1. Amalgam (silver fillings) is produced by mixing mercury with silver, tin, copper and zinc. Although mercury is a toxic material when bound to other metals, it becomes stable and therefore can be used in dental applications. Adding silver provides strength, tin for workability, copper for corrosion resistance and zinc to prevent oxidation. One of the advantages of using silver fillings as a dental material is their durability. These fillings can last 10 to 15 years, which is typically much longer than other types of dental fillings. The strength of this filling is strong enough to resist wear and tear from chewing forces. This is particularly visible when the filling has good mechanical resistance. However, it could be easily chipped around the edges. We can therefore say that this filling has good biocompatibility. The disadvantages of silver fillings concern aesthetics. The silver color of the fillings does not match the appearance of the teeth, making it unappealing to the eye. Additionally, fillings can cause discoloration of surrounding teeth, making them appear a slight shade of gray. When you drink cold or hot liquids, your teeth may expand or contract. The filling will also expand and contract, making it more susceptible to cracking. Finally, a number of people may have allergic reactions to the mercury present in amalgam. Tooth-colored composites are a blend of submicron glass filters and acrylic that form a tooth-colored restoration. The main advantage of composites appears when we talk about aesthetics. The color of the fillings can be matched to that of the tooth. This is why they are used on front teeth. A unique feature of this filling is its ability to chemically bond to tooth structure...... middle of paper ......der is compressive strength. This is important because most chewing forces act during compression. You can use this test to see which dental material is able to withstand the most occlusal forces. Another property to consider is bending strength. This is defined as the ability of a material to bend before breaking. It is important to have high bending strength when manufacturing dental materials, because the materials must be able to be bent repeatedly under the action of chewing. To conclude, an ideal dental material will need to take into account both its aesthetic and functional properties. Functional properties include high elasticity, strength, high tensile strength, high compressive strength and high flexural strength. Along with these properties, it is important that the material is non-toxic and biocompatible with the oral cavity..