“Do fillings fall out?”

It happens sometimes

It’s not normal. Get it replaced as soon as possible

Yes, fillings can fall out, like teeth can break. We put a lot of pressure on our teeth, eating, clenching, grinding, and just using them. I would call the dental office, go in, let them take an X-ray, and get a new filling or required need for that tooth.     

Occasionally, for a number of different reasons, a filling may fail after what seems a short time. In our office, we just go ahead and replace that restoration at no charge in the first few years. But there could be other reasons why the restoration failed. You need to return to your dentist and let them evaluate that restoration and tooth.

Normally, fillings do not fall out, especially the newer tooth colored fillings. Normally a filling is placed and bonded inside a hole, which is the result of removing decay inside a tooth. Those fillings last the longest. However, because this material is cosmetically similar in color to teeth, it is used in areas that typically we have never placed fillings before. For example, we use the material to layer on the outside of a tooth to change the color of the tooth, as well as repair the edges of your front teeth. There is nothing holding this filling in place other than the strength of the bond between the tooth enamel and the filling material. Therefore, these fillings can chip or break off when the tooth flexes or pressure is applied to the edge. A similar situation also happens to fillings that are bonded to the root of teeth to cover recession or decay, only these fillings are notorious for debonding. Why? They de-bond because the bond strength to the root is 5 times less that the bond strength to the enamel of the tooth.

It is not common for a filling to fall out. There are many factors that lead to this happening:

1. A cavity has formed around the filling that leads to loss of retention.
2. The tooth has broken along with the filling.
3. There was a de-bonding of the glue that holds the filling in place.

When a filling falls out, depending on where the filling is, it is a time for panic. If it is a posterior filling, we may have pain. Cold air or water makes the tooth hurt. If it is a front tooth, it is time for real panic. The special occasion one expected to attend is canceled. As human beings when something happens someone or something has to be at fault. Your filling has fallen out. We expect that once the decay is removed from our tooth, the tooth will be restored. Sometimes when a tooth is restored, the size of the restoration and where the restoration was placed is important. The restorations today are great. Tooth colored restoration provides a mechanical and chemical bond with the tooth. You floss and brush your tooth like you care for your other teeth. Biting into apples or hard items, chewing hard nuts, gooey candy, ice chewing place forces on your natural teeth and fillings. You may have been told that the filling in your tooth could loosen because of where it is placed. You may have been told that a crown or some other permanent restoration may be needed. Many dental insurance companies won't pay to have restoration recently placed replaced. If your choice is to replace the filling with another filling, that is your choice. You may want to consider
a more permanent option. In the end, the patient decides the course of treatment.

Yes it can happen.

Some do, some don't. Many issues cause restorations to fall out. Too many to discuss now. However, most fillings stay in.