Use Chewing Gum In A Pinch After You'Ve Lost A Filling

If you're eating and suddenly bite down with a crunch into something hard, you might immediately wonder whether you've chomped into a bit, seed, or piece of bone that may have been present in your food. If you weren't eating something that could have contained these hard elements, however, you may be facing the dental emergency of a lost filling. When you spit out the filling and realize what has happened, it's time to take action. The part of your tooth that was previously filled is now susceptible to complications, so you'll want to contact an emergency dentist to arrange an appointment right away to have a new tooth filling put in. Here are some steps that you can take in the meantime.

Rinse Your Mouth Out

It's important to get your mouth as clean as possible once you've lost a filling. You should abstain from brushing, however, as the area in question may be sensitive. Instead, rinse your mouth out with mouthwash as a way of reducing the bacteria around the tooth. If you don't have immediate access to mouthwash, even rinsing with water can clean your mouth to a certain extent.

Keep Your Fingers Away

People often have a natural tendency to poke and prod problem areas in their bodies, but this isn't a habit that you want to have when you've lost a filling. As tempting as it might be to poke the area with your fingertip, try to avoid this urge. Doing so introduces bacteria from your finger to the area, which isn't ideal. The sensitivity of the area may mean that poking it causes pain, too.

Find Some Gum

You want to protect the problem area until an emergency dentist can take a look at it, and one effective way to do so is to push a piece of gum into the hole in your tooth. Doing so protects the area from excess exposure to bacteria, while also preventing you from biting down and causing discomfort. Be sure to use sugar-free gum, as you don't want a sugary product sitting on the exposed tooth. You should also use a fresh piece of gum. If you were chewing gum when the filling came out, don't just push this piece into the tooth. This gum is full of bacteria from your mouth, so it's best to spit the gum out, and take a piece of new gum and chew it just enough to soften it up, and then push it into the area.