If you have a broken filling, emergency treatment can bring immediate pain relief and save the tooth.

Fillings replace natural tooth material lost through decay, and your old filling may have given you years of service.

Eventually, though, all fillings need to be replaced due to everyday wear and tear. And sometimes a filling may crack or fall out. In fact, a broken filling or a filling that falls out is a common dental issue.

Emergency dentists provide new permanent or temporary fillings to replace fillings that have broken or become dislodged.

In many cases where a filling needs to be replaced, it’s not an emergency. However, it becomes an emergency situation when a filling breaks, becomes loose or falls out and causes severe pain. This pain is due to exposed sensitive tooth tissue.

Whether the problem with your old filling is an emergency or not, it’s best not to wait too long before getting treatment.

Left untreated, a defective filling can cause further tooth decay. When the seal between the filling and the tooth breaks down, food debris and bacteria can work their way into the tooth.

Replacing a broken or dislodged filling is typically a more comfortable procedure than getting the initial filling.

If you get a temporary filling, it will usually need replacing with a permanent solution within a month.