Often dental treatment is not limited to just one visit to the doctor - in this case, at an intermediate stage, a temporary filling cannot be avoided. It is mainly used in the following cases:
- Treatment of acute deep caries. The border between dental tissues and the pulp chamber is so thin that the carious process can develop into pulpitis, and then root canal treatment will be required. Therefore, at the first visit, the dentist places a medicinal lining in the tooth and closes the cavity with a temporary filling. If the tooth continues to hurt under it, this indicates the need to change tactics.
- Treatment of pulpitis. In most cases, pulp inflammation is treated in two visits. First, it is necessary to necrotize the vessels and nerves so that later removal of the affected tissue and treatment of the canals will not be painful. To do this, during the first visit, a temporary filling with arsenic is placed.
- Treatment of periodontitis. Depending on the stage of the disease, medicine is placed into the root canals to stop the inflammatory process or to restore bone tissue (when a cyst is removed). In both cases, a temporary filling is needed. At each appointment, the dentist checks the condition of the root canals, as well as the tissues adjacent to it, and decides whether it is possible to permanently fill the tooth or whether it is worth putting a new portion of the drug.
- Preparation for prosthetics. In some situations, a temporary filling is placed on already cured and filled canals - for example, before installing a pin or orthopedic structure.
Composition of temporary filling
The main difference between temporary fillings and permanent fillings is their composition. They are usually made from the following materials:
- Artificial dentin. This is a mixture of zinc oxide and sulfate powders with distilled water.
- Vinoxol. It is a mixture of zinc oxide powder and liquid. It has good adhesion and antiseptic properties, and due to its high strength, a temporary filling made from this material can last up to six months.
- Dentine paste. White homogeneous mass with essential oils. The material is plastic, has excellent adhesion, and has water-repellent properties.
- Zinc-eugenol cement. It contains zinc oxide and clove oil or the fragrant substance eugenol. A temporary filling made from this material has good adhesion, an analgesic effect, antiseptic properties, and resistance to increased loads.
- Polycarboxylate cement. It is a mixture of zinc oxide powders, copper and liquid. It has good ductility, resistance to moisture, and excellent adhesion.
- Karyosan - zinc oxide with eugenol.
All materials have their own hardening time and the period after which food can be eaten. For each case, the dentist himself determines the type and composition for filling the cavity, which will affect the price of the temporary filling.
Indications and contraindications for the use of arsenic
Arsenic acid is used for devitalization, that is, killing the dental pulp in order to then partially or completely remove it. Before the development of anesthesia, this was the only way in which it was possible to remove a tooth relatively painlessly, cure pulpitis and some other dental diseases.
Now the pulp is removed under local anesthesia and using drugs without arsenic. But there are indications according to which he is still placed. These include:
- Acute diffuse or chronic fibrous pulpitis;
- Chronic hypertrophic pulpitis in teeth with impassable and curved canals;
- Allergy to local anesthetics;
- Severe general condition, for example, after a heart attack or stroke;
- Inability to open the mouth wide due to contraction of the lower jaw.
Dentists emphasize that arsenic is not an alternative to pulp removal with anesthesia. The toxin is used as a last resort when the patient has indications for it.
Arsenic should not be placed in the dental cavity if:
- Allergies to paste components;
- Pregnancy and lactation;
- Increased eye pressure;
- Diseases of the urinary system;
- Unformed roots.
In pediatric dentistry, arsenic should not be administered to children under 1.5 years of age. But today, paste with arsenic acid is practically not used to treat pulpitis in a child. Pulp devitalization is carried out with other drugs.
How much does a temporary filling with arsenic cost?
The period for which a temporary filling with arsenic can be left in a tooth depends on various circumstances - the age of the patient, the condition of his teeth, as well as the means used by the dentist to kill the pulp. When setting the time frame, the option of placing the drug is also taken into account - on an unopened pulp chamber or directly on the exposed pulp.
Typically, a temporary filling with arsenic remains in the tooth for a day, but when treating multi-channel chewing teeth, this period can be increased to two days. When treating baby teeth with formed roots, this time is reduced to 18 and 24 hours, respectively. And if the latest generation of arsenic preparations are used, they can be left in the tooth for up to five days.
If you have been given a temporary filling with arsenic, you must strictly adhere to the deadlines and come to replace it at the time specified by the doctor. Prolonged residence of the drug in the tooth leads to the penetration of arsenic into neighboring tissues and its accumulation there, which can ultimately provoke periodontal inflammation.
Arsenic in the tooth
In most cases, toothache comes suddenly and a person is forced to put aside all his affairs and visit the dentist. Some people always associate dental treatment with pain and they think with fear about the upcoming visit to the doctor and try to postpone it indefinitely. But you cannot delay visiting the dentist, as the disease will develop further, and this entails the risk of complications.
In the process of dental treatment, specialists at the Costamed dental clinic use fast, painless and well-proven methods. But there are cases when the only possible option for removing the nerve is the use of arsenic.
Why do they put arsenic in the tooth?
Arsenic is administered in order to get rid of the dental nerve, which in turn causes pain in a number of dental diseases. The drug has a necrotic effect on the nerve, pulp and nerve endings through a direct cytotoxic effect on cells. It causes disruption of cell respiration, denaturation of pulp proteins, stops its blood supply, blocks the transmission of impulses that come from nerve endings, and leads to cell death.
