If you talk to someone over the age of 70, you’re sure to hear about times when many things were done the “right,” old-school way. Cars and other products were made to last with strong, quality materials! In the past, when a tooth developed a cavity, amalgam fillings, consisting of a combination of silver, tin, mercury, zinc, and copper, can last for decades. Although tooth-colored fillings fall short of the same durability, there are many other reasons to receive these composite resin fillings instead of amalgam, especially those discussed below.