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Fillings Center - Elk Grove, CA

WebMD Physician Directory

Elk Grove, California

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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 X-Rays: When to Get Them »

What Types of Problems Can X-Rays Detect?

In adults, X-ray films can be used to:

  • Show areas of decay that may not be visible with an oral examination, especially small areas of decay between teeth
  • Identify decay occurring beneath an existing filling
  • Reveal bone loss that accompanies gum disease
  • Reveal changes in the bone or in the root canal resulting from infection
  • Assist in the preparation of tooth implants, braces, dentures, or other dental procedures
  • Reveal abscesses (an infection at the root of a tooth or between the gum and a tooth)
  • Reveal other developmental abnormalities, such as cysts and some types of tumors

In children, dental X-ray films are used to:

  • Watch for decay
  • Determine if there is enough space in the mouth to fit all incoming teeth
  • Determine if p...

Emergency Contact for Elk Grove

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Elk Grove Hospitals *

Methodist Hospital of Sacramento
7500 Hospital Dr
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916)423-3000

Sierra Vista Hospital
8001 Bruceville Rd
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916)423-2000

Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center
6600 Bruceville Rd
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916)688-2000

Sutter Center for Psychiatry
7700 Folsom Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95826
(916)386-3000

Shriners Hospital Northern California
2425 Stockton Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95817
(916)453-2000

UC Davis Medical Center
2315 Stockton Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95817
(916)734-2011

Sutter Memorial Hospital
5151 F St
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916)454-3333

Mercy General Hospital
4001 J St
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916)453-4545

Sacramento VA Medical Center
10535 Hospital Way
Mather, CA 95655
(916)843-7000

Sutter General Hospital
2801 L St
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916)454-2222

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center
2025 Morse Ave
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916)973-5000

Heritage Oaks Hospital
4250 Auburn Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95841
(916)489-3336

Mercy San Juan Hospital
6501 Coyle Ave
Carmichael, CA 95608
(916)537-5000

Lodi Memorial Hospital West
800 S Lower Sacramento Rd
Lodi, CA 95242
(209)334-3411

Lodi Memorial Hospital
975 S Fairmont Ave
Lodi, CA 95240
(209)334-3411

Mercy Hospital of Folsom
1650 Creekside Dr
Folsom, CA 95630
(916)983-7400

Kindred Hospital Sacramento
223 Fargo Way
Folsom, CA 95630
(916)351-9151

Sutter Davis Hospital
2000 Sutter Pl
Davis, CA 95616
(530)756-6440

Sutter Roseville Medical Center
One Medical Plz
Roseville, CA 95661
(916)781-1000

Woodland Healthcare
1325 Cottonwood St
Woodland, CA 95695
(530)662-3961

St Joseph's Behavioral Health Center
2510 N California St
Stockton, CA 95204
(209)948-2100

St Joseph's Medical Center
1800 N California St
Stockton, CA 95204
(209)943-2000

Dameron Hospital
525 W Acacia St
Stockton, CA 95203
(209)944-5550

VacaValley Hospital
1000 Nut Tree Rd
Vacaville, CA 95687
(707)446-4000

Sutter Amador Hospital
200 Mission Blvd
Jackson, CA 95642
(209)223-7500

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