Root canals and fillings are often the most feared procedures in the entire realm of dentistry. For many many years, dentists doubled as metal smelters because damaged teeth and drilled teeth had to be filled with silver amalgam. While new composite restorations, or white fillings, have replaced silver in recent years, silver amalgam effectively â??filled the gapâ?? for most of historyâ??s dental cases. Today, doctors possess ultra modern technology for patients looking for a new, 21st century solution.