Composite Fillings or Amalgam Fillings?

The recommendation most doctors will make is for the placement of a composite filling.

Composite fillings have a 40 year history and are comprised of a plastic resin that is initially soft but cures to full strength after a a short exposure to the blue range of the light spectrum. The pros to using composite fillings are that they can be very small in size and adapt to any shape of cavity, come in a wide variety of colors to match your smile and have no chance of darkening a tooth ove time.

                                                  Amalgam                      Composite

Amalgam alloy fillings are comprised of a mixture of copper, silver, tin and elemental mercury. They have a 100 year history of use. Amalgam fillings are held in place by the shape of the cavity.

One major drawback of an amalgam fillings is that if the cavity is too small, the filling still has to be of sufficient size for proper hold and overall strength. Besides only coming in one color, the silver in amalgam fillings has the tendency to tarnish and percolate into the tooth over long periods of time, resulting in a gradual darkening of the tooth.