Dental fillings are one of the most frequently performed restorative treatment in children and adults in the United States. Fillings “fill in” areas of your tooth so you can enjoy restored oral health, better bite balance, and lower your risk of future dental problems. Dental fillings are made of pliable materials that fill in a portion of a tooth that has lost natural tooth structure, often as the result of tooth decay and or cavities. Because traditional silver fillings (dental amalgam) don’t bond to natural tooth structure (like dentin and enamel) – the dentist needs to create grooves or slots in the cavity area for fitting silver fillings using a drill. This results in the need to remove healthy portions of the tooth for the silver filling to fit in.