Dental Assistants perform many tasks in the dental office. These can include making patients feel comfortable, preparing them for treatment, instructing patients on post-operative care, performing sterilization, taking x-rays, pouring impressions and making temporaries, to name a few.
Are you familiar with what these tasks entail? Let’s take a deeper look at temporaries.
First, what is a temporary?
A temporary is a filling or crown that is placed until the permanent filling or crown is made and ready to be placed. It is normal for the gum around your tooth to be a little sore when the anesthesia wears off. This will disappear by tomorrow. Do your best to chew on the opposite side until your next appointment. Chewing sticky foods can sometimes dislodge it. It is not uncommon to have the following reactions or problems with a temporary.
It feels rough:
Call your dentist if it is making the tongue sensitive.
It came off:
This is probably the most common problem. It is supposed to come off easily and some foods will help in this. Stay away from sticky foods or gum. It is important for it to be there, so call and schedule to have it replaced or you can put it back with denture adhesive until you can get into the office.
It feels high:
Go see your dentist so they can adjust it. You can bruise a tooth if it is high.
It is not how I want the permanent tooth to look:
Don’t worry; the permanent will look much better.
It is sensitive:
The temporary will not always fit as well as the permanent will, so there may be some sensitivity to hot and cold as well as chewing. If it is too uncomfortable call your dentist.
The temporary is very important. It protects the exposed dentin so it is not sensitive, prevents food from gathering in the preparation, and prevents the prepared tooth from shifting and moving, making seating of the permanent more difficult. Use your toothbrush to clean the temporary as you normally do your other teeth. You will not be able to floss around your temporary as you may dislodge it.
If you have any questions concerning the temporary, please feel free to call Star of Texas Dental Assisting School. Remember, it will only be a week or two and it will all be worth it when you get your beautiful permanent restoration.
If you are interesting in learning how to make temporaries and becoming a dental assistant call Star of Texas Dental Assisting School. We are currently enrolling students for our next session beginning on December 19th! (512) 487-1547.
