When you go to a dentist to have a filling done to fix a cavity, the gold of the treatment involves two basic principals. One, removing the decayed portion of the tooth.  In most cases, a high-speed dental drill is needed to remove the decay and prepare the tooth for the filling. Depending on which material is used, the dentist will vary the tooth preparation accordingly.  Two, rebuilding the missing tooth structure with a filling material.

Common bases used under dental fillings are glass ionomer cement, and zinc phosphate cement. The main purpose of the base is to insulate the tooth from temperature changes in the mouth. Then depending on what you want and want the dentist may advise you can choose between a number of different materials to fill the tooth. The most common are silver (amalgam), white (resin), porcelain, or gold. These materials are layered on top of the liner or base to finish the process of rebuilding the tooth.