I got an email earlier this week from a reader named Trish. She asked the following:
“What will happen if the filling comes out of your tooth, and you don’t have it replaced, other than pain trying to eat?”
Before I answer that question, let’s take a look at why fillings fall out. A filling normally doesn’t fall out of your tooth just for fun – it usually has a pretty good reason! Fillings can come out because of decay around the filling, because the filling cracked, or because it wasn’t put in properly.
Basically, if your filling fell out, chances are that there was something wrong and you should get your tooth looked at by a dentist.
If the filling came out and it was recently put in, your dentist might give you a break and put a new filling in. If it was an old filling and it just came out, you may have a cavity under the filling.
Regardless of why the filling fell out, it’s important to replace it. To answer Trish’s question, here’s a list of eight things that could happen to your tooth if your filling fell out and you don’t have it replaced.
Eight Things that Can Happen If You Don’t Replace a Lost Filling
1 – Sensitivity
When you lose a filling, it exposes the sensitive dentin (the inner hard layer of your tooth) to your mouth. Depending on how close the filling was to the pulp of your tooth, it could hurt all the time or only when you eat, as Trish mentioned above. Either way, the pain means that there’s something wrong that needs to get taken care of!
Not sure what dentin and pulp are? Check out my article on the anatomy of a tooth to find out!
2 – Root Canal
The pulp inside of your tooth could get irritated, causing pulpitis. The textbook Clinical Endodontics by Leif Tronstad states, “Factors leading to an infectious pulpitis are conditions that contribute to the exposure of the dentin and dentinal tubules to the oral environment.”
3 – It’s Harder to Clean
Teeth are hard to clean when they have a big gaping hole in them. Even if you can get the toothbrush bristles down to the bottom of the hole where the filling was, chances are that you won’t be able to easily clean out the entire hole where the filling was located.
4 – Bad Breath
When you eat food, the natural contours of the teeth allow you to efficiently chew and grind the food into little, easily-digested pieces. When you have a hole in your tooth and you chew, you push the food down into the hole. Since teeth with lost fillings are more difficult to clean (see #3), that food could be sitting in there for quite some time and cause your breath to be less than pleasant to those around you! Even if you do have bad breath, people probably aren’t going to tell you.
5 – Tooth Decay
Because the tooth is harder to clean and you’re buyonlinegenericmeds.com grinding food into it every time you eat, it’s much easier for you to get a cavity in that tooth. If the reason that you lost the filling was because you had a cavity under it, the cavity will probably get bigger the longer treatment is put off.
6 – The Tooth Could Crack or Break
If the tooth goes for a long time with a lost filling, it may develop a cavity, which can subsequently weaken the tooth structure and cause the tooth to break or crack. Without the filling, the tooth will also experience different forces that end up causing it to break.
7 – Difficulty Repairing Tooth With a White Filling
When you lose a filling and expose the dentin to your saliva, the dentin reacts by trying to fight off the bacteria. The little tubules inside the dentin eventually close off to try to protect the nerve of the tooth. When this happens, it is known as sclerotic dentin. A problem with sclerotic dentin is that it is much harder to get a white filling to bond to sclerotic dentin than it is to get a white filling to bond to regular dentin.
8 – The Tooth May Need to Be Extracted
If you wait too long, the tooth may break and become so badly decayed that it is what dentists like to call unrestorable. That means that just like Humpty Dumpty, nobody will be able to put that tooth back together again, and it will have to come out.
What Are Your Options When a Filling Falls Out?
I assume that Trish wants to know what would happen because she either has a fear of the dentist or can’t afford to get a new filling right now.
If fear is keeping you away from the dentist, take a look at this article about reasons people are scared of the dentist, and then figure out your fear and try to overcome it. There is help available online at sites like Dental Fear Central.
If cost is keeping you away from the dentist, then you can call your dentist and ask how much a temporary filling would cost. A temporary filling would allow you to get the tooth filled fairly inexpensively until you can save up for a permanent filling. An even more temporary solution is to try some temporary filling materials until you can see your dentist. I talk about a few different brands in my article about what you should do when you lose a filling from your tooth.
