The FDA just released an updated statement declaring that amalgam is safe and effective as a filling material.  While we routinely place white, composite resin fillings, Dr. Le keeps amalgam around for the specific (and very rare) situations where it's still the filling material of choice.  It is Dr. Le's position that amalgam is a safe, viable, long lasting material when used properly in the right situations.  Amalgam is also a necessary material to maintain the low cost and higher availability of dentistry to underserved populations, such as inner city or rural free clinics.  We invite all our patients to discuss the pros and cons of the different fillings with us at their next visit.  There is NO such thing as a perfect filling material.  Read on for a comparison of amalgam and silver filling materials.

Here's a brief comparison of amalgam vs composite fillings

 

	Amalgam	Composite Resin
Also Known As	Silver fillings	White Fillings
Appearance	Silver	Toothcolored
Cost	Lower	Higher
PPO coverage	Most plans 80%	Many plans downgradeto 55%
Wear resistance	Better	Less - more frequent replacement
Stain resistance	Good if polished	Poor (porcelain is better)
Vertical strength	Excellent	Fair
Shear strength	Almost none	Some
Brittleness	More Brittle	Less brittle
Repairability	Virtually none	Very repairable
Corrosion	Oxidizes	Cannot corrode
Adhesion to tooth	None	Good
Restores tooth integrity	No	Partially restores tooth strength because of adhesion