My filling fell out — what now?

What to do today

• Rinse gently with warm salty water to clear the cavity.
• Keep brushing it, gently. Avoiding the area adds decay to the problem.
• Chew on the other side. The remaining tooth walls are now unsupported and can snap.
• Temporary filling material from a pharmacy is fine for a few days and genuinely helps protect the tooth. It is not a repair.
• Keep the filling if you found it — not to be re-fitted, but it occasionally tells the dentist something useful.
• Do not use household glue. People do. It is toxic and it makes the eventual repair harder.

Why fillings come out

Rarely at random. Usually one of:

• Decay underneath. The most common reason — the filling lost the tooth it was bonded to.
• The filling was old. Fillings do not last forever; they wear and their seal degrades.
• A crack in the tooth. Especially if it also hurt when biting beforehand.
• Grinding. Repeated heavy load loosens restorations. See grinding at night.
• Something sticky pulled it out — usually the final straw rather than the cause.

Because it is generally a symptom rather than an accident, replacing it without finding out why tends to produce the same outcome again.

How urgent is it?

Same day if there is facial swelling — see swollen face. This week if there is pain, sharp sensitivity, or a large piece of tooth missing. Within a week or two otherwise.

Do not leave it for months. An open cavity collects food and bacteria continuously, and a small filling left too long becomes a large one, then a crown, then a root canal. Each step up costs considerably more than the one before.

What replaces it

Often another filling. If a lot of tooth structure has gone, a filling may not have enough left to hold onto, and a crown becomes the better answer — crown or filling? covers where that line sits.

If you have been told you need a crown and are not sure, bring the plan for a free second opinion.