Conclusion
If you have a filling come out, it’s necessary to get the filling replaced as soon as possible to ensure the long-term health of your tooth. If you can’t afford it, there are temporary solutions available that you dentist may discuss with you.
Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns about losing a filling from your tooth? Go ahead and leave a comment in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading!
Hey there,
My filling came out this morning – when I was flossing, at all times. I have had the filling for as long as I can remember.
It was a back tooth. Sorry I am so naive on the subject of teeth, so I will try to explain it the way I have explained to a friend. 1 back top tooth divided into 4. 1/4 of the tooth/the filling that was in place of the 1/4 has come out.
My friend said it looks like it will get pulled out – I definitely do not want that to happen, but I know I cannot afford a root canal.
So my question is, will they pull my tooth or just replace the filling?
Kindest Regards
Melanie
Hi Melanie – Since the filling fell out, I am guessing that there may be a cavity underneath it. If that cavity has hit the nerve in your tooth, you would need a root canal. If not, the filling could be replaced.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Melanie. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, my filling fell out yesterday or today – how long should I wait until seeing a dentist? I made an appointment for next Wednesday to the one that my periodontist recommended. Is that too long?
Thanks, Russ
Hi Russ – It may have fallen out because there is decay around it. If you’re not in pain, you may be fine to wait until next Wednesday. Decay can move slowly – it’s important to keep the area clean and to make sure that food doesn’t get caught in the area where the filling was.
I hope that helps – Thanks for your comment, Russ. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hey : )
My had a root canal over 4 years ago, and recently my filling fell out. I have been abit slack and havent gone and got it filled yet because it hasnt caused me a great deal of pain, only when it first fell out but no more pain.
I have noticed for the past week or so a lump forming on the gums on the top of my mouth near the tooth that the filling fell out. Could this be connected? Im not in any pain at all.
Hi Courtney – The lump could be an abscess or a cyst that has formed if bacteria have entered into your tooth’s nerve and caused an infection. The only way to be certain would be to be examined by a dentist and have an x-ray taken. Tooth infections aren’t always painful.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Courtney.
Hi tom I.just got a filling replaced two weeks ago an to my tooth is still sensitive an its popping back an forth when my tongue pushes the tooth what should I do its my bottom moller
hi my boyfriends filling came out it hurts so bad he can’t even talk . I don’t know what he can do if he can’t go to the dentist yet.?!.
Hi Cassie – Most pharmacies sell temporary filling material that you could put in the tooth and that could help ease the pain, but it is most likely something that can only be permanently fixed by going to a dentist.
Hi. I have only got one tiny white filling which I got 3 years ago. I have heard stories where fillings have fallen out (tiny ones) and not had to be replaced, because the enamel has grown back. Is this possible for me? I take real good care of my teeth and fi the tooth surface grew back I could keep my teeth filling-free for the rest of my life.
I’m no dentist, but it’s my understanding that once the enamel is gone, its gone. Some toothpaste companies misguide consumers. Like I said I’m no dentist! This isn’t a professional opinion.
Hi, I had a filling about a month ago and a week later I suddenly noticed a ping of sensation on that tooth. Since then it pings with more sensitivity whenever I eat anything sweet or cold.
Does this sound like a lost filling?
Hello there, my filling did not exactly fall out but it seems to be chipped. I’m currently overseas. Is it alright if I see the dentist when i return home which is two weeks later ?
Hi, thanks for the article. I just had a cavity drilled and a filling put in yesterday afternoon on an upper, back (molar?), left tooth. Not sure what kind of filling it was (they used a blue light to harden it). Anyway, the filling fell out that night when I was eating dinner! I’m pretty upset because the operation was very painful..even after an extra shot of numbing stuff. It this a sign of a really poor dentist, or is this common? Should I find a new dentist??? Thank you so much for your time.
Also, if it’s any use, it was not along the gum-line, but on the opposite end along the corner.
