While eating something chewy, you may have accidentally pulled out one of your teeth's fillings. After calling and making an appointment with your dentist, you may wonder what you can do to keep the hole clean and protected, as well as soothe your discomfort. If so, use the following guide for taking care of your tooth after the filling falls out.

Step 1:  Rinse Your Mouth 

While you wait for your dental appointment, you need to keep the tooth as clean as possible. Not only does this keep food from contaminating the open hole, but it also keeps bacteria from festering inside your tooth, possibly leading to an infection.

After getting up in the morning, as well as after every meal, rinse your mouth out with warm water. As an added measure, mix in a teaspoon of salt to add a little antibacterial power to the water. After swishing the salt water solution in your mouth for about a minute, go on to the next step.

Step 2:  Apply Peppermint Oil 

If you are feeling any pain or soreness around your tooth, air or food may have irritated the nerve root inside the empty hole. To ease your discomfort, as well as kill a few more germs, dab your tooth with peppermint oil.

If you are experiencing only a small amount of discomfort, use a cotton swab or your clean fingertip to apply the oil to your tooth. However, if you are experiencing sharp pains every time you take a breath, soak a cotton ball with the oil, and place it on the tooth for about five to 10 minutes to give it additional time to penetrate inside the cavity.

Once you are finished, remove the cotton ball. Then, go on to the next step.

Step 3:  Make a Temporary Filling from Dental Wax

After ensuring the cavity is clean and your pain has eased, make a temporary filling out of dental wax, which can be found in the dental care aisle of pharmacies and supermarkets. This wax is safe to use on an exposed tooth and can serve as a filling until your dentist has a chance to refill the cavity.

To use the wax, roll up a small amount using the tips of your index finger and thumb. Then, lightly push the wax onto the tooth until it flattens out to make sure it fills and covers the hole.

While the above guide can help you decrease your pain and keep germs out of the filling's hole, it is only meant as a temporary measure. Make sure you keep your appointment with local clinics like New Image Dental so they can replace the missing tooth filling with a new one.