Do dentists normally put in a temporary filling in this case?!

Hello
no normally they do not. They normally x ray the tooth to see how bad the decay is. They then perform the root canal and clean the tooth out and put stuff in the tooth to kill all infection . They then seal the tooth with a temp filling after doing the root canal. It is then normally left for 2-3 weeks and then you go back and they will x ray it again to check all roots were cleaned properly and all infection has gone. If everything is fine they will remove the temp filling and put a perm one in or you may have a crown fitted. Most root canals are crowned as after teeth are root canaled teeth go brittle and can break. When I had one root canal done, it was really painful as he started working on it( even after 1 injection) so he injected into the actual tooth itself for a 2nd time which stopped the pain. It was painful because the nerve was badly infected and inflamed. But he could carry on as he numbed it direct into the tooth through a hole.

So no they do not normally put a temp filling in before doing a root canal, they temp fill it after a root canal. I guess there are rare cases when they do, if people cannot stand the pain or the infection is major, they have to abandon it and get the infection under control before having another go. But It is pretty rare. I had 2 root canals and hubby 2 and mum 1 and we all had temp fillings after.

update
No we do not all go to the same dentists. My mum lives in another country. 80% of root canals are temp filled after the root canal treatment is done. Then on 2nd visit the temp filling is removed and replaced with a perm one if all infection has gone. Or crowned. And what I have said is the same as the dentist on here(post), going back for 2nd visit etc, then having temp filling replaced. I have had about 5 different dentists over the years. I have a friend who had a root canal( I drove her there both times as she was frightened, nervous) a few weeks ago too who had the same thing done , temp filling after root canal, then crown fitted 4 weeks later, with a different dentist, not mine. So I am just describing what I know.

Let what go? I am simply replying to your question, lol.

Hope that helps

myself as I have had 2 root canals and crowns

It depends actually.
If the tooth is very (we say 'hot') so sensitive and inflamed then it is sometimes impossible to access the root one the first try, additionally with such a high level of infection there can be problems going numb. So the dentist will drill as far as possible in the tooth and place a sedative dressing, some cotton wool and a light temporary filling. Antibiotics may be given at this visit too. The following week the sedative dressing will have killed the nerve and the tooth can be easily accessed with no or little discomfort.
In some cases (granted very few) the root canal can be completed in one visit, this is usually if the nerve has died and this can be seen on an xray and you are performing the RCT (root canal treatment) for preventative reasons,
In some cases the dentist may simply split the RCT procedure in to 2 visits as they are lengthy visits and for the patients comfort and to be certain that all infection has been removed will ask the patient to come back for a second visit.
Where the treatment involves a second visit a temporary filling is always placed.
Hope that helps.

Im a dentist.

Yes, they usually give you antibiotics as well.

And by the way rachel I guess you all go to the same dentist ? so It's fair to say he/she would have a way of doing things consistently with all patients.
I tend to agree with the actual dentist as I have had seven dentists over the past 40 years and the root canal treatment was allways similar to what is described below.
Let it go woman, your like a dog with a bone.

40 years of torture