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Fillings Center - Lancaster, PA

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Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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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 Lancaster

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Lancaster Hospitals *

Lancaster General Hospital
555 N Duke St
Lancaster, PA 17604
(717)544-5511

Lancaster Regional Medical Center
250 College Ave
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717)291-8211

Lancaster General Women & Babies Hospital
690 Good Dr
Lancaster, PA 17604
(717)544-3700

Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital
675 Good Dr
Lancaster, PA 17604
(717)394-7500

Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center
1500 Highlands Dr
Lititz, PA 17543
(717)625-5000

Ephrata Community Hospital
169 Martin Ave
Ephrata, PA 17522
(717)733-0311

Lebanon VA Medical Center
1700 S Lincoln Ave
Lebanon, PA 17042
(717)272-6621

The Good Samaritan Hospital
4th & Walnut Sts
Lebanon, PA 17042
(717)270-7500

Memorial Hospital
325 S Belmont St
York, PA 17403
(717)843-8623

Philhaven
283 S Butler Rd
Mount Gretna, PA 17064
(717)273-8871

Wernersville State Hospital
Rte 422 & Sportsman Rd
Wernersville, PA 19565
(610)678-3411

York Hospital
1001 S George St
York, PA 17403
(717)851-2345

Penn State Children's Hospital
500 University Dr
Hershey, PA 17033
(717)531-8521

Penn State Hershey Medical Center
500 University Dr
Hershey, PA 17033
(717)531-8521

HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of York
1850 Normandie Dr
York, PA 17408
(717)767-6941

HEALTHSOUTH Reading Rehabilitation Hospital
1623 Morgantown Rd
Reading, PA 19607
(610)796-6000

Jennersville Regional Hospital
1015 W Baltimore Pike
West Grove, PA 19390
(610)869-1000

Coatesville VA Medical Center
1400 Black Horse Hill Rd
Coatesville, PA 19320
(610)384-7711

Brandywine Hospital
201 Reeceville Rd
Coatesville, PA 19320
(610)383-8000

The Reading Hospital & Medical Center
6th Ave & Spruce St
Reading, PA 19612
(610)988-8000

St Joseph Medical Center
2500 Bernville Rd
Reading, PA 19605
(610)378-2000

Community General Osteopathic Hospital Pinnacle Health
4300 Londonderry Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717)652-3000

Helen M Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital
4300 Londonderry Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717)920-4300

Saint John Vianney Hospital
151 Woodbine Rd
Downingtown, PA 19335
(610)269-2600

Harrisburg Hospital
111 S Front St
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717)782-3131

Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
500 Upper Chesapeake Dr
Bel Air, MD 21014
(443)643-1000

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