After root canal treatment is completed, the root canals are hermetically sealed, but a temporary filling is usually placed on top of the tooth. Many patients delay getting a permanent restoration because the pain has subsided. This is an extremely dangerous mistake. Temporary fillings can only withstand the constant chewing forces and temperature changes in the mouth for a maximum of 1-2 weeks, after which they begin to leak microscopically. Billions of bacteria in saliva seep through the temporary filling and rapidly advance downwards around the gutta-percha filling material placed in the root canal, towards the root tip. Studies have shown that a root canal treatment with an open or leaking top filling becomes completely re-contaminated with bacteria in just 3 weeks. This renders the entire treatment useless and necessitates a complete re-canal restoration.
