need quick info on composites/other filling options

[mammal_mama]

hi, I need to take my 8yo this afternoon, to the dental clinic at our local children's hospital (we have medicaid), because she's having pain and redness in one area of her mouth, near some permanent teeth.

From my understanding, this dental clinic only does composite or silver fillings, no mercury. However, I've been learning about composite fillings containing estrogen that can leak and be harmful. I'm especially concerned about this, since it may be an issue with a permanent tooth, so would stay in and leak longterm.

It looks like the issue is underneath (behind her front teeth) -- not in the front where it would be visible -- but I'm not absolutely sure.

What does it sound like my options would be? I know they did a silver crown for my 3yo, but of course on a baby tooth. I know my 8yo wouldn't want to go her whole life with a highly-visible silver tooth. At the same time, longterm estrogen-exposure would not be a good thing.

I've heard that some composites don't have estrogen -- when I asked about this at the clinic with my younger daughter a couple weeks ago, they weren't sure if their composite was estrogen-based or not. Then they did the crown anyway, so I didn't push for the information.

I'll need to push for it today, if it looks like composite is the only option. I'm really hoping maybe they can do a silver filling, and that it will be at the back and not be visible. Please let me know if you have any idea of other options ... since this issue is causing her pain and redness, I'd hate to put off care if she needs it right away.

Thank you!

[tanyalynn]

A silver filling is mercury (an amalgam of half mercury and a mix of other metals including a bit of silver). A stainless steel crown is, of course, silver-colored, but stainless steel can't be used to fill cavities--it has to do with the shape and what the materials can conform to. For filling a cavity, the only thing you want given these options is composite.

[mammal_mama]

Thank you! Now that you mention it, my 3yo must have got a stainless steel crown and not a silver crown, since they assured me there was absolutely no mercury.

So ... it sounds like composite still carries less risk than the silver fillings with amalgamated mercury, right?

[tanyalynn]

If it's a crown and silver-colored, it's gotta be stainless steel. You can't make amalgam (the stuff with mercury) make that shape. But if they talk about "filling" with something silver-colored, that would be amalgam/mercury.

The problem is that oftentimes they describe these things by their appearance (silver-colored) and there are a couple that are sorta silver-colored.

I personally would choose any composite filling out there instead of amalgam, but that's colored by my experience (I got my amalgams out last year and am chelating and it's done wonders for my health).

[mammal_mama]

Hi! We found out that dd1's inflamed area wasn't anything serious, just got irritated, possibly when she bit into some really hot chicken the other day.

However, we also found out she needs to go back in April to get fillings in four of her baby teeth. The dentist recommends the silver fillings (amalgam with mercury), because he says they last better -- but he will do composite if that's what we decide we want.

I said I want to do more research and talk it over with dh, and he said I can just let him know at that time, when we go back in to get the work done.

Dh is wondering why they can't just crown all those baby teeth -- I think they are actually crowning one, and wanting to do the silver fillings in the other three. So I will probably call to talk with him and find out if we can just do the crowns on all, since they are not permanent teeth anyway.

That's what dd2's dentist is doing for the rest of her fillings, which she is also getting in April.

Can you think of any reason why it wouldn't be a good idea to get crowns on all four baby teeth? Right now I'm leaning more toward composite fillings, because while estrogen can cause problems, it sounds like mercury is more toxic.

But I think I will start a thread to get more input, and help me make the best possible choice in April.

I greatly welcome your input, Tanya, either here or on the new thread! I'd love to hear more about your health experience -- did you replace the amalgams with composite fillings?

In a way, I guess some estrogen in our bodies is normal -- whereas I don't think mercury should be in there at all, so composite does seem like the better choice right now.

[tanyalynn]

Other people will definitely be more knowledgeable than I am about things like crowns--I feel lucky that my dental experience has been quite straightforward and the kids haven't had cavities.

I had composite put in, I think it's something called Herculite (?) and I think it likely does have bisphenol-A. It's probably not the greatest stuff out there, but I think the systemic effects of mercury are so significant that I'm okay with the trade-off. If you have a composite without BPA, that'd probably be better, but I'm not sweating what's in my mouth.