White and Amalgam Fillings

Amalgam fillings are slowly being phased out from dental surgeries. Although the material has been in use for 150 years, its safety is still being debated. Tin, copper and mercury are potentially dangerous for our bodies. Amalgams are suitable only for fillings – not for build-ups, replacing parts of lost teeth or as root canal treatment material.

That is why white fillings, also called aesthetic composite or photo-composite fillings, are the most popular treatment today. These are special dental resins cured with a polymerisation lamp.

Advantages of white fillings

• minimal preparation – less drilling than with amalgam
• aesthetics – the same colour as your own tooth
• non-toxic and safe
• able to reconstruct large caries and replace individual parts of teeth

Unlike white fillings, which bond to the hard dental tissues, amalgam is only anchored mechanically – part of the healthy tooth must be drilled so the filling does not fall out. Cracks in the enamel often appear, sometimes leading to tooth fracture. The use of amalgam is banned in the Nordic countries and has not been taught at Swiss universities for years.