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PREVENT PROBLEMS All About Cavities Brushing and Flossing Fluoride Mouth-Healthy Eating Sealants Taking Care of Your Teeth Tobacco Your Dental Visit MORE  CONDITIONS Bad Breath Cavities Cold Sores Dry Mouth Impacted Tooth Sensitive Teeth TMJ Tooth Discoloration MORE  TREATMENTS Crowns Dentures Fillings: The Basics Gum Surgery Implants Root Canal Treatment Scaling and Root Planing Whitening MORE  GENERAL TOPICS Controlling Pain Cosmetic Dentistry Emergencies Fill, Repair, Replace Kids And Teens Oral Health and Your Body Orthodontics Periodontics Seniors MORE

There are numerous ways to restore a tooth that has decayed or is broken. Learn about fillings, crowns, onlays, inlays, bridges and other treatments. Fillings: The Basics Do you need a filling? Or should an old filling be replaced. Find out how your dentist determines the answer and how fillings are done. Dental Amalgam: A Health Risk? Dental amalgam is a common material used to fill cavities. It contains mercury. Here, a dental expert answers questions about the safety of "silver fillings." Types of Fillings From the older "silver" fillings to the newer tooth-colored composite fillings, there are many materials your dentist can use to repair a tooth. Columbia Commentary: The Amalgam Controversy A cautious approach may be the best course to take as researchers continue to investigate whether amalgam (silver-mercury) fillings pose any potential risk to developing fetuses or children. Columbia Commentary: Stopping Decay Before a Cavity Forms It's a new model of dentistry: Your dentist will assess your risk of cavities and may be able to stop decay without the need for a filling. Air Abrasion Dentistry without the drill. Pins and Posts Pins and posts are used to reinforce fillings and crowns when a large part of the tooth is decayed or missing. New Technologies Find Tooth Decay Early New technologies are helping dentists find decay earlier than in the past. Inlays And Onlays Inlays or onlays are used when not enough tooth structure remains to support a filling, but the tooth is not so severely damaged that it needs a crown. Too Much Drilling? Not All Early Tooth Decay Needs a Filling A filling isn't always the best answer for early tooth decay. Crowns A crown can help save a badly damaged tooth. Lasers Are Beaming Into Dental Offices Today, lasers are used in many areas of daily life, including dentistry. Bridges Bridges are one way to replace missing teeth.

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