What are Fillings? Fillings are placed when the doctor has found decay forming on a surface of your tooth. The doctor prepares the area of the tooth by removing all the decay to prevent it from progressing. Once the decay is removed the doctor or licensed restorative assistant will place a white plastic material to fill the space and restore the tooth to its original contour. What are Silver Fillings? Silver fillings are called amalgam, it is a metal alloy material that consists of many different components. This is the material used previously to the discovery of plastic composite fillings. One of the components in this alloy is mercury. There are no conclusive studies showing any harm in the use of this material. Here at Dublin Woods Family Dental we recommend not using this material for your typical case. However, there are still situations where this material is necessary. We seldom use these type of fillings for any restorative work but we do have it available in the office if it is requested by the patient or the doctor has determined it will provide them with a higher rate of success.