When you need a small filling but don't want ugly silver in your teeth, direct resin or natural looking porcelain fillings are the way to go. Their most obvious advantage is beauty - a well-done natural looking porcelain fillings can be indistinguishable from the natural tooth. They have many advantages. Natural looking porcelain fillings can change the appearance of teeth, strengthen teeth, and more conservatively treat teeth - all things that silver fillings cannot do.
Natural looking porcelain fillings are bonded to tooth structure - this means that they actually integrate with the tooth, thereby sealing the gap between tooth and filling and adding their strength to the tooth. This allows for the more varied uses of resin beyond just regular fillings - like placing thin layers over front teeth to change their color, shape or general appearance; or repairing small chips or fractures in teeth; or even being placed in the grooves of teeth to prevent decay from ever occurring. Bonded natural looking porcelain fillings are an extremely beautiful advance in the creation of fantastic and healthy smiles.
Natural looking porcelain fillings are the best option for fillings as they actually add back strength to the tooth. Metal fillings compromise the strength of the tooth by simply expanding and contracting with hot and cold at different rates than your enamel! Eventually, your tooth is going to fracture! There is no question about porcelain being the very best option available today! Gold is no longer king!