Fillings Center - San Mateo, CA
WebMD Physician DirectorySan Mateo, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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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 San Mateo
Nearby San Mateo Hospitals * Mills Hospital  San Mateo Medical Center  Mills-Peninsula Health Services  Sequoia Hospital  Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center  Menlo Park Surgical Hospital  Seton Medical Center Coastside  Lucile Packard Children's Hospital  Stanford Hospital & Clinics  Seton Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center  St Rose Hospital  VA Palo Alto Health Care System  San Leandro Hospital  St Luke's Hospital  Alameda Hospital  San Francisco General Hospital  Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus  Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area  John George Psychiatric Pavilion  Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center  Eden Medical Center  California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus  UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus  St Mary's Medical Center  Saint Francis Memorial Hospital  Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center  UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion  Chinese Hospital  El Camino Hospital  Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus  California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus  California Pacific Medical Center California Campus  California Pacific Medical Center East Campus  Washington Hospital  Fremont Hospital  Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus  San Francisco VA Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland  Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland  Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus  Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus  Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center  San Ramon Regional Medical Center  ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton  O'Connor Hospital  Santa Clara Valley Medical Center  El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos  Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center  Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo  Regional Medical Center of San Jose  Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose  Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks  John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus  Marin General Hospital  Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital  Valley Memorial Hospital  Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System  VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez  Contra Costa Regional Medical Center  John Muir Behavioral Health Center  John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus  Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center 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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