My filling just come out to day and now I got a hole I am sared
I have been going to this new dentist for three years now. Almost every filling I have gotten from him has chipped or fallen out. It’s kinda weird to me, because i’ve never exspereanced anything like this. Yea, I have had filling fall out in the past, but not like this. Every filling or chipped tooth I have had in the past years was from glossing. When I floss, it feels like my tooth is snagging or cutting the floss completely. I’m not sure if it’s my teeth or maybe my dentist may be not doing something right. 🙁
I want to go to a new dentist, but I feel like I would be a bad person for going elsewhere. All I know is that I need to do something soon. In the past two months I have chipped two more fillings. 🙁
Don’t put off having a filling replaced, I did and now am looking for a dentist I can trust to take care of it… It seems to have abecessed and decayed under the gumline, no pain… Went to a shotty dentist who did three poor quality fillings on me… So please listen to the Dentist and have it filled so your tooth does not break and decay further… Sad part is I never even had a cavity in this tooth – the Dentist did it for the money… I had this comfirmed by another dentist…
Hi,
i had root canal and my filling fell out.before i brush my teeth, blood comes out out it?i want to know if it is normal or not?
Dear Dentist,
my son Eric came home over two months ago after getting a very small cavity filled by the dentist. He said it felt like the dentist had not filled the right tooth. I thought I would get it checked when I took another child to the dentist within the next few days. After that he said it felt fine so I foolishly forgot about getting it checked. I didn’t think it possible that the dentist could fill the wrong tooth. Fast forward a couple of months and I asked Eric about his tooth and he said it had just started hurting a little so I took him in right away. It turns out the tooth had been drilled but not filled and the doctor filled it and said something vague about how the wisdom teeth had pushed on the tooth causing the filling to fall out….(I’m feeling very uncomfortable about this). Anyways – it’s been a couple of days and the tooth is very sensitive and painful. The dentist said it could hurt for up to a week. I’ve done some reading and it said you could develop pulpitis from a cavity not filled. Is there anything we can do to help the tooth heal – I’ve been saying a lot of prayers that he will not have to get a root canal and crown as a result of this.
Thanks
Janice Gardner (mother)
Sue them so does not sound right
Hi
I was having problems with a root canal that was treated 10yrs ago just recently it was hurting went to the dentist and he told me he would send me to another dentist to take it out and refill it again also,bottom jaw teeth need treated too so it will stop before decay can happen,anyway I went to the dentist and also asked. Them if they can put white filling in they said yes they can for both teeth.
Less then a month they fell out both the top and the bottom she put more filling in same happened and I’m talking about perment filling.
Every time I went she keep trying to put fillings in,she then said I should see her colleague in her words 2head were better then one oh boy…!!!!
I couldn’t make an appointment as my granddad past away when I finally did the new dentist put them filling which kept falling out the same day,anyway I went back to have my perment filling in she put it,previous to that I told her that my teeth was hurting she resumed me that it would stop after having the permeent filling in,aa week later it fell out ended up in the emergency with swollen face and now I’m on anit for 5 days and the dentist said I either have to have the teeth root canal or taken out!!
So basically she put perment filling on a tooth that was infected and need to come out…so upset and angry and I would as I went to my own dentist to rejected to help me as I told him iv been 8 times and wasn’t happy how they were dealing with my teeth his answer was you’ll have to go back as I don’t wish to ruin his relationship with the dentist and wouldn’t be able to send anybody also there!!!
I take care of my teeth and can’t stop crying the way they have handle me iv be a piece meat they took turns to poke about in my mouth!!!
Is this normal behaviour????????
Sorry for the grammatic error :\
$2175 for a root canal here in Lufkin Texas. I am just shocked. I don’t want to pull the tooth but but 145 to pull it is so much less.
Hi Aaron – Have you checked around at different offices? That does seem on the high side. At my practice in Virginia, our extractions range from $150 to $250 and our root canals from $700 to around $1000.
Filling fell out yesterday….I have no pain, and x-rays showed hole is close to nerves? I have two options. Get the hole filled by the local dentist whose reputation I do not know…or wait 2-3 weeks to be seen by a top notch Dental School. Can I afford to wait? Thank you for your help!
I’ve had a filling for a little over a year I’ve noticed that the gum area around the tooth is sensative and have been practicing really good oral hygiene to clear it up. Well when I was flossing I noticed I could see the filling (it is on the inside of the tooth, almost inbetween) and I began picking at it. Well tonight it fell out. Im not in pain but my dentist is closed until monday. Will I be ok? Is there anything I can do to help the situation. Im worried it could get infected.
