Fillings That Fall Out
Fillings can fall out for several reasons:
- You chew too hard on a large filling, and break the filling or the tooth.
- A filling material was used that cannot restore the tooth to its proper form and function. For example, if you have broken a large piece of your front tooth, a porcelain (tooth-colored) crown is probably the best treatment choice. In some cases, a dentist may place a composite filling instead. This may look good or acceptable. However, if the composite is too large, a strong biting motion may break the plastic material.
- The cavity is contaminated with saliva when the filling is placed. For composite resins, this will disrupt the bonding of the material. As a result, the bond will not stick well to the tooth and it may fall out.
