Restoration

Restorations are also commonly called fillings.

When a tooth has been damaged in some way, be it a crack, a hole or a broken tooth and your dentist will need to use either amalgam or a composite material to restore it.

Amalgam Restorations
Amalgam is a strong material that is made up of a combination of silver, tin, copper , mercury and sometimes other metal components. It is mainly used on the back teeth for a number of reasons- it is silver in appearance so ideal for use on teeth that cannot be seen it can withstand high chewing forces

There have been concerns about the effect that the mercury in Amalgam has on the body but there are no studies to prove that amalgam has any adverse effect on your health. In fact it is biocompatible, meaning that it is well tolerated by the body. The use of amalgam is supported by many professional health organization such as the Australian Dental Association, National Health and Research Medicine Council and the World Health Organisation.

But amalgam is not so practical for any visible restorations. In these cases your dentist will use a composite material to restore your teeth.

Composite Restorations
The advantage of Composite is that is can be matched to the color of your teeth. It is a mixture of a plastic material and glass particles.

The procedure for placing a composite restoration is more complicated than an amalgam restoration. It need to be set or cured by a special light so the procedure takes longer.

Whilst the material is not as strong as amalgam is it more versatile, it can be used in small cavities which means less drilling is involved. Because composite bonds so strongly to the surrounding tooth, in some cases a composite restoration can be stronger than amalgam. Although if used in a larger cavity it will wear out quicker and require replacement sooner.