Common Reasons You Might Need a Temporary Tooth Filling!

Getting a cavity filled is quite common. But did you know that dentists often use temporary fillings before putting in permanent ones? Temporary tooth fillings serve an important purpose in the filling process.

They protect the tooth after it has been prepared for a permanent restoration while the permanent filling or crown is being made. In this post, we’ve covered the most common reasons you might need a temporary filling before getting a permanent one. First, let’s cover why dentists use temporary fillings in the starting place.

Why Dentists Use Temporary Fillings Before Permanent Restorations?

Temporary or “provisional” fillings serve an important role as placeholders before permanent treatment. They allow dentists to:

Protect The Tooth

Once drilled for restorations like crowns or fillings, teeth become fragile and vulnerable. Temporary fillings safeguard precious inner structures like the nerve and blood vessels from temperature changes and damage in the interim. They also prevent food impaction into unprotected crevices.

Assess Your Bite

The fit of final tooth replacements requires precision down to millimeters for optimal function and comfort. Temporary fillings help evaluate how your bite meets opposing teeth before final impressions are made. This allows for necessary adjustments to shape and size.

Natural Tooth Shifting

Gaps from extractions cause adjacent and opposing teeth to drift over time. Temporaries hold spaces for strategic tooth movement and stable prosthetic placement down the road via orthodontics or implants. They also prevent teeth from shifting into spaces while awaiting permanent restorations.

Customized Lab Work

Emergency dentists near you take highly detailed impressions of prepared teeth after temporaries are placed to create accurate molds. Skilled lab technicians fabricate permanent pieces like crowns, bridges, dentures and veneers to seamlessly integrate for optimal durability and aesthetics based on these models.

Common Reasons You Might Need a Temporary Tooth Filling!

From minor adhesive repairs to strategic placeholders, common reasons for temporary fillings include:

Tooth-Colored Fillings

Composite resin fillings leuk in with natural tooth shade. Since they require custom tinting and curing time, temporaries fill gaps perfectly as placeholders.

Crowns

Teeth requiring extensive reconstruction receive full coverage restorations once reduced and shaped. Temp crowns act as sturdy stand-ins while permanent crowns get crafted.

Decay Beneath Older Fillings

Bacteria gradually infiltrate the tiny crevices between the filling and the natural tooth, causing recurrent decay. Temporary fillings plug holes after excavation appointments before new restorations.

Cracked or Fractured Teeth

Repairs to seriously damaged teeth often require layers of treatment, starting with stabilization. Interim filings reinforce weak spots before restorative solutions like crowns further strengthen and protect teeth.

Other Reasons

Multi-stage procedures, fabrication delays, healing time for simultaneous treatments like root canals also warrant short-term filling solutions while patients await permanent fixes.

The Bottom Line

Cosmetic dentistry aims for both optimal function and aesthetics long-term. Since achieving ideal, durable results takes careful planning and execution across multiple appointments, temporary fillings play a critical supporting role for Restorative success. Reach out to Delalite Dental now if you’re looking for the best temporary tooth fillings. Our experts provide personalized, high-quality dental care in a comfortable and friendly environment.