Dr. Carol Ann Edwards was born to Charles and Diane Driscoll in 1968 at the Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas. At the ripe age of eight years old, Dr. Edwards decided she would grow up to become a dentist when she fell from her bicycle and broke her two front teeth!
She graduated from high school in 1986 and entered The University of North Texas the following fall semester, where she was pre-dental. While at UNT, Dr. Edwards pledged Zeta and enjoyed the hectic life of a college student.
For a year, she returned to Dr. Welborn 's office and practice as a dental hygienist. While doing so she met her husband, Staley, which she describes as, 'love at first sight.' They tied the knot in July of 1992, and she returned to dental school at Baylor in August of the same year.
They welcomed their first son, Scot, to the family in 1994. Dr. Edwards chose to take a year off to stay home with Scot, and during that time moved to Houston as a result of Staley's job transferring.
A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape. When you receive a filling, Dr. Edwards will first remove the decayed tooth material, clean the affected area, and then fill the cleaned out cavity with a filling material. By closing off spaces where bacteria can enter, a filling also helps prevent further decay. Materials used for fillings include a composite resin (tooth-colored fillings) and an amalgam (an alloy of mercury, silver, copper, tin and sometimes zinc).
No one type of filling is best for everyone. What's right for you will be determined by the extent of the repair, whether you have allergies to certain materials, where in your mouth the filling is needed, and the cost.
Amalgam (silver) fillings are resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive. However, due to their dark color, they are more noticeable than porcelain or composite restorations and are not usually used in very visible areas, such as front teeth.