Dental filling

For dental fillings, colloquially also called "Plombe", a distinction is made between direct and indirect fillings. At HD-Dental on the Hungarian-Austrian border, both types are of course offered.

Direct fillings are placed into the tooth in a moldable form after removal of the decay. They are completed in a single session, but do not meet expectations in every respect.

• Composite:Also known as plastic (resin) fillings, although the plastic content today is only about 20–30%. The rest consists of finely ground glass or ceramic particles. Composite fillings are placed into the pretreated tooth and cured with light.
  

  Advantages	Disadvantages
  immediately loadable	gap formation at the filling margin
  no temperature sensitivity	not long-lasting
  (initially) good aesthetics	discoloration
  relatively low price	may cause an allergic reaction

• Amalgam:Amalgam is still the most commonly used material for a dental filling. It consists of a silver-tin-copper alloy mixed with mercury and placed into the tooth.
  

  Advantages	Disadvantages
  long-lasting	aesthetically disadvantageous
  antibacterial effect	initial temperature sensitivity
  easy handling	can generate electrical currents in the mouth
  low price	release of traces of mercury

The toxicity of amalgam is still hotly debated today. While not all amalgam fillings must be removed automatically, there are good reasons to replace amalgam with other, more valuable materials.

Indirect fillings, also called inlays, are fabricated in the dental laboratory. The dentist takes an impression of the thoroughly prepared tooth, on the basis of which the dental technician creates the inlay. In a second appointment the inlay is bonded into the tooth.

• Gold inlay:Gold is still considered the best type of filling today. Well-made gold inlays can last for decades and can even be regarded as a piece of jewelry. According to today's prevailing aesthetic views, many people like to wear shiny metal objects in their ears, around their necks or on their fingers, while they inexplicably find the same metal in a tooth unattractive.

• Ceramic inlay:Ceramic inlays achieve satisfactory durability while providing an excellent cosmetic result. It is no coincidence that they are the most popular type of filling when it comes to long-term restorations.