Once a cavity has been cleaned out and the tooth prepared to accept the filling, now we have to decide what to fill it with.  The two major choices are amalgam and composite.  Amalgam is the material that has been used for over a century.  It is an alloy of silver and mercury.  Over the years, there has been a lot of negative media coverage on the use of mercury, however, once the silver and mercury are mixed together, the alloy becomes inert.

Amalgam vs. Composite

Since the material has been used since the 1800s and has been no population study that has shown any ill effects of using the mercury containing fillings, you need not worry if your dentist recommends using amalgam to fill your child’s teeth.  In our office, we give the parent the choice of either the amalgam or tooth-colored filling material.  The newer composite fillings have been shown to have a life span long enough to have the baby tooth come out naturally and are therefore a fine alternative.