Temporary tooth filling during endodontic treatment

• Why a temporary filling is placed: types of material
• Why does a tooth with a temporary filling hurt: the main reasons
• Standard activities after installation of the material
• Temporary filling hurts when pressed: how to cope with the disease

Many patients complain to dentists that their tooth hurts under a temporary filling. For the first 2-3 days, a slight aching pain is considered normal and does not cause cause for concern or panic. It is associated with the active influence of drugs on the nerve endings of the molar or premolar.

If the temporary filling hurts very strongly and for a long time when pressed, it is recommended to make an appointment with a specialist earlier than the specified date. Dentists at the reliable A-Medic clinic will conduct a thorough examination and prescribe a diagnostic examination to find out what exactly is causing the pain. All people are scared that they have had a temporary filling installed and their tooth hurts, but most often there is no reason to worry.

Content:

1. When is a non-permanent filling indicated?
2. Why does a tooth with a temporary filling hurt?
3. When to sound the alarm
4. What to do if a tooth hurts under a temporary filling
5. Preventive measures

Most often, people rush to the dental clinic because of pain.
Naturally, every person hopes that he will return home with a healthy tooth. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Often in dental practice there are situations when the doctor has to put a temporary filling instead of a permanent one. It is distinguished by its low cost and loose structure. It is loosely held in the carious cavity and quite quickly falls out on its own or decreases in volume. These features are due to the fact that the temporary filling material must be easily removed. The problems it solves:

• protection of the carious “hollow” from the accumulation of food debris and the penetration of pathogenic bacteria;
• preventing premature loss of medication from the “hole”.

Itching after tooth extraction

If the tooth could not be saved and it became necessary to remove it, gum damage occurs at the site of the operation. The wound, as a rule, heals on its own at home: it heals over time, and the gum surface is leveled.

Itching after tooth extraction may be associated with infection, in which case the following may occur:

• pain;
• edema;
• bleeding;
• impurities of pus;
• feverish conditions;
• deterioration in general health.

This happens if the doctor, after extracting the tooth, did not properly process the edges of the socket.

However, more often in this case, itching occurs due to the healing of the tissues of the wound surface.

Other reasons for the appearance of itching after extraction include: a nerve was touched by the doctor during the operation, or there was an incompletely removed tooth bone.

Why does a tooth with a temporary filling hurt?

Often the temporary filling hurts. Among the main reasons for this problem are:

• Serious damage to dentin tissue. Injuries to dentinal tissues when treating a carious area with a drill cannot be avoided. Dentin has the ability to heal itself, but this does not happen overnight. Soon everything will return to normal - the patient just needs to be patient.
• Overheating of the dentinal zone. It happens if the doctor worked with the drill for too long and did not use water cooling in the process of cleaning the “hole”. It may also be a consequence of the use of faulty medical equipment.
• The filling height is too high. Then, when pressing on the tooth, acute pain appears. You shouldn't tolerate it. The most reasonable thing is to make an appointment with a doctor and ask him to remove the excess material. In general, this reason is rare, since before sending the patient home, a good specialist always makes sure that the material is standing properly and does not take up excessive space.
• Exceeding the prescribed treatment period. The doctor clearly announces when you need to come for a follow-up appointment to remove the stored medicine. But some people ignore such instructions and walk with the material longer. Then there is a destructive effect on the tissues of the unit, aching or acute pain appears. A medicinal composition whose service life has long expired becomes toxic. It disrupts metabolic processes occurring in local tissues. Promotes crown destruction. Cracks form on the surface of the latter.
• Individual intolerance to the prescribed filling composition. Sometimes in dental practice there are allergies to the drugs used. Then, after laying the material, swelling appears. The tooth starts to hurt.

• Partial destruction of the seal. The formed depression may be very small and, quite possibly, the person will not even notice that any changes have occurred to his tooth. Meanwhile, pathogenic organisms will begin to penetrate through the hole that appears into the deep tissues. This will cause inflammation. The unit will begin to react painfully to temperature changes, spicy, salty and sour foods.

It is important to understand what is causing the pain symptoms. The patient cannot do this on his own, since this involves an in-person examination in the dentist’s office. You need to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible and undergo the treatment he suggests.

Reason one. Injury

If you were hit in the jaw or fell, after which the symptoms described above appeared, then it is likely that as a result of this incident the pulp, which is a neurovascular bundle, was damaged. As a result of the injury, it became inflamed, swelling formed, and now there is a feeling of compression of the hard tissues that surround it. In this case, the first signal will be itching, only after it does throbbing pain appear.

Also, the tooth can change its color - suddenly acquire a shade from gray to pinkish. The latter signals that serious damage has been sustained and the pulp has begun to die as a result of inflammation.

