Silver fillings, or amalgam fillings as we call them, have been around for almost 200 years and are still considered to be an excellent, long term way of restoring teeth. Although more often than not these days we recommend the use of composite, every tooth situation in every mouth is different and there are times when we look at a tooth and we see that amalgam will be the better performing material in that situation. If you need a filling, your dentist will discuss with you which material will be best for you.