There are many patients who may like to choose silver fillings over gold because they are less expensive. Also, patients tend to prefer porcelain fillings because of their high aesthetic value compared to gold or silver.

However, Dr. Guyot recommends that porcelain or composite fillings be used only in the front teeth that are visible to an outside observer. The teeth at the back are not likely to get noticed by others, so gold is an ideal restorative material for the back teeth.

Composite as well as silver fillings can undergo wear and tear much quicker compared to a gold filling. Stability of a restoration is very important to the long-term health of the teeth. In his years of experience, Dr. Guyot has come across many cases where the patients are unhappy with their existing silver fillings because they can leak around the edges, causing darkness to show through the teeth. The tooth assumes a grayish appearance, and loses its aesthetic beauty.

In cases where the patient has a cracked tooth or a cavity that has become large enough to where a filling can no longer restore the tooth, a gold restoration is a great choice because it can conserve the tooth structure. If porcelain restoration is used in such cases, it may have to cover the whole tooth with a full porcelain crown for strength. But gold is strong enough to keep the restoration much smaller, and keep the damage to the tooth structure to the minimum.