What's a reasonable amount of time to have to wait to see a dentist about a lost filling?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

Let's say you've been going to the same dentist for many, many years. He generally does excellent work. You don't have problems paying the bills. And you're just an all around helluva great guy and a model patient.
The original filling was put in earlier this year and broke. He puts in a temp filling last week and schedules the real one for early July*. The temp fell out.
How long should one wait for a new temp?

(*reason being that the original filling left some shards in the gum that had to be dug out and it was felt that the gum should heal a bit before the new real filling goes in.)

[Denninmi]

1. I think you should be asking your dentist this question.

He is the one that knows your dental health history, including this particular incident, I would call the office, tell them that the temp filling fell out, and ask them if they need to redo it.

I guess the other option would be some of that temporary filling repair sold in drug stores. It doesn't work very well, tends to fall out easily, but its cheap and easy to redo as needed on a short term basis.

I guess the biggest concerns are pain and infection. As long as you don't have either, probably not a big deal. If you start having pain, I would definitely do something about it. Try to keep it as clean as possible, brush and use peroxide or a salt water rinse after you eat, that sort of thing.

Take the above for what it is, a completely uninformed opinion.

Good luck.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. Actually I already did call them.I didn't want to influence the responses here by saying how long >>

>> how long they wanted me to wait to come in.

[Chan790]

2. Three things.

1.) You should be fine waiting until July but see #s 2 & 3.

2.) Go to CVS or Walgreens or whatever and get some dental wax. Follow the instructions on the package. You should mold and soften it with your fingers, then stick it in the temp-filling hole to make a seal to keep food and bacteria out. Mouthwash, brush and water-rinse first.

3.) Call your dentist and ask him what he wants to do. He might decide it's better to perm. fill now instead of waiting. He might want to take a look to make sure nothing else has happened.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. (see my post #3, which I should have been more clear about)

What I'm really getting at is that I did call this morning to get a new temp and they said they could see me in X amount of time. So what do folks here consider to be reasonable for "X"?

[Chan790]

9. Oh, if I waxed it...I'd be fine until the original perm-filing date.

That's what? Around 2-3 weeks?

[Lionessa]

5. Waiting till July, I'd buy a temp filling kit from drug store and do it myself as needed since

even a new temp might fall out next week.

Besides that, there is info that would be required to answer you question that you do not provide. How deep is the filling, how fragile the tooth, what is your decaying food intake (like do you drink Mountain Dew non-stop, or mostly water?)

I don't believe there is a one stop answer for your question.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

13. I'm such a wuss with anything from the shoulders up.

As for the teeth in general, not particularly fragile and I don't do the dew or other sugary stuff. I've hardly had any new cavities over the last 20 years but my fillings from before that are showing their age and breaking down on me now and then.

[Iggo]

6. At my dentist, I'd only have to walk in the door...

...say "Ouch!", and I'd move to the front of the line.

So in answer to your question I'd say "about as long as it takes to drive over there, plus about two minutes."

[elleng]

8. Yup.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. That's what I always hope when I crack something but I never seem to get in sooner than 3 days.

I'm fine for now but I get myself all worked up worrying I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night with a toothache between now and the appointment and I'll have no recourse.

[Chan790]

15. Ibuprofen.

When I had my extraction and I couldn't afford the scripts, my maxillofacial surgeon told me to take 1000mg @ 4 hour windows until I forgot and the pain didn't immediately remind me. Apparently it works as well on dental pain as anything script.

Obviously for a toothache, you don't need that large or rigorous a regimen.

[elleng]

7. Immediately. Couple days at most.

[hedgehog]

11. Just as a possibility - were you speaking with a new

receptionist who might be unaware of office policies?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. Nah. She's been there as long as I've been going (like 25 years now).

In fact, after my rough appointment last week, she was the one who called me the next morning on the dentist's behalf to see how I was doing. So she knows the office and my chickenhearted ways.

[sharp_stick]

12. If it hurts

I'd expect to get in today or tomorrow at the latest.

If it doesn't hurt I would wait a few days and just be extra careful with that side of my face.

[AnneD]

16. My dentist schedualed me for this week......

I went in last Monday. Before I left, he did do a quick check and told me the filling would hold, just softer foods and chew on the other side. He was prepared to put in a temp if needed.

If the temp is out...it is a dental emergency. You rish infection and breaking the tooth.