Today, dental amalgam is used in the following situations:
• in individuals of all ages,
• in stress-bearing areas and in small-to-moderate sized cavities in the posterior teeth,
• when there is severe destruction of tooth structure and cost is an overriding consideration,
• as a foundation for cast-metal, metal-ceramic, and ceramic restorations,
• when patient commitment to personal oral hygiene is poor,
• when moisture control is problematic with patients, and
• when cost is an overriding patient concern.