Boca Raton FL Resources - Teeth: Dental Fillings for Cavities Information on Medicinenet.com

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Fillings Center - Boca Raton, FL

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Boca Raton, Florida

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Fillings

Introduction

To treat a cavity your dentist will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then "fill" the area on the tooth where the decayed material once lived.

Fillings are also used to repair cracked or broken teeth and teeth that have been worn down from misuse (such as from nail-biting or tooth grinding ).

What Steps Are Involved in Filling a Tooth?

First, the dentist will numb the area around the tooth to be worked on with a local anesthetic. Next, a drill, air abrasion instrument or laser will be used to remove the decayed area. The choice of instrument depends on the individual dentist's comfort level, training, and investment in the particular piece of equipment as well as location and extent of the decay.

Next, your dentist will probe or test the area during the decay removal process to determine if all the decay has been removed. Once the decay has been removed, your dentist will prepare the space for the filling by cleaning the cavity of bacteria and debris. If the decay is near the root, your dentist may first put in a liner made of glass ionomer, composite resin, or other material to protect the nerve. Generally, after the filling is in, your dentist will finish and polish it.

Several additional steps are required for tooth-colored fillings and are as follows. After your dentist has removed the decay and cleaned the area, the tooth-colored material is applied in layers. Next, a special light that "cures" or hardens each layer is applied. When the multilayering process is completed, your dentist will shape the composite material to the desired result, trim off any excess material and polish the final restoration.

What Types of Filling Materials are Available?

Today, several dental filling materials are available. Teeth can be filled with gold; porcelain; silver amalgam (which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper); or tooth-colored...

Recommended Reading Related to Fillings

Dental Sealants »

Who Should Get Sealants?

Because of the likelihood of developing decay in the depressions and grooves of the premolars and molars, children and teenagers are obvious candidates for sealants. However, adults without decay or fillings in their molars can also benefit from sealants.

Typically, children should get sealants on their permanent molars and premolars as soon as these teeth come in. In this way, the dental sealants can protect the teeth through the cavity-prone years of ages 6 to 14.

In some cases, dental sealants may also be appropriate for baby teeth, such as when a child's baby teeth have deep depressions and grooves. Because baby teeth play such an important role in holding the correct spacing for permanent teeth, it is important to keep these teeth healthy so they are not lost too early.

How Are Sealants Applied?

Applying the sealant is a simple and painless process. It takes only a few m...

Emergency Contact for Boca Raton

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Boca Raton Hospitals *

Boca Raton Community Hospital
800 Meadows Rd
Boca Raton, FL 33486
(561)955-7100

North Broward Medical Center
201 E Sample Rd
Deerfield, FL 33064
(954)786-6400

Delray Medical Center
5352 Linton Blvd
Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561)498-4440

Fair Oaks Pavilion
5440 Linton Blvd
Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561)495-1000

Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital
5360 Linton Blvd
Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561)495-0400

West Boca Medical Center
21644 State Rd 7
Boca Raton, FL 33428
(561)488-8000

Imperial Point Medical Center
6401 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
(954)776-8500

Northwest Medical Center
2801 N State Rd 7
Margate, FL 33063
(954)974-0400

Bethesda Memorial Hospital
2815 S Seacrest Blvd
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
(561)737-7733

Holy Cross Hospital
4725 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
(954)771-8000

Atlantic Shores Hospital
4545 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
(954)771-2711

Coral Springs Medical Center
3000 Coral Hills Dr
Coral Springs, FL 33065
(954)344-3000

University Hospital & Medical Center
7201 N University Dr
Tamarac, FL 33321
(954)721-2200

St John's Rehabilitation Hospital
3075 NW 35th Ave
Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33311
(954)739-6233

Florida Medical Center
5000 W Oakland Park Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33313
(954)735-6000

Fort Lauderdale Hospital
1601 E Las Olas Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954)463-4321

Kindred Hospital Fort Lauderdale
1516 E Las Olas Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954)764-8900

A G Holley State Hospital
1199 W Lantana Rd
Lantana, FL 33462
(561)582-5666

HEALTHSOUTH Sunrise Rehabilitation Hospital
4399 Nob Hill Rd
Sunrise, FL 33351
(954)749-0300

Plantation General Hospital
401 NW 42nd Ave
Plantation, FL 33317
(954)587-5010

JFK Medical Center
5301 S Congress Ave
Atlantis, FL 33462
(561)965-7300

Broward General Medical Center
1600 S Andrews Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954)355-4400

Select Specialty Hospital Palm Beach
3060 Melaleuca Ln
Lake Worth, FL 33461
(561)357-7201

Westside Regional Medical Center
8201 W Broward Blvd
Plantation, FL 33324
(954)473-6600

Hollywood Pavilion
1201 N 37th Ave
Hollywood, FL 33021
(954)962-1355

Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital at Memorial
3501 Johnson St
Hollywood, FL 33021
(954)987-2000

Memorial Regional Hospital
3501 Johnson St
Hollywood, FL 33021
(954)987-2000

Kindred Hospital Hollywood
1859 Van Buren St
Hollywood, FL 33020
(954)920-9000

Memorial Hospital Pembroke
7800 Sheridan St
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
(954)962-9650

Memorial Regional Hospital South
3600 Washington St
Hollywood, FL 33021
(954)966-4500

Wellington Regional Medical Center
10101 Forest Hill Blvd
Wellington, FL 33414
(561)798-8500

Palms West Hospital
13001 Southern Blvd
Loxahatchee, FL 33470
(561)798-3300

Cleveland Clinic Hospital
3100 Weston Rd
Weston, FL 33331
(954)689-5000

Good Samaritan Medical Center
1309 N Flagler Dr
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561)655-5511

Aventura Hospital & Medical Center
20900 Biscayne Blvd
Aventura, FL 33180
(305)682-7000

Memorial Hospital West
703 N Flamingo Rd
Pembroke Pines, FL 33028
(954)436-5000

Geo Care South Florida State Hospital
800 E Cypress Dr
Pembroke Pines, FL 33025
(954)392-3000

Oakwood Center of the Palm Beaches
1041 45th St
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)383-8000

St Mary's Medical Center & Children's Hospital
901 45th St
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)844-6300

Columbia Hospital
2201 45th St
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)842-6141

Hospice of Palm Beach County
5300 East Ave
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)848-5200

Jackson North Medical Center
160 NW 170th St
North Miami Beach, FL 33169
(305)651-1100

Kindred Hospital The Palm Beaches
5555 W Blue Heron Blvd
Riviera Beach, FL 33418
(561)840-0754

West Palm Beach VA Medical Center
7305 N Military Trl
West Palm Beach, FL 33410
(561)882-8262

Memorial Hospital Miramar
1901 SW 172nd Ave
Miramar, FL 33029
(954)538-5000

St Catherine's Rehabilitation Hospital
1050 NE 125th St
North Miami, FL 33161
(305)891-8850

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center
3360 Burns Rd
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(561)622-1411

North Shore Medical Center
1100 NW 95th St
Miami, FL 33150
(305)835-6000

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