Lost a Filling or Crown? Here's How Urgent It Really Is

Feeling a filling or crown come loose, or worse, biting down and realizing it's gone, is unsettling, but it's also one of the more common calls we get. The good news is that it's rarely a true emergency in the dramatic sense, but it's also not something to put off. Here's how to think about it.

Why It Happens

Fillings and crowns can come loose over time due to normal wear, decay developing underneath, or simply biting down on something hard. It can also happen suddenly during a meal, which is often how patients first notice it.

How Urgent Is It, Really?

This depends on a few factors:

• If it's painful or sensitive: this suggests the tooth's inner layers are exposed, which needs attention soon to avoid infection or further damage.
• If there's no pain but the area feels rough or sharp: it's less urgent, but should still be addressed within a few days to prevent the exposed tooth from decaying further or breaking.
• If the tooth underneath looks visibly damaged or discolored: this is worth having evaluated promptly, as it may indicate decay progressed underneath the restoration before it came loose.

What to Do in the Meantime

• Keep the area clean by gently brushing around it.
• Avoid chewing on that side of your mouth until you're seen.
• If you still have the crown or filling piece, bring it with you, in some cases it can be recemented.
• Over-the-counter dental cement from a pharmacy can offer very temporary relief, but it's not a substitute for a proper evaluation.
• Avoid very hot, cold, or sugary foods, which can trigger sensitivity in the exposed area.

What We'll Do When You Come In

As an emergency dentist, we'll evaluate the exposed tooth for decay or damage. If the tooth structure underneath is healthy, we can often simply replace the filling or recement the crown. If we find deeper decay or damage, we'll discuss next steps, which may include a new filling, a crown, or in more involved cases, a root canal if the inner tooth has been affected.

We see this fairly often from patients across West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood, sometimes from an old filling simply reaching the end of its lifespan, and it's rarely something to feel embarrassed or worried about.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just leave it and wait for my next regular checkup?

We'd recommend against waiting too long. An exposed tooth is more vulnerable to decay and breakage, so it's better to have it evaluated within a few days rather than months.

Is it safe to eat with a missing filling?

You can eat, but try to avoid chewing directly on that side and steer clear of very hard, sticky, or sugary foods until it's repaired.

Will I need a completely new crown?

Not always, if the crown itself is intact and the underlying tooth is healthy, it can often be recemented. We'll only recommend a new one if the old one is damaged or no longer fits properly.

Does a lost filling always mean new decay?

Not necessarily, sometimes it's simply due to wear over time. We'll check for decay during your visit either way, just to be thorough.

Lost a Filling or Crown? Let's Get It Fixed.

It doesn't have to wait until it hurts. Visit our emergency dentistry page, or contact our office to get scheduled quickly. Our West Hollywood office is easy to find on Google Maps.