Hello 😀
Three weeks ago I had one of my upper right teeth filled permanently, my dentist said that the cavity is so deep so he filled it temporarily and left it for six weeks and asked me to come back to have root canal treatment if it started hurting, it didn’t, not even once, so I had the permanent filling, for a week the tooth was bit sensitive so I avoided eating on it, last Friday I ate on it accidentally and it moved, yesterday it fell out completely, my next appointment is on next Thursday, I don’t know why did it fall, was it my fault for eating on it? Was it the dentist’s fault? Was it the cavity’s fault? I’m nervous from meeting him again, since the reason I started my treatment plan with him was a filling fall out because of a floss :/
I noticed that one of my back tooth which I had a filling done a few years ago. The filling has been slowly eroding. Away a few weeks ago it was just a tunny tunny bit had fallen out but now its a small hole it Dosent hurt at all when I eat should I get it fixed?
Hi
Yesterday I went in for a routine cleaning and the hygienist pulled out a filling I had put in 2 years ago. I have a total of three fillings in my mouth (two from 15 years ago and one from 2 years ago). The most current one is the filling that was pulled out. It is a filling on the top back molars- it is located between two teeth. I had issues with it to begin with- it was getting snagged on my floss, but thought the dentist fixed the issue. Well, after the filling was pulled out they started to numb me for a new filling and then the assistant came in to show me a bill since my insurance only covers 60% of the charges. While the dentist was working on it, he made a comment along the lines of, “I think I put too much in last time”. I wasn’t sure what he meant by this but I think he meant the original filling from 2 years ago, which would make it his fault for doing the filling incorrectly. I was a little confused when I was given a bill since I felt like it was the hygienists and dentists fault that it came out to begin with. Is this normal? Should I have been charged for this? Should I begin to look for a new dentist? Please let me know… Thanks!
hi i just had a filling fall out can filling be black ?
My question is: How do dentists sleep at night? There are so many lies in the dental industry I just don;t understand how a good person could live with himself.
Just wanted to say that what you said is sooo true. Nothing but lies, excuses, greed and doing unnecessary work to increase profits. Every dental problem I have had is due to some previous work that was done. And every dentist you go to tells you something different. Just a terrible profession and the people that it attracts.
10 years ago a filling came out of my back tooth while biking. I never got it fixed and have had a hole there in the side since. Now the hole is black and I’m beginning to notice some sensitivity. Options? Expectations?
Thanks.
I haven’t been taking care of my teeth very well and 4 days ago a filling that was in one of my molars fell out as I was eating a chewy piece of candy. The tooth only hurts slightly. Is this an ’emergency’?
My son only had a filling for 3 weeks when I noticed it fell out.All I see is the hole where the dentist drilled and I am completely upset. It is white and I am doing everything I can until I can get to a new dentist. Our old one is rude careless and completely irresponsible.By chance its December 29 and many dentists don’t work until jan 6 . I wish I never let this guy touch my child, he didn’t even use pain meds before drilling. No the way anyone wants to start their year.
I got a root canal in 1976. The filling in this tooth fell out a couple of months ago. I had to wait about one
week due to the holidays to get into the dentist. During this time the gum, in the hole, got sore and irritated. The filling was replaced and I have been having trouble ever since. I have pain when I chew, burning, throbbing, and the gum is very sore when I floss. I went back to the dentist. He ground off some
of the filling as he said it might be a little high, and my bite may be off. I rubbed the black paper around
in my mouth. Still having problems. What do you think?
On my last tooth a piece of filling came out on the end some of the filling is still on there so will the whole filling need to be replaced or just some
Hi! My husband does road construction so he is not available to go to the dentist on a whim, so he calls on rain days. Well, he had a filling fall out, he was having pain, but no longer is. And of course today it rained and our dentist is out of the office all week. Is it okay for him to wait another week or two.. when it rains again? 😉
My filling fell out about three weeks ago.but every now and then I get a terrible pain in it even in my jaw. I went to my Dentist and she took an exray and asked me to decide what I wanted to do ie have a new filling or a root canal but I do not Know what to do for the best she said the hole was deep what do you suggest please
Hi I was due to have my filling replaced in November but this morning it fell out. I’m not in pain so do I have to call the dentist or can I wait until November?
