Which filling? Tooth-coloured composite and amalgam compared
Filling prices vary several-fold, and part of that is the material. This compares tooth-coloured composite with silver amalgam on the four things patients ask about — looks, durability, procedure and price — so you can choose before you are in the chair.
Composite: matches the tooth, less drilling
Composite is a resin filled with glass particles, bonded to the tooth with adhesive — so less healthy tooth is drilled away and the shade can be matched. It suits front teeth and small to medium cavities. Its limits: the tooth must be kept completely dry, it takes longer, and on back teeth under heavy chewing it lasts about 7–10 years, a little less than amalgam.
Amalgam: durable and cheap, but visible
Amalgam is a silver-coloured metal alloy used for over a century. It withstands chewing well, is quick to place, tolerates moisture and costs less, lasting 10–15 years on average — still a good choice for a back tooth nobody sees. Against it: the colour, the need to shape the cavity to hold it, and its mercury content, which major health bodies consider safe at the amounts used, though many countries are phasing it down.
How to choose, and what the price includes
Front teeth and anything visible when you smile: composite. A large cavity on a back molar on a tight budget: amalgam still makes sense. Decay deep enough to approach the nerve: neither may be enough, and a root canal comes first. Prices on HealthJai are per tooth and include the dentist’s fee. What is commonly added is an X-ray, and a cavity that turns out larger than it looked from outside — which the dentist must tell you before continuing.
