Cracked temporary?

[sinstar]

Hi there! I'm not sure if I have a problem. A couple of months ago one of my teeth (bottom right hand side, 3rd molar from the back) broke. I finally plucked up the courage to visit the dentist yesterday, so I went to and registered with an NHS dentist.

She advised me I would need a root canal, something I was expecting. So she started the process and sent me on my way with a temporary filling. When I got home I realised the temporary filling felt very strange - it felt too big, and I couldn't fit my teeth together properly. I decided just to ignore this, and I only ate soft foods on the other side of my mouth for the rest of the day, and avoided biting my teeth closed, then went to bed.

I was quite happy when I woke up this morning to find that my teeth now fit together and my bite feels the same as it did before the temporary filling, but upon further inspection there is now a crack in it!

This filling is covering the whole top and back surfaces of my tooth, and there is a thin horizontal crack where these surfaces meet. Should I be worried about this? I don't think any will break off, especially since I am being very careful to avoid using this tooth. But will bacteria etc get in through this crack and undo all the good work that has been done so far? My next appointment with the dentist is next Monday, should I try to get an appointment before then?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT - I actually realised I have a few moer questions, and didn't want to waste board space with a new post!

1 - is it normal to perform a root canal without an x-ray first? The x-ray machine at my dentist wasn't working. If I had an abcess and the dentist began a root canal without seeing it on an x-ray first, would it make a difference? Does it matter that the dentist hadn't seen an x-ray of the roots - what if there was something strange about them? I was told once some of my roots have curved up ends, but I can't remember what teeth have them.

2 - when getting a filling, does the dentist actively try to make sure it wont change your bite?

 

[Charity]

Hi sinstar....

I just thought I'd tell you about my recent fillings... Each of them was adjusted meticulously to ensure a comfortable bite. I would be asked to bite a strip of articulating paper, then a bit more would be drilled away from here or there, then more paper, then more adjusting... It was a long and tedious process, but as a result, my bite feels virtually unchanged to me even with my (literally) mouthful of new fillings.

I wonder if it's possible that not as much attention was given to it in this case because it's only temporary....? I'm no professional lol, and I don't want to make assumptions. I just know that it IS possible to make your bite feel normal and natural after fillings.

Best wishes!

 

[Gordon]

First question, depends if the crack goes all the way through the temp or if it's just on the surface. Temp fillings are usually pretty soft, so it's not a big deal if they're left a bit high.

1) It's OK to start without x-rays if it's an emergency or urgent. Certainly they'll need to be taken at some stage, but palliative treatment can be done without them.
2) Yep, but it's less crucial with temp fillings because they're so soft.