Cavities and Fillings

I have soft teeth too and it hasn't seem to affected my 10yr old, my 4yr old has worn away the back side of his upper front teeth from grinding them! So far, they look like we can leave them in till they are ready to fall out but any moment he could chip them to the point of damage to have them removed :( Anyways, I would get the silver filling. They are safe and are a better quality than the tooth colored fillings too. Every tooth colored filling I've had has fallen out!!! But I have all my silver fillings from 10+ year ago still!!! And since it is a molar that will fall out in about 5yrs or so I'd opt for the silver too. Now if it was a front tooth, different story.

S.

Dental health is partially hereditary. The type of filling to use is your choice, since the price isn't significantly different. There is much debate about the silver (amalgam) fillings because they contain mercury mixed with other metals in an alloy, but they've been used for decades. Here's a section of an article from Time magazine that I found interesting:

"The mercury in amalgam, it turns out, is not free, but mixed with silver, tin and copper, metals to which it bonds chemically to form a crystalline metallic — and safe — alloy. An obvious analogy, says Dr. Robert Baratz, president of the National Council against Health Fraud, can be made with water, a chemical combination of hydrogen, a gas that can explode, and oxygen, which supports combustion. Yet, like those in water, amalgam's components are tightly bonded to each other. "Saying that amalgam will poison you," Baratz insists, "is like saying that drinking water will make you explode and burst into flames."

I disagree with everyone here. I don't recommend either and I will tell you why- both white and silver fillings have mercury. The white has a little less, true, but it also has BPA.

I know, I just made your decision that much harder, but let me ask you this- why are you filling this tooth? Is it because it is causing her pain or is it because the dentist found a cavity on an x-ray/cleaning and told you you should?

If the tooth is NOT causing her pain, I recommend not filling it, especially if it is a baby tooth.

There are many, many reasons why she could have a cavity- some of us are genetically predisposed, some of us have more acidic saliva, or problems with our parotid glands, or even the shape of the tooth or placement of the tooth can contribute (molars in particular tend to hold food even if we brush really well.)

I would leave it alone and change your diet. Buy the book Nourishing Traditions and really read up on Weston A. Price studies about how to heal your teeth without fillings. Then RUN, don't walk, to get a water purifier that filters out fluoride.

It may sound psycho, but my daughter did not have enamel on her baby teeth at ALL when they came in. They were riddled with cavities. I struggled over what to do with this 9 month old with terrible teeth- the options were to strap her down and fill them or sedate her and fill them and I was scared to death to do either one. My gut told me there was a better way, and I did research until I was blue in the face and it paid off. Her teeth do look terrible- it's true- but they are HEALED and totally healthy now, AND she is actually growing enamel on her teeth. They are hard as little rocks and she has never had an ounce of pain from them.

We did a diet change, brush diligently twice a day and use MI paste (vanilla, and not "plus"- you can buy it on eBay or through holistic dentists,) give her Hyland's Bioplasma tablets (buy them through drugstore.com- they last forever,) and she has gotten 3 ozone treatments downtown with Dr. Stephen Gordon.

I recommend doing a LOT of reading before you decide what to do- dental work can affect you systemically more than you know. I am 33 and have a mouth full of silver fillings as well as white- 2 have broken and I am just now realizing I have mercury toxicity, and my children probably have it too from ME and my mouth :( It might seem like "one little filling- what's the big deal" but please, please read up and really find a dentist who does integrative dentistry. It costs a LOT, but it is THAT important!!! I do agree when others say don't beat yourself up over her having a cavity, but please don't put chemicals in her that might poison her or cause immune problems or even problems in HER kids later on- that is worth beating yourself up over!!

Here is what I wrote about my daughter's teeth (she is now 3) awhile back, if you are curious.

http://chickiepea.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/healing-caviti...

Okay, stepping off my fruit-cake sounding soapbox now! :)

M.

Dental problems can be hereditary. My sister and I inherited my grandmothers, and I thank God dental care is much better now than it was then, or I would have dentures too. :-)

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the silver fillings. They're safe, and if it's a back tooth, why bother paying the extra for a baby tooth? If it was a permanent tooth, or a front tooth, I'd think about the white.

Don't beat yourself up over this. My little guy (just turned 5) had to get his second filling last summer :(
The white fillings were covered by my insurance, so I didn't have to make the choice... but I did ask about it...

The main issue seems to be that the silver fillings expand and contract a bit, which can make space for cavities to grow UNDER the filling itself. Eventually most silver fillings have to be replaced either because of cavities under them or just because they get loose and need to be redone.

