A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape. In a filling, the Dentist first removes the decayed tooth material, cleans the affected area, and then fills the cleaned out cavity with a filling material.

By closing off the spaces where bacteria can enter, a filling also helps prevent further decay. Materials used for fillings include gold, porcelain, a composite resin (tooth-colored fillings), and an amalgam (an alloy of mercury, silver, copper, tin and sometimes zinc).

The 4 basic types of dental fillings are:
Amalgam Fillings (Silver Fillings) :- Amalgam is made of different metals, such as silver, mercury, copper and tin. They have a silver-looking appearance when placed. These used to be more common than they are today. Many dentists don’t even offer this type of filling, although they are the most cost effective option for the patient.
Gold Fillings :- Gold fillings (as the name implies) are made mostly from gold, containing a combination of other metals. The normal gold filling usually contains 75% gold while the other 25% may be silver, palladium or some other minor metals.
Ceramic Fillings :- Ceramic fillings are made from high-quality ceramic material. They are not as strong as gold, but are chemically fused to your tooth. The strength increases greatly when the filling is bonded to the tooth. They are made by a dental technician and can look like your natural teeth.
Composite Fillings :- Composite fillings, also known as direct fillings, are made with a tooth-colored adhesive-like material and are applied to your tooth directly. It has a multifaceted composition that includes a light-sensitive element which cures to shape the hard-filling material when applying a high-powered light. Composite fillings are applied into your mouth directly, making them look extremely like natural teeth. This is the most common and recommended type of dental filling.