﻿ What types of filling materials are available? - Dental Fillings: Get Facts on Costs and Types

Fillings (cont.)

What Types of Filling Materials are Available?

Reader Stories

Today, several dental filling materials are available. Teeth can be filled with gold; porcelain; silver amalgam (which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper); or tooth-colored, plastic and glass materials called composite resin fillings. The location and extent of the decay, cost of filling material, patients' insurance coverage and your dentist's recommendation assist in determining the type of filling that will best address your needs.

Cast gold


  1. Durability - lasts at least 10 to 15 years, usually longer; doesn't corrode
  2. Strength - can withstand chewing forces
  3. Aesthetics - some patients find gold more pleasing to the eye than silver, amalgam fillings


  1. Expense - more than other materials; up to 10 times higher than cost of amalgam filings
  2. Additional office visits - requires at least two office visits to place
  3. Galvanic shock - a gold filling placed immediately next to a silver, amalgam filling can cause a sharp pain (galvanic shock) to occur. The interaction between the metals and saliva causes an electric current to occur - it's a rare occurrence, however
  4. Aesthetics - most patients don't find any "colored" fillings to be an "eye-pleasing" advantage

Silver-fillings (Amalgams)


  1. Durability - lasts at least 10 to 15 years and usually outlasts composite fillings
  2. Strength - can withstand chewing forces
  3. Expense - is less expensive than composite fillings


  1. Poor aesthetics - fillings don't match the color of your natural teeth
  2. Destruction of more tooth structure - healthy parts of the tooth must often be removed to make a space large enough to hold the amalgam filling
  3. Discoloration - amalgam fillings can create a grayish hue to the surrounding tooth structure
  4. Cracks and fractures - although all teeth expand and contract in the presence of hot and cold liquids, which ultimately can cause the tooth to crack or fracture, amalgam material - in comparison with other filling materials-may experience a wider degree of expansion and contraction and lead to a higher incidence of cracks and fractures
  5. Allergic reactions - a small percentage of people, approximately 1%, are allergic to the mercury present in amalgam restorations

Tooth-colored composite fillings


  1. Aesthetics - the shade/color of the composites can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth; is particularly well suited for use in front teeth or visible parts of teeth
  2. Bonding to tooth structure - composite fillings actually chemically bond to tooth structure, providing further support to the tooth
  3. Versatility in uses - in addition to use as a filling material for decay, composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, broken or worn teeth
  4. Tooth-sparing preparation - sometimes less tooth structure needs to be removed compared with amalgams when removing decay and preparing for the filling


  1. Lack of durability - composite fillings wear out sooner than amalgams (lasting at least 5 years compared with at least 10 to 15 for amalgams); in addition, they may not last as long as amalgams under the pressure of chewing and particularly if used as the filling material for large cavities
  2. Increased chair time - because of the process to apply the composite material, these fillings can take up to 20 minutes longer than amalgams to place
  3. Additional visits - if composites are used for inlays or onlays, more than one office visit may be required
  4. Chipping - depending on location, composite materials can chip off the tooth
  5. Expense - composite fillings can cost up to twice the cost of amalgams

In addition to tooth-colored, composite resin fillings, two other tooth-colored fillings exist--ceramics and glass ionomer.


  1. Ceramics, which are made most often of porcelain, are more resistant to staining than composite resin material but are also more abrasive. This material generally lasts more than 15 years and can cost as much as gold.
  2. Glass ionomer is made of acrylic and a specific type of glass material. This material is most commonly used for fillings below the gum line and for fillings in young children (drilling is still required). Glass ionomers release fluoride, which can help protect the tooth from further decay. However, this material is weaker than composite resin and is more susceptible to wear and prone to fracture. Glass ionomer generally lasts 5 years or less with costs comparable to composite resin.
Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 3/7/2014

© 2005-2015 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Source article on WebMD

Patient Comments

Viewers share their comments
