Usually when a dentist says he is placing a medicated filling he means a filling that will release medication to the tooth. Most often dentists are referring to a temporary filling that has eugonol in it since it is a natural abtundant and has a sedative effect on irritated pulps. In my practice I use IRM for my 'sedative' fillings since it releases eugonol but it also is strong enough for long term use. It also seems to have antimicrobial properties and helps prevent teeth from experiencing recurrent decay prior to the placement of a permanent restoration.
Other types of 'medicated' fillings that dentists use are Glass ionomer based, since they tend to release fluoride over time. In my practice I make frequent use of a modified glass ionomer cement aptly named Miracle Mix since it is strong and seems to have properties that definitely inhibit recurrent decay adjacent to these restorations. Miracle Mix is made by taking the powder from amalgam capsules(sans mercury) and mixing it with glass ionomer powder to create a new hybrid cement restorative. The metal fillings from amalgam have copper,and silver and other metals that most likely provide additional antimicrobial protection above and beyond normal glass ionomer formulations. It has only one real drawback. Miracle Mix fillings are grey in color and can not be placed in areas where esthetics is important.
Dr. Spindel,
ReplyDeleteYou write a great blog and I love the posts. Would you mind if I shared some of them with our following? Also, we'd love to follow, fan, link with your social media sites!
Here are ours if you wish to do the same:
facebook.com/orthosynetic
twitter.com/orthosynetics
You are certainly welcome to share blog posts with your followers. Although I currently do not have much to twitter about, I do have a professional facebook page:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lawrence-Spindel-DDS/136081549762118 (sorry for the unfriendly URL)
thanks for this blog. I was very confused about what a medicated filling was. (I just got one today) I couldn't understand why the doctor didn't just fill the filling and get it over with... he kept saying it will be less painful this way (because the hole was larger than he'd like or something like that)... now this explains why he went this route, I didn't know medicated fillings actually release medicine into the tooth.
ReplyDeleteI recently got a root canal (a week ago) and have had a lot of pain since then...only now is it getting better...still can't eat 'solid' food. He put a medicated filling in. I still have a medicine taste in my mouth...and it still aches. I am on an antibiotic. The medicated filling is durable right...will I be able to eat like normal...or what? Also...is the ache that I am still feeling normal?
ReplyDeleteI have a painful wisdom tooth and because of Osteoporosis or Actonel Medication which I take for it I cannot have the tooth pulled for months. I prefer not to have Root Canal because of the expense and also because it doesn't work for me. Everytime I have Root Canal within a few months the tooth falls out.
ReplyDeleteIs there any alternative that will work for me. I once had what the dentist referred to as partial Root Canal. They remove half of the tooth and build on to it. It worked just fine.
Could the dentist kill the nerve while I wait to be able to have the tooth extracted?
Hello! I just got a medicated filling today and it tastes pretty awful...like cloves. Will this taste fade away? I'm not sure I can stand this taste in my mouth for 3 weeks...
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Jenna, i had a medicated filling put in 3 weeks ago, same taste,wearing at me,.....
ReplyDeleteCan we buy our own medicated filling bottle and use it when we need it?
ReplyDeleteThey sell some temporary filling kits in most drugstores but I find them hard to use and hard to get the self placed fillings to stay in.
ReplyDeleteDentist pack tooth with medication, covered with a pink material. Said if pressure built up to remove cover. Cannot get cover off, cannot wait for dentist tomorrow. What should I try?
ReplyDeletewow really superb you had posted one nice information through this. Definitely it will be useful for many people. So please keep update like this.
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hello sir, I got one of my left molar amalgam filling replaced with composite 15 days back. Since that day, I am not able to chew hard food with that teeth. Also, soft foods are also not very comfortable to eat. Now my dentist is suggesting to put medicinal filling to it for some days and then re-filling with composite filling. What should I do? Please suggest. Thank you for the wonderful blog and explanations.
ReplyDeleteThis advice sounds good. If you came to my practice I usually recommend removal of the filling and examining the tooth structure that remains. Some I end up refilling with a medicated filling. Some I refill , some I recommend crowning if there is not sufficient tooth structure to comfortably hold a filling.
DeleteDr. Spindel,
ReplyDeleteWhy can't a medicated filling last for more than 6-8 weeks?
Thank you. Susan
Sometimes they do, but IRM is a little "crumbly" and it can break after its in the mouth for longer periods. That bing said, I sometimes have Miraclemix or other modified glass ionomer fillings in for over a year. What is important that the fillings have good contact with adjacent teeth to prevent food impaction. Food impaction can cause decay or periodontal problems.
DeleteWhy are IRM filings not routinely used any more before placing a permanent one? In the past IRM always helped healing and massively helped with pain and discomfort, but my last dentist didn't want to know about it and used a permanent one straight away that turned into a root canal treatment that gone wrong.
ReplyDelete