Have you lost a filling in one of your teeth? Step one: don’t panic! Step two: contact your dentist immediately, and ask for an appointment as soon as possible. At Cornerstone Dental, we’re fully equipped to handle a wide range of emergency dental services. And the sooner you call us, the better. “Not seeking immediate care could result in pain, discomfort and even loss of the tooth,” according to the Colgate Oral Care Center.

Treatment Options

When patients come to us with a missing filling, our first step is to thoroughly examine the affected tooth and the surrounding area. As with any dental issue, the treatment for a lost filling depends on the severity of problem. As part of our examination, we’ll also take an X-ray to help determine the best treatment.

Treatment for your lost filling could be as simple as restoring the tooth with another filling. If there is extensive loss of tooth, though, a crown or cap may be the ideal solution. In rare cases, the tooth might require a root canal or may need to be extracted. We’ll discuss all your options and our suggested course of treatment with you after your examination.

Prevention Is Key

While sometimes fillings can come loose as a result of mouth injuries or eating sticky foods, such as hard candies, fillings also aren’t meant to last forever. “Restorations or fillings all have a breaking point and will eventually fail and need replacement,” according to Colgate.

Fortunately, preventive care (e.g., having your teeth cleaned and examined every six months) can help us determine when it’s time to replace old fillings before they cause serious issues. “Regular dental examinations are important because problems with existing fillings generally can be detected in the early stage,” says the American Dental Association. “Although you may not be able to tell that your filling is worn, your dentist can identify any weaknesses in it during a regular checkup.”

Are You Need Of Dental Fillings In The Martinsburg Area?

If you are in need of dental fillings you owe it to yourself to speak with an experienced dentist as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact us online or call our Martinsburg, West Virginia dental office directly at 304.267.6059 to schedule your appointment. We provide a wide range of general dentistry care as well as more involved dentistry services for patients throughout the Martinsburg area and look forward to you joining the Cornerstone Dental family.