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Fillings Center - Homestead, FL

WebMD Physician Directory

Homestead, 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 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 Homestead

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Homestead Hospitals *

Homestead Hospital
975 Baptist Way
Homestead, FL 33033
(786)243-8000

HEALTHSOUTH Miami Rehabilitation Hospital
20601 Old Cutler Rd
Miami, FL 33189
(305)251-3800

Jackson South Community Hospital
9333 SW 152nd St
Miami, FL 33157
(305)251-2500

Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute
8900 N Kendall Dr
Miami, FL 33176
(786)596-5990

Baptist Children's Hospital
8900 N Kendall Dr
Miami, FL 33176
(305)596-5437

Baptist Hospital of Miami
8900 N Kendall Dr
Miami, FL 33176
(786)596-1960

Kendall Regional Medical Center
11750 SW 40th St
Miami, FL 33175
(305)223-3000

South Miami Hospital
6200 SW 73rd St
South Miami, FL 33143
(786)662-4000

Larkin Community Hospital
7031 SW 62nd Ave
South Miami, FL 33143
(305)284-7500

West Gables Rehabilitation Hospital
2525 SW 75th Ave
Miami, FL 33155
(305)262-6800

Westchester General Hospital
2500 SW 75th Ave
Miami, FL 33155
(305)264-5252

Doctors' Hospital
5000 University Dr
Coral Gables, FL 33146
(786)308-3000

Miami Children's Hospital
3100 SW 62nd Ave
Miami, FL 33155
(305)666-6511

Coral Gables Hospital
3100 Douglas Rd
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305)445-8461

Kindred Hospital South Florida Coral Gables
5190 SW 8th St
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305)448-1585

Metropolitan Hospital
5959 NW 7th St
Miami, FL 33126
(305)264-1000

Mercy Hospital
3663 S Miami Ave
Miami, FL 33133
(305)854-4400

Sister Emmanuel Hospital for Continuing Care
3663 S Miami Ave
Miami, FL 33133
(305)285-2939

Select Specialty Hospital Miami
955 NW Third St
Miami, FL 33128
(305)416-5700

University of Miami Hospital
1400 NW 12th Ave
Miami, FL 33136
(305)325-5511

University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
1475 NW 12th Ave
Miami, FL 33136
(305)243-1000

Jackson Memorial Hospital
1611 NW 12th Ave
Miami, FL 33136
(305)585-1111

Miami VA Medical Center
1201 NW 16th St
Miami, FL 33125
(305)575-4455

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
900 NW 17th St
Miami, FL 33136
(305)326-6000

Southern Winds Hospital
4225 W 20th Ave
Hialeah, FL 33012
(305)558-9700

Hialeah Hospital
651 E 25th St
Hialeah, FL 33013
(305)693-6100

Palm Springs General Hospital
1475 W 49th St
Hialeah, FL 33012
(305)558-2500

Miami Jewish Home & Hospital for the Aged
5200 NE 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33137
(305)751-8626

Palmetto General Hospital
2001 W 68th St
Hialeah, FL 33016
(305)823-5000

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

Mount Sinai Medical Center
4300 Alton Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(305)674-2121

Mount Sinai Medical Center Miami Heart Campus
4701 N Meridian Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(305)674-2121

Mariners Hospital
91500 Overseas Hwy
Tavernier, FL 33070
(305)852-4418

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

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

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