You notice a small piece of material while eating, then feel a rough gap with your tongue. A filling appears to have come out. The tooth may feel sensitive, or it may feel much the same as before.

“My filling fell out — what should I do?” is a reasonable question. Contact a dentist, explain what happened and ask how soon the tooth should be checked. Until then, the aim is to protect the area and avoid making it harder to repair.

Tell the practice what has changed

A painless lost filling and a lost filling with severe pain need different conversations. Mention sensitivity, a sharp edge, pain when biting, swelling or any broken tooth material. If the problem followed an accident, say so.

If you find the filling or a fragment, keep it in a clean container and bring it to the appointment. Do not try to push it back into the tooth. The dentist can examine the tooth and explain what repair is possible.

A useful way to begin the call is: “A filling came out today. The tooth is sensitive when I drink, and I can feel a sharp edge. What should I do while waiting, and how soon can someone assess it?”

Keep meals gentle on the affected tooth

Chew on the opposite side where practical and choose foods that do not need much force. Avoid biting hard foods with the damaged tooth. If hot, cold or sweet foods cause discomfort, leave them out while you wait.

Continue gentle cleaning around the area. Avoid picking inside the gap with a pin or other sharp object. It can be tempting to keep testing the tooth with your tongue or by biting down; explain any roughness to the dentist instead.

These measures are temporary. They do not seal the tooth or establish whether the filling alone has failed.

Leave the repair to a dental practitioner

Household glue is not a dental repair material. Do not use it to attach a filling or cover the gap. Ask a dentist or pharmacist before trying a temporary dental product, and follow professional advice about whether it is suitable for your situation.

If you need pain relief, ask a pharmacist about an appropriate option and follow the label. Tell them about your medicines and health conditions. Pain relief may make waiting more manageable, but it does not repair the tooth.

For more background, read My Dental Home’s advice on a filling that has fallen out. It covers common reasons a filling may fail and what to avoid before assessment.

No pain does not mean no problem

Fillings can fail through wear, further decay or damage to the tooth. The reason is not always obvious when you look in the mirror. An examination helps establish how much tooth remains and what treatment is suitable.

The dentist may discuss another filling or a different restoration. It is better to ask what has caused the failure and how to protect the tooth than to assume an identical replacement will solve it.

Know when to seek urgent care

Ask for an emergency dental appointment if pain is severe or worsening, or if swelling develops. Fever, a bad taste or difficulty opening your mouth should also be mentioned promptly. If the practice is closed and the symptoms need urgent assessment, seek an available after-hours dental provider.

Difficulty breathing or swallowing, or swelling around the eye or neck, requires emergency medical care. In Australia, call 000 for a life-threatening emergency.

For local appointment information, see My Dental Home’s Underwood emergency dental service. Describe your symptoms when making contact so the team can advise on availability and next steps.

About the author: My Dental Home is a dental practice in Underwood, Queensland. This article adapts its website advice for people managing a lost filling before assessment. It provides general information and does not replace individual dental advice.

You’ve turned off the light, settled into bed and become aware of an ache in one tooth. Perhaps it was barely noticeable earlier. Now it is difficult to ignore.

If you’re wondering, “Why does my tooth hurt at night?”, the timing is a useful detail to tell your dentist. It cannot identify the cause on its own. The more helpful questions are how the pain behaves, what brings it on and whether anything else has changed.

Start by checking whether you need urgent help

Severe pain that interrupts sleep deserves prompt dental advice, especially if it persists or worsens. Tell the practice about swelling, fever, pain when biting or a bad taste. These details can affect how urgently you need to be assessed.

Difficulty breathing or swallowing, or swelling around the eye or neck, needs emergency medical care. In Australia, call 000 for a life-threatening emergency. Do not wait for a dental clinic to reopen if you have these symptoms.

Describe the pattern without trying to diagnose it

A dentist will want to know whether the pain is brief or lingering, whether it starts by itself and whether it seems to come from a particular tooth. Think about what happened before it began. Was there an injury? Has an old filling become rough? Does chewing make it worse?

Decay, a cracked tooth, a damaged filling or problems with the gums can cause discomfort. Inflammation or infection may also be involved. Several conditions can feel similar, so an online symptom list cannot replace an examination.

Grinding or clenching is another possibility, particularly if your jaw feels tired on waking. Ask your dentist whether a night guard for teeth grinding is appropriate. A guard does not repair decay or treat an infection, and buying one should not delay finding out why the tooth hurts.

Why the pain may become harder to ignore at bedtime

During a busy day, other activities can draw attention away from discomfort. A quiet room can make the same sensation much more noticeable. Some people also notice a change when lying down.

Neither pattern proves that the problem is minor. A tooth that only seems to hurt at night still needs assessment if the discomfort keeps returning. Likewise, a better morning does not explain what caused the previous night’s pain.

My Dental Home’s guide to nighttime tooth pain discusses possible causes and the symptoms to mention when arranging care.

While waiting, avoid adding pressure to the tooth

Choose food that is comfortable to eat and avoid chewing on the sore side. If a particular food temperature triggers discomfort, avoid it for now. Keep cleaning your teeth gently rather than abandoning your normal care.

Ask a pharmacist or dental practitioner about suitable pain relief, particularly if you take other medicines or have a medical condition. Follow the product directions. Do not place aspirin directly against a tooth or gum. Temporary relief does not repair the underlying problem.

Make the appointment call easier

Before calling, jot down when the pain started, whether it wakes you, what triggers it and whether there is swelling or fever. Mention any recent dental work, injury and medicines you have taken. You do not need to know which treatment you need before asking for help.

For people in Underwood, My Dental Home’s urgent dental care information explains the practice’s approach and how to check appointment availability. If urgent care is needed while the practice is closed, seek an available after-hours provider.

About the author: My Dental Home is a dental practice in Underwood, Queensland. This article adapts its website guide for readers preparing to seek care. It provides general information and does not replace individual dental advice.