White Fillings & Bondings
Let's start by talking about silver fillings
Many years ago--407 to be exact--a German dentist by the name of Tobias Dorn Kreilius described a process for creating an amalgam (silver) filling by dissolving copper sulphide with strong acids, adding mercury, bringing to a boil, and then pouring the mixture into a tooth. Many years later, and after several alterations in the chemical composition, dental amalgam is still being used today.
Amalgam is a durable and long-lasting material
Albeit, dental amalgam is indeed long-lasting and durable. However, dental amalgam is subject to corrosion and leakage when surrounded by oral fluids within the mouth. When amalgam corrodes, the seal of the silver filling with the existing tooth structure is compromised. The bacteria in our mouths that cause dental caries ("cavities") can sneak in between the corroded amalgam and tooth structure, and ultimately, set up a process of decay underneath the silver filling.
Another disadvantage to dental amalgam is that it is subject to a biomechanical property called "creep", or the slow expansion of the silver filling within a mineralized structure (such as a tooth). Over many years, creep can lead to microfractures within tooth enamel, and if left unaddressed, catastrophic fracture of a portion of the tooth ensues.
Lastly, Dental amalgam is just plain ugly!
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