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If you suspect one of your dental fillings is broken, acting swiftly and searching for getting a “dental filling near me” is fundamental. Regardless of the type of filling, the reason why it broke, or even if it’s not causing discomfort, failure to act can lead to further damage and increased discomfort in the long run.
While you wait for your dental appointment, though, dealing with a loose or broken filling can be troublesome. To help you, here’s a quick summary of what you can do.
Immediate Steps to Take if Your Dental Filling Cracks or Breaks
As we mentioned, it’s essential to contact your dentist as soon as possible. We will remove the broken filling, ensure no food debris filtered into the tooth or caused decay, and restore your dental health to its optimal state.
However, in the meantime, here are some immediate care measures you can follow:
- Stay calm: First and foremost, avoid panicking. Although a broken or cracked filling requires care, it’s not a dental emergency like a broken tooth or a bleeding injury.
- Save any pieces: If your filling has broken down, try to save the fragments, as having them will help your dentist assess the situation.
- Rinse your mouth: Using warm salt water to rinse your mouth can also help lessen irritation.
- Cover with dental wax: To prevent food and beverages from getting into the tooth while covering any sharp edges of the fillings, you can temporarily cover it with dental wax.
- Avoid hard foods: To prevent additional damage, eat only soft foods and refrain from chewing on the side of the broken filling until you visit our dental office for repair.
- Pain management: If you’re experiencing extreme discomfort, over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can be helpful.
Broken Filling Symptoms
Broken fillings are a relatively easy-to-solve, nonurgent dental problem. However, if you don’t identify them quickly, it can lead to dental decay in the long run, so identifying and treating them early on is fundamental.
Lost or broken fillings do not always produce pain. Some other symptoms you can look out for to determine if your filling is broken are:
- Sensitivity to sweet or cold foods
- A visible crack or gap in the tooth
- Sharp edges on a tooth that irritate your tongue
- Challenges when speaking or chewing due to discomfort
- Food debris accumulating around the damaged area
- Long-lasting bad breath, even after brushing your teeth
- Persistent discomfort while eating
How to Solve a Broken Filling?
Dentists frequently recommend amalgam and composite resin filling materials as replacements for broken fillings. Amalgam, a metal blend, is affordable and long-lasting. Composite resins, on the other hand, are common for front teeth because they mimic the color of natural teeth.
If the filling has been broken for a long time, decay may have fostered under it. When this happens, we’ll remove it before restoration. If the decay is too extensive, an onlay or even a dental crown may be necessary to restore its structure properly.
Get Repair for a Dental Filling Near Me
Although having a damaged dental filling can be concerning, it is a fairly common problem with simple fixes. Here at Montgomery Smiles, we can easily replace the broken filling with amalgam and composite resins.
So, if you think your filling is broken—or would like a set of professional eyes to revise it—reach out!