Dental Fillings

Dental Fillings

Composite fillings are the tooth-colored resin fillings that are placed directly. Because composite fillings are tooth colored, they can be closely matched to the color of your natural tooth. They actually bond to the tooth structure, which can provide greater strength. Depending on the situation, it is sometimes possible to take away less tooth structure when placing composite fillings. The majority of fillings we do today are composite fillings.

Amalgam fillings are the “silver fillings” that were used often years ago. Although we do not use this material as often anymore, there are places where amalgam will work and composite will not. Composite must be placed in a very dry environment, so crown repairs under the tissue is a place amalgam works well. For those wishing to avoid amalgam altogether, a new crown can be made instead. Amalgam is never used without consulting the patient on what their preference is, as many people prefer to avoid this material for various reasons.