When decay develops in a tooth it is necessary to remove the decayed tooth
structure and replace it with some type of restoration.  One option, if most of
the tooth is still healthy and the decay is not too deep, is to place a filling.  
Fillings can be made of two different materials.


Resin (white) fillings:  Resin or white fillings are made of a composite material
which comes in different shades so that they can be designed to match the shading
and color of your natural teeth.  When resin fillings are placed, the decay is removed
from the tooth and the material is bonded to the natural tooth and then shaped so it
looks like your original healthy tooth.  Resin fillings are always used on front teeth
and are usually the preferred treatment for back teeth as well.  Not only are they
more cosmetically pleasing, but they also allow the dentist to retain more of your
natural tooth structure.  

Amalgam (silver) fillings:  Amalgam or silver fillings are made of an alloy of
metals including mercury.  Amalgam comes in only one color, silver, which with age
& wear often looks black.  When a tooth is restored with amalgam, the decay is
removed and then grooves are carved in to the remaining tooth in order to
mechanically hold the filling in place.  Unfortunately, this means that there is loss of
some good tooth structure when a tooth is restored with an amalgam filling.  
Fillings
Resin (White) Fillings
Amalgam (Silver) Filings
Gorham Family Dentistry, P.A.