Short answer: no — not as a real fix.
Those shop-bought (temporary) fillings are only meant to buy you time, not to last.
What they can do
- Seal a hole or lost filling for a few days to a couple of weeks
- Reduce sensitivity and pain
- Protect the tooth until you see a dentist
What they won’t do
- They don’t stop decay underneath
- They’re not as strong as real fillings
- They can fall out, especially if you chew on that side
- They won’t fix infections, cracks, or nerve issues
How long they usually last
- A few days if you’re unlucky
- Up to 1–2 weeks if you’re careful
(Some brands claim longer, but that’s optimistic.)
If you use one, do this to help it last
- Keep chewing on the other side
- Avoid hard, sticky, or crunchy foods
- Don’t brush hard over it for the first 24 hours
- Keep the area as dry as possible when placing it
Important heads-up 🚩
If the pain is throbbing, worsening, or comes with swelling, a temporary filling can actually trap infection inside and make things worse. In that case, it’s really a dentist-sooner-rather-than-later situation.
