What to do if the filling is too high?

If a newly placed filling or inlay is too high, the dentist speaks of a disturbing contact. The biting together is not even, but the patient first comes across the tooth raised by the filling, which in the long run leads to discomfort due to overloading. The tooth receives far too much stress and this can then lead to pain.

Therefore, after each insertion of an inlay or placement of a filling, the occlusion is checked to avoid a preliminary or disturbing contact. Once the patient has been anaesthetized for the treatment, he or she can only feel if something is disturbing when the local anaesthetic is no longer effective. If the patient feels that something is disturbing, he or she should immediately make an appointment with the dentist.

The dentist will then grind in the disturbing contact in order to restore an even biting together. If the affected person leaves the disturbing contact unnoticed and suppresses the condition, strong complaints can develop at the tooth, the chewing musculature and at the jaw joint, since the chewing system tries to balance the pre-contact. The result is increased grinding which can also lead to neck, ear and headaches.

The filling has broken off a piece of the tooth

In most cases, the same applies to the breaking out of parts of a filling as to its complete loss. The filling must be restored in a timely manner. The dentist then decides whether the filling is simply repaired or removed completely to place a new filling. If only a small piece is broken off, it may be sufficient to smooth the sharp edge and polish the filling again. In the case of root-filled teeth, however, it is important to consider the possibility of crowning the tooth to prevent the filling or tooth from breaking off again.

What happens if you accidentally swallow a filling?

If a filling or inlay becomes loose, there is always the risk of swallowing it. Swallowing is not dangerous in itself. Due to its small size, it is unlikely to disturb the digestion or clog the digestive tract.

The filling is so small, it is transported unhindered along the digestive tract and is then excreted. If the inlay has been swallowed, attention must be paid to the bowel movement so that it can be reattached after cleaning and disinfection, otherwise the inlay would have to be made again. Inhaling the filling or its fragments into the windpipe often causes hiccups or a strong urge to cough until the foreign body is transported out of the windpipe again. If this does not succeed, a doctor should be consulted.