When to sound the alarm

Is it normal for a tooth with a temporary filling to hurt a lot? No. Mild discomfort is possible, but long-lasting acute pain is a reason to visit the doctor again. However, this should be done as soon as possible. It is especially dangerous if a person’s well-being worsens at night, swelling has formed or a purulent “bump” has appeared - all this may indicate the rapid progression of dangerous complications.

What kind of pain can there be and what problem does it indicate:

• The tooth aches constantly. The state of health after the last visit to the dentist does not worsen, but does not improve either. This is possible if you are allergic to a dental composition, use too high a dose of the drug (intoxication occurred due to an overdose), or use a very low dose of the drug (the infection could not be stopped and it continues to actively progress).
• Discomfort appears only when pressing on the diseased unit. Here one should suspect traumatic damage to the periodontium due to the artificial overestimation of the dental crown.
• Unbearable pain appears even with a slight touch to the tooth. Perhaps a fragment of a medical instrument remains in the canal or acute periodontitis has developed.
• There are attacks of pain. This happens when the purulent form of pulpitis is advanced.

Reason three. Bruxism

It comes in two types: daytime, when a person involuntarily clenches his teeth while awake, and nocturnally, when the disease manifests itself exclusively in sleep. Constant tension in the teeth in the case of bruxism is also accompanied by headaches in the morning, increased sensitivity, chips and cracks in the tooth enamel, when a person cannot remember the exact reason for their formation. It is important to understand here that you cannot get by with treatment from a dentist alone; you must definitely seek advice from a neurologist to find out the cause of such tension.

What to do if a tooth hurts under a temporary filling

The first thing a patient should do is get qualified medical care. Remember: for acute pain, all dentists accept appointments without an appointment. If for some reason a visit to the dentist has to be postponed for one or two days (for example, discomfort occurred on the weekend), you will have to self-medicate. This may include:

• Taking a safe analgesic. It is advisable to consult with your dentist in advance about acceptable medications that reduce pain symptoms. Such drugs should always be selected on an individual basis, as they have a large number of side effects and contraindications.
• Rinsing the mouth with a solution of salt or soda. Decoctions of chamomile and sage have proven themselves well. It is also acceptable to periodically apply an anesthetic dental gel to the gums.

It is possible that after the examination the specialist will say that there is no cause for concern. Then the patient will have to complete the prescribed period, relieving pain with analgesics.

Under no circumstances should you force the process of replacing a temporary filling material with a permanent one. This can lead to serious complications in the future. Then you will have to unseal and carry out treatment from the very beginning.

How to deal with discomfort

What to do if, after cleaning the canals and installing a temporary filling, your tooth hurts: a cold compress placed on the cheek on the side of the sealed unit helps with toothache. In this way, you can not only get rid of unpleasant sensations, but also prevent the further spread of infection and the development of the inflammatory process.

Important! If the pain is severe, it is better to take a tablet with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

It is useful to apply a piece of aloe leaf to the “affected” tooth. Another proven folk remedy is a lotion with propolis tincture (saturate a cotton pad with a 2% solution of the product and place it behind the damaged tooth). Warm rinses with baking soda and salt are a popular remedy for toothache. So, 1 tsp. Each powder is dissolved in a glass of boiled water. The procedure is carried out 4–5 times a day.

The following rinse will help relieve pain and inflammation: 2 tbsp. l. Dried chamomile flowers are poured into a glass of boiling water and left to infuse for several hours. When ready, strain, add 2 tsp. honey Rinse your mouth with this mixture 2-3 times a day.

Other recommendations:

• Avoid contact of excessively cold (hot) drinks on the area of ​​the diseased tooth;
• It is useful to rinse your mouth every 3-4 hours with decoctions of medicinal herbs - chamomile, sage, yarrow;
• it is worth regularly inspecting the sealed unit for inflammation (symptoms are redness, swelling, swelling, putrid odor);
• a piece of cotton wool soaked in tincture of valerian (melissa) will help relieve irritation and relieve pain;
• Pharmacies sell many ointments, gels, and aerosols with analgesic properties, but their use must be agreed with the dentist.

Rinsing with a soda-salt solution, decoctions of medicinal herbs, as well as taking an analgesic drug will help cope with severe tooth pain.

Preventive measures

In order for the process of preparing for the main treatment to proceed without unpleasant surprises and dangerous complications, you must follow simple rules:

• Try not to put stress on the sealed unit. This means that you should chew food from the “healthy side”. Under no circumstances should you chew on foreign objects. Also, intensive rinsing should not be done unless prescribed by a doctor.
• Maintain good oral hygiene. It is necessary to carry out hygiene measures in the morning and evening. Inflamed areas of the gums can be treated with a brush with soft bristles.
• Check the temporary filling for cracks and chips. If they appear, a re-sealing should be carried out. Otherwise, by the time the permanent material is installed, there may be nothing left of the dental crown - it will collapse under the aggressive influence of pathogens.

Watch your tooth filled with a temporary filling carefully. Then you will avoid many problems.