Child's first cavity?

I will consider using a white filling in an older child where the tooth only has to serve another year or two. Maybe three. The white fillings seem to be a lot harder than baby teeth and this is not a good match. The tooth will wear faster than the filling and it will also flex more than the filling. Both of these factors tend to make the white fillings fail after a couple of years. Silver fillings will wear more at the same rate as the teeth and they have quite a bit of give in them, at least compared to the white fillings. As much as I hate to see it and as much as the parents would prefer white, I usually recommend silver fillings in the younger patients.

Another very important consideration is that you MUST have a dry field to place a white filling if it is to stand half a chance at lasting for a few years. This is nearly impossible to do in a young child, no matter how much they try to cooperate. They just can't help wiggling their jaw or checking things with their tongue and then the site gets wet. Silver fillings can be placed very quickly and are a lot more forgiving of "less than perfect" technique on placement.

The cost between amalgam(silver) and composite (white) fillings is not that great. Allot of ppl assume that amalgam is stronger because they think metal, and they request this in a dental office because of this...but composite is just as strong and last just as long. The size of the hole for either filling is the same, the dentist will need to drill and then manually remove the decay. I have done assisting for both composite and amalgam fillings and have found that one procedure does not take longer then the other. In the end it's your choice, and it's an aesthetic choice as well. You could always get a second opinion.

The silver fillings do contain mercury, the white fillings do not.

Well personally I dont agree with any of you. I have been a dental therapist for 20 years and can count on 1 hand the amount of amalgum (silver) filling that I have used on baby teeth over those years. Do you not have products such as ketac, fuji 2 and fuji9 etc?? The cavity preparation is very minimal, they contain a fluoride release (to help prevent further problems with that tooth) and yes you do need a dry field to put them in but if you use a light cured resin, this can be achieved relatively quickly and under dry conditions.

Just my opinion though!

for baby teeth, especially in 3 yr olds, silver fillings are the only way to go on molars. the difference between silver and white fillings is silver are packed into the hole and stay in by friction, whereas the white fillings are actually bonded to the teeth using a very moisture sensitive adhesive. any leaking gaps in silver fillings are filled in with corrosion products and bacteria is blocked, any leaking gaps in white fillings remain gaps and turn into stains and/or cavities. to keep the back teeth of a tiny mouth of even the most cooperative 3 year old dry is a difficult task. add to all this the fact that these little teeth are going to fall out years before the child will be self-conscious about metal fillings in their mouths coupled with the added financial cost, and it doesn't make sense to try and do white fillings on baby molars.

My daughter had the silver put on, the reason is they are cheaper and they are baby teeth. Now her dentist has color fillings but only for baby teeth! We did do the sealants on her perm molars. Do Not feel like you are at fault for the cavity! My dentist told me that some people are just prone to them, this has nothing to do with you brushing her teeth it just happens.

Well, on a level of toxicity alot of people believe that metal fillings are dangerous....I personally prefer white fillings...,although...they do in fact...require a larger hole to be made....in the tooth to place the white filling and can be more costly,....the white fillings tend to last a little over seven years....,the downside...is once the need is there to replace the white filling again...the hole tends to need to be made larger....Metal fillings are stronger, last longer, and are less costly...although ugly and considered dangerous due to the makeup and consistency....of the metal..., Dentists claim...the metal is not dangerous.....and health concious people say it is.....Do some research online....and make your decision....It's a matter of choice...:)

my daughter just had a filling today on her back molar, it was the colored one--pink. i honestly didn't know they still do silver...then later today--my mom was just telling me she heard a news story about the controversy about the dangers of mercury from the metal fillings. so, i was glad she didn't get the silver. here is a story in yesterday's tribune. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_j...

btw, the dentist said these molars usually don't come out til around age 12.

well, i suggest to go with the silver and not the dissolvable cuz your son is 3 and it'll be about 4 more years before his teeth start falling out, and thats how long its supposed to last.

Maybe get him a silver grill too Lol

silver is the best for now

ask your dentist if he can put the white (dissolvable coating) on teeth..my son had it as a child and he has no cavities as well.

this coating could have prevented this first cavatiy as well

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