A couple of weeks ago I discussed the different types of materials that are being used today to “fix” teeth. I broke them down into two main categories – direct vs. indirect materials. Direct materials are things like silver amalgam and tooth-colored resin/composite that are placed directly into the tooth after the tooth is prepared. Indirect restorations are things like crowns, gold and ceramics in which the tooth is prepared and a manufactured restoration is cemented or bonded to the tooth.
Whatever your feelings are on amalgam, there is no disputing that it proved to be a very successful material over a long period of time. Despite this, it has not been used in most… (Read More)