Ceramic: Resin fillings  (composites, tooth color fillings)
Of all the changes that have taken place in modern dentistry, perhaps the most fundamental has been in dental materials, especially the basic filling. For close to a century the primary material used to fill teeth has been amalgam, a combination of almost 50% mercury mixed with other metals including silver. Amalgam has been, and continues to be an excellent filling material.

Ceramic-resin fillings, also known as composits, were developed about 25 years ago and have continued to be improved ever since. With the development of "light cure" techniques and "bonding", composits have become the premier basic material for most fillings. Perhaps the most obvious advantage is esthetics. Unlike amalgams, which not only appear almost black,  but can actually stain the remaining tooth an unsightly gray, composits will blend with the existing tooth to become almost invisible. Other than the obvious advantage of appearance, composits have several other distinct advantages, which often make them the filling of choice. Decay, which often occurs in the center of the tooth, and the subsequent placement of a filling tend to weaken the outer walls of the remaining tooth structure. Normal biting may easily cause these thin walls to fracture.   "Bonding" a composit filling into the tooth helps to partially restore the original strength, lessening the chance of fracture. In fact, the bonding technique itself helps to sterilize the cavity and lessens sensitivity.  Also, composits may not transmit heat and cold to the pulp (nerve) as an amalgam will.

 There are some disadvantages to composits. Because the placement is very technique sensitive and takes longer than placing an amalgam, the cost is somewhat greater. For the same reason composits cannot be used in all areas of the mouth successfully. In these areas amalgam  may still be the material of choice. There are other methods for filling teeth including gold, porcelain, and ceramic inlays and onlays. These are perhaps the finest techniques for filling teeth. They all require laboratory work, several visits to complete, and are therefore in the same price range as a crown (cap).