Lost Filling


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I am a 48 year old female and a fairly good sized chunk of one of my teeth fell out. It's one that has a really old filling in it and it just kind of lost a hunk out of the back side of it. There is zero pain. I can eat just fine and drink hot and cold. Is the rest of the tooth dead? Will it fall out eventually, too? I am (as you can surmise) a huge dental phobic. I know the answer is 'see your dentist' but I'm not too inclined to do that and since it does not hurt at all, am really just more curious than anything else.




		The first part of the answer is , you are correct, "see your dentist". The tooth may be very much alive and be able to be restored to a state of proper health and function. It may be 'dead' and require a root canal and crown to restore it. If it is fractured way below the gumline, it may be nonrestorable. There are many different scenarios to point out, but remember, it doesn't 'hurt' to have someone look at it. Why don't you visit the University of Washington School of Dentistry and see what they say? Dr. Charles Wakefield Associate Professor Director Advanced Education in General Dentistry

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