When a cavity needs filled there are four choices in the filling material:

The most common is a composite filling, this is a natural tooth colored filling and bonds to the tooth for extra strength. There are also gold fillings and silver fillings. Silver fillings are inexpensive and strong while gold fillings may look nicer and provide a better fit. The final option is a porcelain filling, also called an inlay, which is the most durable of fillings and is also the color of your natural teeth.

Ask Dr. Trubschenck which type of filling would be best for you.

White fillings are made from a high-strength composite resin that can be easily color-matched to your natural tooth making it nearly invisible to you and anyone else. Unlike silver and gold fillings, composite tooth-colored fillings actually bond to the tooth which means they support the surrounding tooth structure, which helps to prevent breakage and insulate the tooth from excessive temperature changes. You are much less likely to have a composite filling fall out which is a common issue with metal fillings.

In order to install fillings that appear nearly invisible to the naked eye composite fillings are often used. These fillings are designed to match your natural tooth color and are bonded to the teeth, which makes the fillings less likely to fall out. These tooth-colored fillings are used to replace old silver fillings or old gold fillings.

Tooth-colored fillings have the best aesthetic appearance, can be completed in one appointment, have no chance of forming a "leak" and are less likely to crack your natural teeth.

Silver and gold fillings have been around for a very long time; and to this day, they do an adequate job in filling teeth. Today's white fillings are, by far, a patient's first choice when it comes to any kind of dental procedure that requires a filling because of their natural cosmetic benefits. This doesn't mean white fillings are the best choice in every situation; metal fillings still have their own benefits.

Metal fillings (also known as amalgam fillings) are very strong and do not wear out as quickly as composite (white) fillings. In situations where a tooth requires a large filling and other treatment options such as porcelain crowns are not desired, a metal filling might be your best treatment option because of the structural qualities of the metals themselves; and composite fillings generally can't withstand the forces exerted on them if they have to cover a very large area. Metal fillings generally cost less than natural-looking fillings, and patients that need fillings in any out-of-sight teeth often consider a metal filling.