I have a white filling in a lower back tooth the filling didn’t fall out but the side of my original tooth fell off , no pain at all and my dentist put a temporary filling to replace the piece of tooth that fell off but after two weeks the filling came off and my dentist put a as she described it a more permanent filling on . I have a fear of injections so when the original filling was done i had IV sedation , because of my fear this filling was done without injection or drilling . I am scared to eat on that side of my mouth now in case the filling comes off again . Will this filling be strong enough to eat on ?
Hi my name is jessica, and a piece of tooth fell out yesterday while i was driving i feel a hole in the tooth but iam not sure if it was a filling that came out or the tooth cracked.
Hi my name is Belkys. I was just eating and tasted something funny. I felt something weird on my pre last top tooth and i could feel the filling in a place i never felt before my appointment is on Friday. Is this to far ? Am scared to eat and for it to fall. Will they have to pull the tooth out ? Whatever they do will it hurt ?
Thank You Very Much, Belkys V.
I have a root canal for couple of years, and 2 weeks ago, my filling fell out. I don’t have pain but dentist suggested a built-up filling and crown. I am looking for a good dentist and concern about my root canal. Is it make any issues for my root canal? Still a little cavity left on this teeth.
Hi, i had root canal treatment 2 years ago and today morning whiel cleaning that area my cap fall down n i fixed it myself now its ok but having scar tht any time it will fall .can u sujest me what i should do
I just had a temporary put in twice while I wait for the on lay or overlay in two weeks. The tooth is broken and the temporary won’t stay in even though I’ve been careful. I was eating soup when it came out the second time. Can I wait the two weeks fairly safe?
I wanted to ask that does only the temporary filling come out or with it the whole tooth as well,if you have had a root canal?
Hi I find this site and doesn’t seem as though many of the questions asked lately has been answered, but I will take my chance (I hope you answer). I had a piece of a composite filling come off when I was flossing my teeth. I made a dental appt the next day to see if he could just refill it. He told me the filling comes off because it is usually caused by decay under it. He said I would need a root canal and a crown. I thought this was very drastic, when I am having not problem or pain. I asked if he could just refill it and he said the material wouldn’t stick to the decayed tooth and since it is close to the pulp a root canal would need to be done (which is very expensive and money I just don’t have). I went to another dentist to get another opinion and he said he would just refill it. I know nothing of the dentist work and he seemed to have rushed me through without thoroughness. It has now been three months and I have yet to get this taken care of but hate to get it fill and it up needing a root canal after all. My dentist said if I refill it it is going to hurt really really bad.
Hi there!
I have noticed my filling came out however I am not so sure when it came out. I noticed some pain around my tooth where the filling came out when I wake up as I sometimes clench my teeth as I sleep. I have an orthodontist appointment in three weeks; should I be okay until then, or should I book an earlier appointment? The filling I got was around 2 and a half years ago and it was not a deep cavity. The pain right now is not a lot, just a bit annoying. Pleeeease help me out doc
Brillant blog thanks for the hard work
Hi,
My filling fell down today and i am out of my town. I ll return back after few months only. Can i wait till that or should i go back immediately and get it done??
I hope you can h help me with this, I fell on my front teeth basically , I cracked one tooth, dentist I n three days, she said I had .a large f killing th s t n needs to be replaced. Which she did. She wanted y o then do .a crown the next week.bbc.co I wanted t ok wait due to still having bad pain in those teeth who e n I put pressure on them, s h e/ looked at exray but didn’t think I needed root canal ? But then said if t he pain continues I should have one .it. was a week ago..the pain continues a nd I can’t put pressure on them to eat..so a root canal should be done??? Never been to this dentist so needed opinion.sister lives in . Van but n oh t visiting till next month. In case need to go to dentist s t its again.. thank you. Merilee
Hi my filling fell out a few years ago and that was due to me having bad oral hygiene habits. its been several years later and i have been working very hard to fix it i try to brush at least every night i go to bed, i use mouthwash, and i try to use those little flosser things. now my other filling(both were in back molars) may be loose(not sure if its just me being a mild hypochondriac lol. i don’t have dental insurance and i dont have the money to go to the dentist right now. if i where able to go to the dentist what would(or could) they do to help me?
