Fillings and mercury in a 10yo

[Ruthla]

I took my kids to the dentist today. DS has no cavities, DD11 has a few cavities in baby teeth that the dentist says aren't worth fixing, and DD10 has some cavities in baby teeth that aren't worth fixing plus 3 cavities in adult teeth. He said that, if any of the baby teeth are bothering either girl, he'd pull them rather than repair them.

At this point, none of the cavities are bothering her. We're schedualed to have the ones in her adult teeth filled on Nov 16th.

I asked about mercury-free fillings for her, and he advised against them, but does have the composite fillings available if I insist upon them. Here were his arguments:

1) amalgram fillings are longer lasting, and with DD's propensity towards cavities, he thinks they'll hold up better- somehow he thinks the composite fillings will weaken faster in a child who's more prone to cavities than in a child who's less prone to cavities.

2) amalgram fillings are perfectly safe- according to the DDS, there's nothing but anecdotal evidence of health problems from them but "valid scientific research" showing its safety. He also pulled the "sodium is poison and chlorine is poison, but NaCl is salt- the mercury in amalgram fillings isn't pure mercury therefore it's safe."

3) amalgram fillings have been used for 150 years and have a proven track record of safety- vs composite fillings that are newer and less well studied.


I'm pretty sure I don't want to put mercury in my child's mouth, but I'd like to be a little more confident about my reasons when we go back for the fillings.

[aniT]

I was basically given those same reasons. I ended up getting the composites anyway. In my DD (7) they were all in baby teeth, but they were ones she wasn't going to loose until 12 or so, so they needed to last another 5 years.

Here are my reasons. The dentist went on and on about how the composites contain BDT (is that right, the plastic chemical) and they are hormone disrupters. YET, he wanted me to have her molars sealed with sealant that contains the same chemical. :

Other reasons, the state of California does NOT recommend amalgam fillings for children under the age of 18 or pregnant women. When we lived in California this wasn't even an issue and I was told by our dentist that those fillings are no longer used and he simply gave DD composites.

Several European countries have banned amalgam fillings.

The FDA is currently (I haven't keep up to date so I don’t know if this has been settled yet,) being sued because of their compliancy in the use of amalgam fillings.

[Ruthla]

The more I think about it, the less sense it makes. Why would her tendency towards tooth decay make the fillings fall out or break sooner? I'd think that if the caries decayed further, making the hole bigger than the filling, then ANY kind of filling would fall out, right?

[CluckyInAZ]

One of my professors at my university is very into mercury in amalgam filling research. He does a lot of it at the school. He can use his equiptment to watch how much mercury come out of a person's mouth with each breath when they have even one filling, and it is a lot! It is irrefutable science that amalgam fillings constantly throw off mercury, and it is not safe. It is very true and it is very documented. Dentists usually just want to keep their head in the sand about it.

[alegna]

They say children aren't supposed to even eat TUNA due to mercury, why would it be safe to put in their mouths to stay?

-Angela

[mattemma04]

I had composite put in my dd about 3 years ago.One ped dentist(I went to three) insisted on amalgam saying composites in molars would come out with sticky foods,and we would be in/out every month.She even rolled the material in her hand to show how safe it was.

Recent FDA reports admit that during brushing/chewing mercury is released from amalgam fillings,but have concluded the levels are safe(and cause no ill health).

Perhaps they will find out composites are bad,but I still prefer them.As someone mentioned there are countries that do not allow amalgam to be used in children. Many years ago I read about testing that could be done to see what type of filling material best suited a person.You would have to do a search,because I don't have that information anymore.

[SleeplessMommy]

The American Dental Association (ADA) goes after dentists that say mercury is bad. In the long term, they are really afraid of lawsuits against dentists that install amalgam fillings.

Amalgam is 50% mercury by weight. And the tooth has to be "undercut" to hold the filling in place. My son's pediatric dentist says he does NO amalgam (we are in PA). Amalgam (from unfiltered dentist office waste) is also a huge source of mercury contamination in rivers and lakes. DS had 2 cavities filled with glass ionomer cement.

For larger cavities, you can ask for a ceramic filling ($$$) held in with glass ionomer cement. No Mercury, No endocrine disrupters!

[Shiloh]

if cost is not an option gold fillings provide the same wearablity that silver does but without the risk (make sure the gold is mercury free) they are also from what I have heard a superior material.

I think they will cost a bit more (100-200) a tooth but I just have to look at my parents my father has ALL of his teeth, all of his work was gold...my mother had mercury/crowns/procelain and has toasted many...

[Sherlock007]

This might be useful, Ruthla:

http://emporium.turnpike.net/P/PDHA/mercury/asr.htm
Preventive Dental Health Association
A SCIENTIFIC RESPONSE to the American Dental Association's Special Report and Statement of Confidence in Dental Amalgam

[CluckyInAZ]

if you have ANY amalgam fillings, never get any gold work done. Your saliva makes a bridge between the gold and the amalgam which sets up a reaction in which the mercury is released at an incredible rate! Very bad news!

[ragdoll]

Does anyone know if they prefill the cavity with amalgam before putting on the cap? My DS just had one cap and one cavity filled on Thursday and this is making me crazy.

[SleeplessMommy]

Under a crown, you could have composite OR amalgam. Or even both. A good pediatric dentist will not use amalgam.

Call the office and ask, it should be noted in the records... if it is amalgam, find a new pediatric dentist.

The first meeting with our ped dentist, I demanded no amalgam. He said oh, we never use it. Amalgam is bad not just for the patient, but also for the dental assistants and for the local environment. Mercury is released into the sewage system when the fillings are installed or removed. See www.nrdc.org.

[moneca]

visit www.iaomt.com (The International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology) and take some of this in with you next time. Really, a dentist should be shot for placing amalgam in a child:!

[SomedayMom]

If YOU want composite, get composite.

Composites are more technique sensitive than amalgams to place. Make sure your dentist feels like he has the experience to place them so that they will get their maximum lifespan.