Types of Tooth Fillings

There are a wide variety of different dental filling types that are designed to match the unique needs of every patient. Your dentist will determine which filling is the best fit for you based on any specific allergies you may have, the location of the fillings, what the extent of the repair is, and the cost and aesthetic preferences you have.

Here is a list of the different types of filling materials, their primary use, and the overall benefits and drawbacks to each.

Amalgam

Material type: Tin, silver, tin, copper, zinc and mercury
Types: Traditional (non-bonded)
Primary use: Back teeth
Longevity: 10+ years
Cost: Least expensive

Benefits

  • Strong fillings that can withstand chewing
  • Completed in one visit
  • Less sensitive to moisture
  • Less costly

Drawbacks

  • Does not match natural color of teeth
  • Will tarnish or corrode over time, which can cause discoloration
  • Does not bond with tooth
  • Cavity preparation requires undercuts to keep filling in place, which means more tooth may need to be removed to create proper retention
  • Potential allergic reaction to metals

Composite Resin

Material type: Fine glass particle and plastic mixture
Types: Direct and indirect
Primary use: Small and large fillings, especially front or visible parts of teeth and inlays
Longevity: 5-10+ years
Cost: Costlier than amalgam, less costly than gold

Benefits

  • Matches natural color of teeth
  • Filling completed in one visit. Inlay may take two.
  • Bonds directly to tooth.
  • Stronger than amalgam filling.
  • Less drilling involved
  • Heat cured, which increases strength
  • Can be used with other materials to get additional benefits

Drawbacks

  • Costs more than amalgam fillings
  • May shrink when placed, resulting in gaps that can lead to additional cavities
  • Takes slightly longer to place

Cast Gold

Material type: Gold mixed with other metal types
Primary use: Inlays, onlays and crowns
Longevity: 15+ Years
Cost: Considerably costlier than other materials

Benefits

  • Does not corrode
  • Aesthetically preferable for some
  • Extremely durable
  • Longest lasting material

Drawbacks

  • Requires two visits minimum
  • Expensive compared to other filling types
  • Uncomfortable galvanic shock can occur if gold and amalgam fillings are placed next to one another
  • Does not match natural color of tooth

Ceramics

Material type: Porcelain
Primary use: Veneers, inlays and onlays, implants, crowns, and orthodontic brackets
Longevity: 7+ Years
Cost: Costlier than composite and comparable to gold

Benefits

  • Tooth-colored.
  • More resistant to abrasion and staining than composite resin.

Drawbacks

  • More brittle and prone to breaking than composite resin
  • To prevent breaking, tooth must be reduced in size to make room for larger inlay, onlay or crown

Glass Ionomer

Material type: Acrylic and glass component
Types: Bright blue light used to set material
Primary use: Cement for inlay fillings, front teeth fillings, around necks of teeth, or roots. As filling material, glass ionomer is typically used in people with a lot of decay in the part of the tooth that extends below the gum (root caries). It is also used to fill baby teeth and as a liner for other types of fillings.
Longevity: 5+ Years
Cost: Comparable to composite resin

Benefits

  • Matches color of teeth
  • Release fluoride, protecting tooth from decay
  • Bonds to tooth, helping prevent leakage and additional decay

Drawbacks

  • Weaker than composite resin and more likely to fracture
  • Does not match color of teeth as closely as composite resin
  • Longer dentist appointment to complete procedure

Contact Renaissance Dental Center about your consultation today, let us help you decide what dental filling is right for you.

Want to learn more about fillings? Read : What are Temporary Dental Fillings?