What Makes Tooth Fillings Fall Out?

Can you tell if your tooth filling fell out? If you’ve recently lost a filling, you may be saying, “yes.” When your filling fell out, you may have experienced tooth pain and sensitivity. These often unbearable symptoms may make you wonder what causes a tooth filling to fall out. After all, you probably don’t ever want to experience tooth pain and sensitivity again, right? When a tooth filling does come out, you’ll need to visit your dentist in Long Beach, CAto have it replaced. The reality is that many things can cause you to lose a tooth filling. Here are some common reasons why tooth fillings fall out.

Severe Decay

One of the reasons why a tooth filling may fall out is severe decay. Even though your tooth has a filling, it’s still prone to cavities. Over time, decay may form around or underneath the filling, causing the filling to gradually loosen.

Cracked Tooth

If you have a cracked tooth, you may not be experiencing any symptoms right now. However, whenever a tooth cracks, there’s always a possibility that the filling will fall out. Tooth cracks are often due to trauma to the mouth, old or large fillings, hard foods, and extreme temperature changes.

Age

In many cases, dental fillings won’t last forever. If you received a filling many years ago, there’s a higher chance that it may fall out at some point. The good news is that newer treatments include tooth-colored fillings in Long Beach, CA.

Bad Habits

If you regularly engage in bad habits, your filling could fall out. These bad habits include teeth grinding, chewing ice, or clenching your teeth. When you perform these bad habits consistently, you’re placing a lot of pressure on the filling, causing it to gradually loosen.

Defective Dental Work

While you should always expect your dentist to perform high-quality work, it just isn’t always the case. If your cavity isn’t fixed by an experienced dentist, the filling could eventually fall out. The signs of a defective filling include very poor shape, roughness, and ledges.

If you want to know whether or not your filling has fallen out, why not have an experienced dentist take a look? Our team can let you know if you’ve lost a filling. Contact us today so that we can provide the best dental care possible.