What is a Temporary Tooth Filling?

If you have damage to your tooth—whether it be due to tooth decay or an accident—it is extremely important to have that damage repaired. The longer the damage is left untreated (especially in cases involving tooth decay), the worse the damage to the tooth will become. Because of this, you’ll want to consider different repair options—one of which being a tooth filling.

What Is a Tooth Filling?

A tooth filling is a dental prosthetic that is used to fill the area of a tooth that is missing. Fillings are very common after cavities are treated, but can also be used to repair teeth that have been damaged due to accidental injury.

Fillings help to restore the integrity of a damaged tooth, which in turn increases the functionality. With most filling materials, a patient is able to continue to bite and chew like they did with their natural tooth. While some materials will last longer than others, all permanent fillings will provide a high level of support. Fillings also help patients to avoid future tooth decay, and keep their teeth protected.

What Are Temporary Tooth Fillings?

There are often different types of fillings to choose from once a dentist has removed any decay and treated a tooth. While some options can be placed immediately, others take time to be fabricated. When this is the case, temporary fillings will be placed.

Temporary Fillings Safety

While temporary fillings help to restore some of the functionality to a tooth that has been damaged, and help to restore the appearance of the tooth, they are not as durable as final fillings. Temporary fillings can be damaged relatively easily, and a patient with a temporary filling will want to make sure to take extra special care of the tooth with the temporary filling. One way to avoid damaging a temporary filling is avoiding hard and chewy foods. While a lot of foods won’t cause damage to the filling if they are chewed with care, crunchy, hard and chewy foods will significantly increase the likelihood of damage to the tooth.

Another way to avoid damage to a temporary filling is to take extra special care while practicing good oral hygiene. This will mean brushing less aggressively and being cautious while flossing. It’s important to continue to brush, floss and rinse to ensure the health of the tooth with the temporary filling, but the intensity of the brushing and flossing needs to be a consideration.

Set an Appointment

If you have a damaged tooth, or if you have started to experience pain and/or pressure in a tooth, set an appointment with your general dentist. They will take a look and let you know what the reason is for the damage. In order to treat the damage, they may suggest a dental filling. Keep in mind that, with some materials used to create the filling, a temporary filling will be needed. If you have any further questions about temporary fillings, make sure to ask your dentist when you visit them.

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