I'd say it's probably worth the twenty bucks, but that's just me. It's a molar, so it's not one she's gonna be losing in the next year or two. Might as well get it done the best you can.

Whatever you choose, will be the right choice :)
T.

i just had my daughters first appointment today and we are faced with the same issue. I would go for the white, unless it is on an upper molar, I don't think silver would be seen if it is on the top.
I felt guilty at first too, but I also thought it was a good wake up call for us...We are definately guilty of not flossing as much as we should,

White fillings are cool because you can open your mouth wide and no one sees your dental work, but that's a personal choice. For 20 bucks I'd do it.
And yes, teeth problems are hereditary. If you have bad teeth in the family do every extra thing possible to help prevent your children from dental problems. Floss, floss, floss.

definitely hereditary. don't beat yourself up over it. just keep taking good care of them otherwise it could be even worse.

I'm a little late in responding, but I wanted to put in my $0.02 worth.

Don't feel like a bad mom, teeth stuff have a lot to do with genetics as well as the acidic content of her saliva. My mom is a dental hygienist who also teaches and does research. Please look up the following and/or talk to your dentist:

1. You don't have to do a filling right now. Since it's a molar you can do a SEALANT, which can last a couple years (most insurance pays for sealants) and is way less invasive than fillings (they don't even need to use novacaine). Now, your dentist may not want to do this if
A. The filling is really big. But the guage for this should be if s/he can see the filling with her naked eye. if s/he feels it or sees it on the xray, you should still be able to use a sealant.
or B. if your dentist is greedy and wants to do a filling because they make more money on a filling since it's not preventive.

2. there are hidden items that INCREASE the level of acid in saliva (resulting in MORE cavities):
A. fruit snack (or any derivative - starburst, gummy bears etc) are HORRIBLE for teeth because they can 'cling' to the enamel and destroy it for HOURS.
B. Aspartame or anything diet (in more than you think - if your kid drinks powerade, pedialyte, some flavored 'waters', g2 etc all have aspartame in them but aren't billed as 'diet' drinks). the sugar substitute is metabolized differently by your saliva so it doesn't cause the drop in acidity that is used to break down the food. The acid stays high and food on the teeth is not broken down as quickly. Also the high acid will wear the enamel and cause plaque to have their shot at causing cavities.

3. There are a couple really easy ways to DECREASE the acid in your daughter's saliva (helping to PREVENT cavities).
A. Cheese. When your saliva metabolizes cheese it drops in acid. Have your daughter eat skim or mozzarella string cheese AT THE END of each meal. This will help her saliva break down the rest of the food that she has eaten faster in her mouth and then will help to keep the acid low.
B. Gum containing xylitol. This research has been around a while and I am always amazed the a majority of people have never heard of this. The xylitol inhibits acid in saliva and will help to 'clean' the teeth naturally. Here's the kicker. Most gum with xylitol will also have aspartame, but since while you are chewing gum you aren't breaking down food it is ok. sugared gum is bad bad bad. xylitol should be the 1st or 2nd ingredient in the gum (think 4 out of 5 dentists recommend chewing with Trident - it's b'cuz of the xylitol). my mom always had us chew one stick of trident 30 minutes after each time we eat.

4. Amount of brushing is more important than toothpaste. Brush for 2 minutes using small circular motions. Lots of times kids use tons of toothpaste, but only brush for 30 seconds and feel like they've done a good job. Get a toothbrush with a timer. My mom got my daughter one that beeps at the minute half-way mark and then does a double beep when 2 minutes is up. They also have the 'tooth tunes' tooth brushes which play music that the brusher can hear for 2 minutes. When the music shuts off, you can stop brushing!

Good Luck!

Well, God knows-we can't drink tap water and anyway flouride is poisonous. Don't feel bad-get the white filling-and when the second molars come in-get the "pit and fissure" sealant for added protection.

I would pay the extra $20. What if she accidentally swallowed the tooth when it fell it out. It has been known to happen and mercury is toxic.

if its just 20 dollars more then i would go with the white one so nobody sees it. Its common for kids to get cavities from what they eat to what they drink. Even milk can cause cavities. I was like your husband never had a cavity until i was 19 and i just had my first baby and then i had like 6 cavities from just being pregnant it was horrible. And it is just a baby molar so she will loose that tooth and can start all over in taking good care of her teeth.

Did they see the cavity of the x ray? If not, try getting a second opinion, if you can.