20 m/o and 3.5 y/o both have cavities...need some advice on sliver vs. composite, waiting, etc.

[Rikki Jean]

I'll try to keep this short, esp. since my brain is already asleep.

We just started seeing a pediatric dentist. Bad teeth run in DH's family (lots of his immediate family had dentures by 30! DH does not though.), so I really should have taken DS1 in a lot earlier...FIL had a grill by the time he was five, and I'm not really interested in that for my kids!

DS1 (3.5) has two cavities; one is in the front, and one is toward the back. He's going to give him nitrous to sedate him during the fillings.

This dentist is pro-amalgam (you should have seen the look on his face when I asked if the fillings would be amalgam. He said, "How do you know what that is? Do you work in the industry? ), which we got into a debate over, but I really didn't have enough ammunition to argue my point. I know that it's nasty stuff, but I don't have numbers and facts stored away in my head right now, especially since preggo brain has taken over.

So, his plan is to do composite in the front, and silver in the back. He'll do composite in the back if I want to, but I'll have to pay for it (the insurance will cover the rest), and he says that it will only last about a year-and-a-half.


DS2 (20 mos) has one cavity, in the front. The plan is to give him nitrous, and if that doesn't work, he'll give him some sort of drink to keep him out of it. He can't have anything to eat or drink for six hours prior, including breastmilk. I realllllllly don't think that's going to go well. He's nursing soooo much right now, and it will be Hell here if I have to deny him from 2am on.

The dentist did say that if we want to, we can hold off on taking care of DS2 right now; really, he is hesitant to put him on nitrous when he's so little (he's only 22lbs), esp. because he can get dehydrated so easily.


So, I have to make a few decisions here, and I feel like I'm really not armed with enough information. I REALLY don't want any silver in my son's mouth. The receptionist said, "It's only his baby teeth, they'll fall out," but that doesn't change the fact that it will be there. Is there any validity in her statement?

I'm leaning toward holding off on DS2's treatment, especially since the dentist was the one who suggested it. If I'm being an idiot, please tell me.

I've had plenty of people say, "They're going to fall out anyway, so why get them fixed?" I know that's nonsense, but please remind me why...my brain is so muddled!

Okay, sorry for being so rambly.


ETA: We did decide to hold of on the fillings for DS2. I'm going to check out the sticky on curing cavities naturally.

Also, I don't understand why DS1 can eat before the nitrous, but DS2 can't. Any insight?

[Rikki Jean]

Anyone?

[tanyalynn]

I can't help with most of that, but if this guy says his back-teeth composite fillings fall out in a year and a half, find someone else! Dentists who know how to put in composites make them last quite well.

And as an adult whose own life has been radically changed by her amalgam fillings, just say no. Seriously. Everybody agrees they leach mercury (they are half mercury by weight), even the FDA says it. The ADA agrees they leach, just that it's not in quantities that are a problem for anyone. Tell that to my kids, they got enough from me to cause health problems. Seriously, say no. And honestly, this guy just doesn't sound very up-to-date, so I'd really try to find someone else.

I don't know anything about anesthesia choices, I take it you've seen the Healing Cavities through Nutrition sticky? Folks talk about the additional stuff they've done too, xylitol and HealOzone and such, in addition to diet (it may be a good time to get a vitamin D blood test for everyone, since the fall flu season is coming and it's important to dental health, plus overall health).

But seriously, do not put amalgam in your children's mouths. The problem isn't just the daily leaching (though that's bad, and in little kids, with all the brain development going on, it's a bad plan) it's that there's a spike of mercury exposure when they're put in and when (if) they're removed. The FDA is the one that says that, go over to their site and look around, it's in a press release from last year.