It was, and continues to be, very forgiving, inexpensive and durable. I used the material for many years because the other restorative techniques, such as inlays and crowns, were up to eight times as expensive as silver amalgam, while composite fillings would last only about one-fifth as long as an amalgam restoration. Furthermore, composites would shrink slightly on hardening, and simply did not seal the tooth well. Decay tended to follow relatively quickly. Luckily, a major breakthrough has occurred in the past few years, with the discovery of effective dentin bonding.
Dentin forms most of the tooth.
It is found under the enamel and is naturally moist, which makes bonding difficult. However. recent developments have enabled us to bond effectively to dentin with a bond strength that is about ten times better than was previously possible. The bonding material seals the tooth thoroughly to prevent leakage, and significantly reduces sensitivity following the placement of the filling. The bonding material ties both halves of the tooth together, resulting in a finished product that is much stronger, and less prone to fracture or splitting. When this bonding product is combined with a composite restoration, we can provide a mercury-free filling that is far less sensitive, ties the tooth together with none of the earlier shrinkage problems and gives a finished result that looks like the original tooth.