Fillings

There are two popular choices for fillings material. The first is the traditional silver fillings called amalgams. The advantage of amalgams is such that when done properly, they are unsurpassed in strength and longevity. The disadvantage is that no matter how small a cavity is, there’s a minimum size of amalgams. And also, if amalgam is too large, it is actually detrimental to the remaining tooth structure.

The second choice is commonly known as bonding. Its a tooth-colored restoration formally called composite. The advantages to composites are that they’re tooth colored, they’re mercury/metal free, and they’re bonded to the tooth structure. The disadvantages to composites are a) bonding is technique sensitive and tend to have a slightly higher failure rate compared to that of amalgams and b)they’re costlier due to greater amount of time needed as well as cost of materials.

Dr. Chen’s Opinion:

Composites have come a long way since thirty years ago. It has proven to be a viable, clear alternative to silver-mercury amalgams. Even though there are no credible scientific studies to show any adverse effects of dental silver-mercury amalgams, in the face of a viable alternative, I see no reason to wait for such data.

I do not recommend actively replacing existing silver fillings. Instead, we systematically replace silver fillings with composites as the need arises.