Alternatives to silver amalgam and resin composite in pediatric dentistry

Silver amalgam has become a less attractive dental restorative material for restoration of primary teeth. After many decades of scientific and nonscientific controversy, use of silver amalgam for primary teeth is waning, not because of its mercury content but because dentistry has come up with more suitable materials. This article reviews the development and use of glass-ionomer silver-cermet cements, resin-modified glass-ionomer cements, and polyacid-modified resin composites (compomers) for restoration of primary teeth.