Patient Guide · Restorative Dentistry

Dental Fillings — What Are Your Options?

Got a cavity? A filling restores your tooth quickly. Here is a plain-English look at the three types — what they are, where each is used, and why silver fillings are no longer the norm.

Real Results

See before & after photos from our filling patients.

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What Is Tooth Decay — And How Do I Know I Have It?

Decay is bacteria slowly eating into your tooth. The earlier it's caught, the smaller the treatment — here's what to watch for at each stage.

  1. 1

    Just the enamel

    Sign: No pain, no sensitivity — just a black or brown spot

    Treatment: Best time to treat: minimal drilling, tooth structure is saved

  2. 2

    Reaches the dentin

    Sign: Sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet food

    Treatment: Still treatable — a filling, or a GIC base if it's deep

  3. 3

    Reaches the pulp

    Sign: Real, noticeable pain

    Treatment: Needs a root canal, followed by a crown

A black spot with no pain is the cheapest and easiest stage to fix. Don't wait for it to hurt — visit a dentist as soon as you notice discoloration.

1

Composite Resin Filling

Tooth-coloured · Most commonly used today

A tooth-coloured plastic-and-glass material that bonds directly to your tooth. It is set hard using a small blue light in the clinic — the whole thing is done in one visit.

Advantages

  • Matches the natural colour of your tooth — invisible
  • Bonds to the tooth, so less drilling is needed
  • No mercury — completely safe
  • Strong enough for front and back teeth
  • Done in a single sitting

Disadvantages

  • Can stain slightly over many years with tea/coffee
  • Costs a little more than GIC
  • May need replacement after 7–10 years
2

GIC — Glass Ionomer Cement

Releases fluoride · Good for children & near the gumline

A tooth-coloured cement that chemically bonds to the tooth and slowly releases fluoride over time — which actively helps protect the tooth from further decay.

Advantages

  • Releases fluoride — gives ongoing protection against decay
  • Bonds without needing the tooth to be completely dry — useful near the gum
  • Ideal for children's milk teeth
  • Gentle on the tooth — minimal drilling needed

Disadvantages

  • Not as strong as composite — not ideal for heavy biting surfaces in adults
  • Can wear down faster than composite resin
  • Less polished appearance
3

Silver Amalgam Filling

Old generation · No longer in routine use

Silver amalgam was the standard filling material for over 150 years. It is made from a mix of metals including mercury, silver, tin, and copper. While durable, it has been phased out at most modern clinics including ours.

Advantages

  • Extremely durable — lasted 15–20+ years
  • Affordable and fast to place
  • Hardened quickly without needing a curing light

Disadvantages

  • Silver-grey colour — visible every time you open your mouth
  • Contains mercury — raises concern for some patients, especially children and pregnant women
  • Expands and contracts with temperature over time, which can crack the tooth
  • More healthy tooth structure had to be drilled away to hold it in place
  • Old fillings often cause tooth fractures years later

Why we no longer use silver fillings

  • Mercury content — Amalgam is ~50% mercury. While the WHO considers it safe in adults at low exposure, many countries have begun phasing it out as a precaution — especially for children and pregnant women.

  • Tooth cracking — Metal expands when hot and contracts when cold. Over years, this micro-movement widens tiny cracks in the tooth. Many tooth fractures seen today are caused by old amalgam fillings.

  • More drilling required — Amalgam doesn't bond — it just sits in a shaped hole. So dentists had to drill wider and deeper to create a cavity that would hold it. Composite bonds, so less tooth is removed.

  • Better alternatives exist — Composite resin is strong, tooth-coloured, mercury-free, and bonds chemically to the tooth. There is simply no reason to use amalgam anymore.

At a glance

FillingColourMercury-freeBest forStill used?
Composite ResinTooth-colouredYesFront & back teeth, all agesYes — standard
GICOff-whiteYesChildren, near gumline, small cavitiesYes — selected cases
Silver AmalgamSilver-greyNoWas used for back teethNo — phased out

Think you have a cavity?

A small filling today prevents a bigger problem tomorrow. Book a check-up with Dr Meghana and team at The Tooth Stop, BTM Layout.

Book an AppointmentBTM Layout · Bangalore