Restorations/Fillings
Restorations, also called more commonly "fillings," are most often white/tooth colored "composite restorations." These restorations are bonded to the tooth structure so they seal off the tooth. They are highly aesthetic as we have many shades of the composite material to match the tooth we are restoring. The only drawback to composite restorations is that they need to be bonded to a completely dry tooth so as to prevent micro-leakage and a shortened life span of the restoration.
One of the oldest filling materials, amalgam (metal filling) is still used on occasion. This material is not as sensitive to moisture as composite restorations, so in some instances where the cavity to be filled is below the gum line or under a crown edge, this amalgam restoration is still the material of choice. However, as it is not as aesthetic as tooth matched composite restorations, we use amalgam as seldom as possible.
