All I'm trying to do is figure out the heighth of the platform I will need to build to install a new shower stall. Oh and Marlin, I said that a hole was not an option for many reasons. Number one on that list is not wanting to turn a $3,000 job into a $30,000 job.
In brief: Generally.. As far as the filling itself goes, you can eat right away with tooth colored composite fillings, but should wait at least one hour with amalgam (silver) fillings. It's always best you ask your own dentist as this can vary somewhat based upon the size and location of the filling.
The ideal time to do fillings on any tooth is when the decay is small. The decay should not be watched as it grows. That being said, i would chose small fillings over crowns. The longer you can put off the crowns, the better, since they will probably have to be redone a few times over your lifetime.