My filling came out day after it was done. Did not have time to phone straight away. Now they want to charge me again i said no, so now not having it done.
I have been addicted to hard candy ever since I quit smoking in 1990. I have never lost a filling from ir until the last 20 months. I’ve lost four fillings and a crown (2 times). The last time I lost the crown, I quit going to the dentist and slowly searched for a new dentist (he was so nice, I didn’t want to blame him, just the filling material which was something new). My brother convinced me to see the dentist who did the work and give them a chance to “make good”. I’m sorry I listened to him because I was treated poorly. HIs staff was defensive and he pretended he didn’t remember me. I stated when making the appt. what the problem was in a friendly tone and that I wanted amalgam fillings this time. I have an amalgam filling still in my mouth from 13-15 years ago and it is doing fine. He said their office doesn’t do those types of fillings and basically wasted my time and embarassed me (they could have told me that on the phone). My friends think it was shoddy workmanship to begin with, but I share the blame because I lost all those fillings with a piece of candy or a cough drop. I’m searching for a new dentist that uses amalgam and accepts my insurance provider. I am not in pain but there is sensitivity to cold and an inability to chew properly (they are on both sides). I look terrible and rarely smile wide. Is there a website that lets me find a dentist who uses amalgam and accepts Delta Dental?
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that not replacing a lost filling can lead to needing a root canal. One of my molars had a filling, but it somehow fell out, so I’ve been wondering if I need to have that replaced or not. I don’t want to damage my tooth further or get a root canal, so I’ll definitely look into having it filled again. Thanks for the great post!
I just had a filling come out was thinking about just leaving it that way. I quickly changed my mind after you mentioned the tooth can actually break and fall out because of it. I will make sure to go the dentist as soon as possible!
I had a filling a week ago and my tooth just started paining so badly that I cant even eat or bite anything
Hi I had a filling fall out about a month ago that I’ve had since I was a little girl. I’m 31 now. Part of the tooth broke and then shortly after the entire filling came out. I take care of my tooth and floss and brush regularly but I had an issue with drugs a few years ago and believe that was the cause of my tooth breaking. I can’t afford a dentist and have no insurance, and for the past three weeks I’ve been in excruciating pain. I tried purchasing a temporary filling kit, but it literally cemented to my tooth and caused me even more pain until I had to actually SCRAPE it all off and out of my tooth for it to relieve some of that pain. So now, there’s what appears to be a hole forming in my gums where the filling used to be and that’s what seems to be causing my pain. The tooth itself doesn’t seem to hurt anymore, but the hole in my gums is unbearable! I’ve checked for dental clinics in my area and the problem is that the only one in my county only accepts patients 21 and under, and the surrounding counties only accept patients who are residents of those counties. I don’t know what to do, and I simply don’t have the money to pay for a dentist, even if it were only $100. I’m also 5 months pregnant and I fear that all of these OTC medications I’m taking to relieve some of the pain are going to affect not only me, but my unborn child. If you could give me any advice that would help, I’d greatly appreciate it! And if you’re wondering why I don’t have medicaid, it’s because my identification and all of my documentation was stolen recently and I’ve been unable to get any of it replaced, so social services will not approve me for coverage until I can show some form of ID. I know it all sounds so crazy or like I’m making excuses, but this is just my bad luck and my screwed up situation. Please help! Thank you!
So a few months ago I had a filling on my front tooth fall out just a few weeks after my dentist did it…..He replaced it for free….Well last night I was eating Doritos (lol) and I had TWO fall out…..Back molar and front bottom tooth….Again…..Done a few weeks ago…..What is going on!!!!!
One of my fillings chipped and I have a dentist appointment in two weeks is it okay to wait until then or do I need to get it fixed sooner? Also can I wait 4 days to get it fixed because I am unable to go before then.
OK so I know this is terrible but I got a filling back when I was between the ages of 6to 8 years old, then back in middle school the filling fell out, so now I’m in excruciating pain with only little pieces of my tooth left in my gums. I can’t afford a root canal… What can I do??
Hi Shanista, The most common alternative to getting a root canal is to have the tooth extracted.