Composite fillings are white fillings. Composite fillings have been around for a while, but in the past few years they have really improved. The material has become stronger, it looks better, and is easier for us to manage. In fact the material has gotten so good that at Van Timmeren Family Dentistry, most of the fillings we place are composite. Often times, using composite for fillings allows us to take away less tooth structure as well. That is always a good thing.
There are still some situations where silver (amalgam) filings are used when needed, but the more conservative preparation, and the ability to bond composite fillings to teeth make it the material of choice most of the time.