The insertion, in denistry, of a specially prepared material into a cavity drilled into a tooth, usually for the treatment of dental caries (see TEETH, DISORDERS OF).
n. (in dentistry) the operation of inserting a specially prepared substance into a cavity drilled in a tooth to replace the tooth tissue that has been lost, often as a result of dental caries. The filling may be temporary or permanent, and various materials may be used (see amalgam; cement; composite resin; gold).
Also called root-canal therapy, this is the treatment given when the nerve of a tooth (see TEETH) has been exposed while the tooth is being prepared for a ?lling, or if it has died or become infected. The nerve debris is removed and, when the chamber is clear of infection, an inert material is inserted to seal o? the root.... root filling
The process of replacing a chipped or decayed area of tooth with an inactive material. Dental filling is also used to describe the restorative material itself. Amalgam, a hard-wearing mixture of silver, mercury, and other metals is generally used for back teeth. If a front tooth is chipped, a bonding technique (see bonding, dental) may be used, in which plastic or porcelain tooth-coloured material is attached to the surface of the tooth.... filling, dental
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