Oceanside CA Resources - Teeth: Dental Fillings for Cavities Information on Medicinenet.com

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Fillings Center - Oceanside, CA

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Oceanside, 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 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 Oceanside

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Oceanside Hospitals *

Tri-City Medical Center
4002 Vista Way
Oceanside, CA 92056
(760)724-8411

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas
354 Santa Fe Dr
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760)633-6501

Encinitas Nursing & Rehabilitation
900 Santa Fe Dr
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760)753-6423

Fallbrook Hospital
624 E Elder St
Fallbrook, CA 92028
(760)728-1191

Palomar Medical Center
555 E Valley Pkwy
Escondido, CA 92025
(760)739-3000

Scripps Green Hospital
10666 N Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)455-9100

Aurora Behavioral Healthcare
11878 Avenue of Industry
San Diego, CA 92128
(858)487-3200

Pomerado Hospital
15615 Pomerado Rd
Poway, CA 92064
(858)613-4000

Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
9888 Genesee Ave
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)626-4123

Saddleback Memorial Medical Center San Clemente
654 Camino De Los Mares
San Clemente, CA 92673
(949)496-1122

UCSD Thornton Hospital
9300 Campus Point Dr
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)657-7000

VA San Diego Health Care System
3350 La Jolla Village Dr
San Diego, CA 92161
(858)552-8585

La Jolla Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
2552 Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)453-5810

Rancho Springs Medical Center
25500 Medical Center Dr
Murrieta, CA 92562
(951)696-6000

Inland Valley Medical Center
36485 Inland Valley Dr
Wildomar, CA 92595
(951)677-1111

Mission Hospital Laguna Beach
31872 Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949)499-1311

Children's Hospital of Orange County at Mission
27700 Medical Center Rd
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949)364-1400

Mission Hospital
27700 Medical Center Rd
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949)364-1400

Sharp Memorial Hospital
7901 Frost St
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)939-3400

Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women
3003 Health Center Dr
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)939-3400

Rady Children's Hospital San Diego
3020 Children's Way
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)576-1700

Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital
7850 Vista Hill Ave
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)278-4110

San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital
3851 Rosecrans St
San Diego, CA 92110
(619)692-8200

Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center
4647 Zion Ave
San Diego, CA 92120
(619)528-5000

San Diego Hospice
4311 Third Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)688-1600

UCSD Medical Center Hillcrest
200 W Arbor Dr
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)543-6222

Scripps Mercy Hospital
4077 Fifth Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)294-8111

Kindred Hospital San Diego
1940 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104
(619)543-4500

Vibra Hospital of San Diego
555 Washington St
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)260-8300

Saddleback Memorial Medical Center Laguna Hills
24451 Health Center Dr
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949)837-4500

Alvarado Hospital
6655 Alvarado Rd
San Diego, CA 92120
(619)287-3270

San Diego Rehabilitation Institute
6645 Alvarado Rd
San Diego, CA 92120
(619)287-3270

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