Jane L.
Dear Jane,
It’s very likely it’s not your tooth crumbling, but you’ve instead just dislodged the temporary filling. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened. They’re designed to come out easily. Given that you were eating dumplings, which can be a tad sticky it likely helped the filling along.
If you’re going to the dentist within a couple of days, then it won’t be a big deal. In fact, you can even purchase some temporary filling material at a local pharmacy. You can be sure as to what the problem is by taking a peek. If there seems to be a symmetrical little hole, then it’s the filling. If the missing bit is elsewhere, then you have a bigger problem. That will be a dental emergency.
Call your dentist and let him know immediately if it’s the later. In that case, he’ll likely want to see you right away to try and save the tooth.
What If You Get to the Emergency Dentist Too Late?
If for some reason your tooth can’t be saved, it’s not hopeless. Losing a tooth used to mean a partial denture or bridge, which means two other teeth are affected. Not anymore. You could get a single dental implant placed. This is like having a healthy natural tooth. Best yet, It’s implanted so you don’t have to worry about it coming off.
Though, if cosmetic appearances are important to you. You might want to whiten your teeth before getting an implant permanently placed. The implant crown (as well as the dental crown you’re about to get) cannot have their color changed once it’s done. So, it’s always recommended you get your teeth the color you want before having crowns done.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Warren Krutchick.