Indications for using arsenic in teeth:
- Allergic reaction to anesthetic.
- Limited time.
- Treatment by the doctor on duty due to urgent indications.
- The body's immunity to the effects of anesthetics.
- Inability to administer anesthesia due to the patient's health.
- Dental treatment in children when it is impossible to use local anesthesia.
How dangerous is the use of arsenic?
The product used in Perm dentistry is not pure arsenic, but its derivative. It is placed deep into the tooth, and the specialist will put a filling on top, so the paste will not get into the stomach or blood. Even if a patient’s filling accidentally falls out and he swallows it, this will also not cause harm to his body, since the proportion of arsenic contained in the paste is minimal.
Consequences of untimely removal of arsenic from a tooth
Arsenic is a poison. Even though its concentration in the paste is low, if it is not removed in a timely manner, it can cause an inflammatory process in the tooth tissues. The consequences can be very negative; the patient may develop diseases such as periodontitis or periostitis.
Please note that a temporary filling may fall out on its own or last for about 6 months or even a year.
Some patients are confident that if they do not feel pain, they may not visit the dentist again, and continue to walk with arsenic in their teeth. This should absolutely not be done, since with prolonged contact with tissues, the paste will gradually poison the entire body. Doctors apply the paste for a certain period of time; during this period it cannot cause significant harm. The next visit is scheduled to remove the paste from the tooth and place a permanent filling.
Contact the Costamed clinic with any problems related to health and oral diseases. You can make an appointment with a dentist using the online appointment form or call. Registration is made 24 hours a day. Call now!.
Why is arsenic used?
Arsenic is a substance that is used in many areas at the same time. Metal production, semiconductor synthesis, painting, pyrotechnics, military affairs, household needs, medicine - this is an incomplete list of areas where this element is in demand. Doctors began to use it at the beginning of the 20th century to treat syphilis and anemia; Today, arsenic is widely used in dentistry.
A paste based on arsenic anhydride is placed on the tooth in order to kill the nerve. This need arises when the inflammatory process has already moved from the crown of the tooth to the pulp, and pulpitis has begun. Arsenic is also used in dental treatment when:
- the pulp bleeds heavily, which may be associated with severe inflammation, high blood pressure or the onset of the menstrual cycle in women;
- the patient is allergic to anesthetics;
- there is no time for long-term pain relief;
- local anesthesia does not work, most often against the background of severe anxiety.
If it is necessary to kill a nerve, the doctor will put arsenic, a temporary filling and send the patient home - the necrotic process will take several days (we recommend reading: how to kill a nerve in a tooth yourself and is this possible?). During the appointment, the specialist must warn about all precautions and possible side effects.
Pregnancy period and childhood
Since in practice this substance is not used in the treatment of the oral cavity in pregnant women and children, no one can say for sure how long arsenic can be kept in a child’s tooth. At this time, dentists use, if necessary, more gentle methods of removing nerves that are less toxic and dangerous. This is due to the fact that when pregnant women are exposed to arsenic, the substance can penetrate into the fetus and negatively affect its development.
As for small children, it is very difficult to calculate the exact dose; there is a high probability of causing poisoning in them. Also, the baby can independently remove the product from the tooth and swallow it, which is very dangerous.
In any case, after using the drug, dentin is destroyed over time, which is unacceptable for children whose bodies are just developing.
Of course, when asking the question of how long you can keep arsenic in your tooth, you should understand that everything depends on the characteristics of the body. The drug is prescribed to adults quite often. Reason: cheapness of the substance or if there is a negative reaction to other local anesthetics.
What kind of substance?
How long you can keep arsenic in a tooth depends on the disease, because the substance has a strong analgesic effect, completely killing the nerve. Today, such a remedy is considered obsolete, but it has still not lost its popularity in dental clinics.
Arsenic is a highly toxic and brittle non-metal. Its Latin name sounds like Arsenicum, and the remedy received its domestic nickname due to its popularity in baiting rodents. This drug can completely disrupt the metabolism of important microelements in humans if the dose is exceeded. The correct amount is calculated depending on weight and personal sensitivity to the active substance. That is why the question “How long can you keep arsenic in your tooth?” Only a specialist can answer for sure. Dangerous doses of this drug are measured in the range of only 5-50 grams.
What to do if complications arise when using arsenic
If the doctor correctly selected the dosage and hermetically installed the temporary filling, and the patient came for a follow-up appointment on time, there will be no complications after using the paste. They occur if the therapist used too much of the substance, did not install the filling tightly and it fell out, or when the patient missed the deadline for taking it and walks with arsenic longer than expected.
The most common complications include:
- Burn of the mucous membrane, for example, gums;
- Necrosis of surrounding tissues and pulp of adjacent teeth;
- Arsenic periodontitis and periodontitis;
- Osteonecrosis is the destruction of jaw bone cells.
If arsenic falls out, the patient has a headache, feels sick and vomits, contact the clinic immediately. When the poison enters the body, the doctor administers an antidote. In case of damage to the mucous membrane, treat the affected area with antiseptics and drugs that block the spread of the toxin and accelerate tissue epithelization.
In modern dentistry, to avoid overdose, the paste is produced in special granules. The main thing that doctors urge is not to overexpose arsenic: keep it for as long as you are prescribed to walk with it. Then the risk of complications becomes minimal.
