Palm Beach Gardens FL Resources - Teeth: Dental Fillings for Cavities Information on Medicinenet.com

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Fillings Center - Palm Beach Gardens, FL

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Palm Beach Gardens, 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 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 Palm Beach Gardens

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Palm Beach Gardens Hospitals *

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center
3360 Burns Rd
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(561)622-1411

West Palm Beach VA Medical Center
7305 N Military Trl
West Palm Beach, FL 33410
(561)882-8262

Kindred Hospital The Palm Beaches
5555 W Blue Heron Blvd
Riviera Beach, FL 33418
(561)840-0754

Jupiter Medical Center
1210 S Old Dixie Hwy
Jupiter, FL 33458
(561)747-2234

Columbia Hospital
2201 45th St
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)842-6141

Hospice of Palm Beach County
5300 East Ave
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)848-5200

Oakwood Center of the Palm Beaches
1041 45th St
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)383-8000

St Mary's Medical Center & Children's Hospital
901 45th St
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561)844-6300

Good Samaritan Medical Center
1309 N Flagler Dr
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561)655-5511

Sandy Pines Hospital
11301 SE Tequesta Ter
Tequesta, FL 33469
(561)744-0211

Palms West Hospital
13001 Southern Blvd
Loxahatchee, FL 33470
(561)798-3300

Wellington Regional Medical Center
10101 Forest Hill Blvd
Wellington, FL 33414
(561)798-8500

Select Specialty Hospital Palm Beach
3060 Melaleuca Ln
Lake Worth, FL 33461
(561)357-7201

JFK Medical Center
5301 S Congress Ave
Atlantis, FL 33462
(561)965-7300

A G Holley State Hospital
1199 W Lantana Rd
Lantana, FL 33462
(561)582-5666

Martin Memorial Hospital South
2100 SE Salerno Rd
Stuart, FL 34997
(772)223-2300

Bethesda Memorial Hospital
2815 S Seacrest Blvd
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
(561)737-7733

Martin Memorial Medical Center
200 SE Hospital Ave
Stuart, FL 34994
(772)287-5200

Delray Medical Center
5352 Linton Blvd
Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561)498-4440

Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital
5360 Linton Blvd
Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561)495-0400

Fair Oaks Pavilion
5440 Linton Blvd
Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561)495-1000

Port St Lucie Hospital
2550 SE Walton Rd
Port Saint Lucie, FL 34952
(772)335-0400

St Lucie Medical Center
1800 SE Tiffany Ave
Port Saint Lucie, FL 34952
(772)335-4000

Boca Raton Community Hospital
800 Meadows Rd
Boca Raton, FL 33486
(561)955-7100

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