problems that may develop such as decay, severe toothaches, and infection. The tooth will also be much more expensive to fix the longer you wait.

Repeat Steps 2-5 after every meal, snack, and before bed. It is important to keep the tooth as clean as possible as well as protect the tooth from any air and debris.