5-24
- TEMPORARY RESTORATIONS
a. Remove as much of the soft decayed material as possible with a spoon-shaped instrument. If the
patient is properly anesthetized he should feel no pain.
b. Irrigate the cavity with warm water until loose debris has is flushed out.
c. Isolate the tooth with gauze packs and gently dry the cavity with cotton pellets.
d. Mix the intermediate restorative material (IRM) zinc oxide powder with two or three drops of (IRM
liquid) eugenol on a clean dry surface (parchment pad) until a thick puttylike mix is obtained.
Adding a drop of water to the mixture will quicken setting.
e. Fill the cavity with the IRM putty, tamping it gently (use the Woodson Plastic Instrument #2 or #3 or
a moistened cotton tip applicator).
f. Have the patient bite several times to compress the putty, and to avoid malocclusal problems with
opposite teeth when dry.
g. Remove surplus filling material by lightly rubbing the tooth with a moist cotton pellet.
h. The pain should disappear in a few minutes and the putty will harden within 5-10 minutes. Caution
the patient not to chew on the treated tooth.
i. If IRM is not available, a cotton pellet impregnated with eugenol may be left in the cavity. Glass
ionomer cement is an excellent substitute for the IRM. A condensable glass ionomer is preferable, but
any type will work. Glass ionomer can be placed directly against exposed pulpal tissue.
j. Instruct the patient that the procedure is temporary and a dentist must give definitive care.
Figure 5- 6
Long Buccal Injection
