Efforts have been made during the last several years to develop polymer formulations that could replace ceramic materials for the restoration of occlusal surfaces. In most cases, resins have exhibited insufficient wear resistance, whereas the ceramic materials have had a history of excessively abrading whatever opposes them occlusally. Based on recent clinical information, it appears that major successes have been achieved in reaching the goal. The author discusses these advances and proposes a possible replacement for amalgam, based on new technology.