That is why white fillings, also called aesthetic composite restorations or photo-composite fillings, are the most desirable way of treating teeth today. These are special dental resins cured by irradiation with a polymerization lamp.

• Advantages of white fillings:
  • Minimal preparation (there is less drilling than with amalgams)
  • Aesthetics (they are the same color as the tooth)
  • Non-toxic
  • Able to reconstruct large caries and replace individual parts of teeth

Amalgams are still sought after in dental offices, mainly because of the lower cost and the belief that the negative effects are not entirely conclusive. Unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the positives. Unlike white fillings, which are “stuck” to the hard dental tissues, amalgams are only anchored mechanically to the tooth. Therefore, part of a healthy tooth must also be drilled to prevent an amalgam filling from falling out. Often, a large number of different cracks in the enamel occur until the tooth breaks. It should also be noted that the use of amalgams is prohibited in the Nordic countries and has not been used as a filling material for many years at Swiss universities.