Fillings Center - Lawrence, MA
WebMD Physician DirectoryLawrence, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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FillingsIntroductionTo 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 FillingsWho 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... Other Related Fillings ArticlesEmergency Contact for Lawrence
Nearby Lawrence Hospitals * Lawrence General Hospital  Caritas Holy Family Hospital and Medical Center  Northeast Rehabilitation Health Network  Isham Health Center  Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Haverhill  Merrimack Valley Hospital  Tewksbury Hospital  Baldpate Hospital  Saints Medical Center  Lowell General Hospital  HC Solomon Mental Health Center  Hampstead Hospital  Parkland Medical Center  Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital  Anna Jaques Hospital  Southern New Hampshire Medical Center  Lahey Clinic Medical Center  St Joseph Hospital  Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore  Winchester Hospital  North Shore Medical Center  HEALTHSOUTH New England Rehabilitation Hospital  Beverly Hospital  Melrose Wakefield Hospital  North Shore Children's Hospital  Salem Hospital & the Birthplace  Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital  Emerson Hospital  Lawrence Memorial Hospital  Whidden Memorial Hospital  McLean Hospital  Exeter Hospital  Somerville Hospital  Lawrence F Quigley Memorial Hospital  Nashoba Valley Medical Center  Mount Auburn Hospital  Elliot Hospital  Youville Hospital and Rehabilitation Center  Cambridge Hospital  Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital  M I T Medical  Massachusetts General Hospital  Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston Burn Hospital  Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary  Arbour HRI Hospital  Caritas St Elizabeth's Medical Center  Franciscan Hospital for Children  Kindred Hospital Boston  Manchester VA Medical Center  Addison Gilbert Hospital  Catholic Medical Center  Tufts New England Medical Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  Children's Hospital Boston  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Brigham & Women's Hospital  Boston Medical Center  New England Baptist Hospital  VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus  Newton Wellesley Hospital  Arbour Hospital  Radius Specialty Hospital Boston  Faulkner Hospital  Bournewood Hospital  Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged  Lemuel Shattuck Hospital  Massachusetts Mental Health Center  VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury Campus  Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham  Caritas Carney Hospital  Kindred Specialty Hospital Natick  MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital  Portsmouth Regional Hospital  UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital  Milton Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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