Basic Types of Dental Fillings:

1) Composite Resin Tooth-Colored Fillings

2) Glass Ionomer fillings

These materials represent the latest range of cosmetic filling materials, which have a property of bonding to the tooth structure. These materials find their application in many cases like filling of the front and the back teeth, which are decayed, broken, chipped, discolored as well as in cases where there are gaps between the teeth.

The life like appearance of composite filling materials makes it difficult to distinguish between the filling and the sound tooth structure. This property in particular, makes it the most popular filling material. Composite resin dental fillings or white fillings are tooth fillings colored to look like a natural tooth.

Advantages
1) Aesthetics – shade/color can be matched to existing teeth well suited for front teeth use
2) Versatility in uses – in addition to use as a filling material for decay, composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, broken or worn teeth
3) Tooth-sparing preparation – less tooth structure may need to be removed compared with amalgams

Glass Ionomer filling is a tooth colored filling material, which is capable of adhesion to the tooth structure as well as continuing fluoride release. Fluoride in turn prevents tooth decay. However its use is limited to certain areas and conditions depending upon various factors.