At my son’s last check-up we were told he had two cavities. We went ahead and got them filled. Both of them have since fallen out. Is this normal? We’re going back to have them replaced, but I’m wondering if I should look for a different pediatric dentist. There aren’t too many of them who do white fillings and that is important to me.

Danielle C. – Idaho

Danielle,

White fillings are a completely different than amalgam (silver) fillings in how they are placed. While I understand why you want only white fillings and I would probably push for the same with my children, you’ll need to understand that they are much harder to place on children.

If any moisture gets under the filling during placement, it breaks the seal. Dentists usually use isolation dams and rolls of gauze to help keep the area dry. You can imagine that is not a favorite of wiggly children.

Pediatric dentists usually have two options in those cases. They either have to find a way to distract the children during the procedure, something most pediatric dentists are quite adept at. Or, they can use sedation dentistry. Either is acceptable and perfectly safe.

Talk to your dentist and ask why he thinks the fillings have failed and how he wants to prevent it from happening again. If you’re satisfied with his answer and are willing to try again, great. If not, you’re within your rights to ask for a refund and find another dentist.

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