Temporary Dental Fillings

Temporary fillings are used when a patient has to have a major procedure done such as root canal or a crown.  One of the most popular temporary dental filling is a dental filling called cimpat.  Cimpat is a pre-mixed, temporary filling material in paste form.   Cimpat hardens in the tooth cavity under the influence of mouth temperature and moisture. It is easy to apply, adheres well to a tooth and it doesn’t soft tissue of the mouth.  Due to its slight expansion during setting, cimpat hermetically seals the cavity to help prevent leaking.

This is the most commonly used temporary material.  The negative thing about temporary filling is that has no strength and its ability to seal the tooth properly depends on the type of preparation where the filling is placed.  When you have a small hole in the tooth, and the filling placed so that it is at least 4mm thick, it could last at least a few months before it washes out by dissolving and wear from saliva and eating.   However, if the tooth is missing more tooth structure, it might only be good for a week or two. If you have one of these materials, have something else placed as soon as possible such as a composite filling.   You need to at least get a base of a filling if you’re getting a crown, which can actually sit in your tooth till you’re ready to get the crown.

Cimpat White has a more rubber-like consistency than Cimpat Pink. It is designed for use where dressings are likely to cause pain on compression of the tooth. Because of its consistency, Cimpat White is recommended for fillings of short duration. Cimpat White can be removed with a probe.  Cimpat White, like all fillings, stays in place only when the cavity is properly prepared. Cimpat is softened during setting by certain liquids or pastes used for canal treatment.

White fillings which are much stronger material were invented for the military during Vietnam, when many soldiers had to be shipped quickly to be sent overseas, and there was not enough time to place regular fillings  The soldiers – if they managed to come back – still had their temporary white fillings after a year or two.  

When the temporary filling is lost or starts to leak the leakage can get through the root canal, filling down into your bone in as little as three days -- this means if the filling leaks, you’ll need to have the root canal done over again.

Also if there is a lot of tooth parts missing, then the tooth is very weak, and subject to breaking until you protect it with a crown so the best idea is not to count on temporary fillings too much and get the major procedure finished as soon as possible.