Children's molars

I just took my 7 year old for a dental check up. They found a cavity in her back molar and he filled it then and there. The thing that confuses me is he said it was a permanent tooth that had to last her til she's 95. I said its her baby tooth it hadn't fallen out and grown back and he said it won't and that it grows in as a permanent tooth. Is he for real?? I've never heard that before.

Also, 2 hours on and her check is a little swollen. Is that normal? I don't recall looking swollen after a filling. She said it hurt during the procedure and he said it was quite deep so it might of hurt a bit but that she was also just worked up and anxious.

Plus, the actual filling has a greenish grey tinge and is described as ' metallic restoration'. My fillings are white/cream colour.

Yes, children do have permanent molars that grow in at different ages and are permanent. Basically, if you start at one of the front teeth (in the middle) and then count heading backwards, the first five teeth (including the front one) are temporary and anything after that is permanent. So you could count how far back the filling tooth is which would be fairly accurate.

The metallic restoration = an amalgam filling. It's often used because it's cheaper, and until recently had a longer life. They are often used in big chewing teeth at the back of the mouth where they are less likely to be seen. Your fillings are probably a ceramic/composite - there is debate about whether they last as long as the old style metal ones but in any case they have a better appearance. There is also some debate about whether there is danger of mercury from the metal fillings leeching into the body so you might want to read up on that so you can make an informed choice next time anyone in your family needs a filling.

I don't know about the swelling sorry. It's probably worth putting a cold flannel on her face/ice pack if she will tolerate it and give them a ring to check if this is ok.

Thank you Mary dean! Very helpful. Bummer I wish I had known about the mercury thing, I wouldn't have chosen it!!

She says it's still numb and it's been 3 hours now. I hope she wakes up ok. Poor baby!

At her last 6 month check up it was clear, not a hint of cavity and now 6 months later it's a very deep one. I don't get it!

Yup it's her 6 year old molars and yes it's permanent.
I'm very concerned that they used an amalgam filling on a child....we never used them on kids when I worked at that was 7 years ago, you should have been consulted on the filling material, given that it was deep you will need to keep an eye on the tooth in case it dies, did they explain what could happen/what to look for?

Omg olive! Your comment is freaking me out now!! No they didn't say it could die. Why would it die? Should I get them to take it out and re-do it with something safer? It was pretty traumatic for her to begin with! Is amalgam filling in a child something I should not google?

He didn't really give me a choice but said they use the metallic filling because it's stronger and will last longer. I just trusted what he said thinking he knew what he was doing!! It's not silver like ones I had as a kid but it's a greyish green colour.

Please don't panic! Anyone over 40 in Australia got amalgam fillings. Yes ceramic fillings are seen to be safer but amalgam has been around for years with a small amount of bad press.

Anney is right. No cause for alarm! I'm over 40 & I have amalgam fillings. I have a particular health condition which meant I needed to get advice on whether to get them taken out, but the consensus was that leaving them in involves less risk than taking them out. But going forward I won't be getting any new ones because it is no longer the best choice, which is why I mentioned it in my post.

ETA - mine looked greenish when first done but they got a bit darker looking with time too.

Thanks, I stressed out all night thinking about it! I don't know why he would use them if it's not best practice! It really annoys me! I am thinking I might call him and see if I can speak to him on the phone to get some reassurance. She hasn't woken up yet, so will see how it feels if it's still swollen etc and if so will go back in.

I won't be getting the metallic again that's for dang sure!

2cheekymonkeys, the tooth could still die if the filling is quite deep and it affects the nerves inside the roots of the tooth and they die. If that happens, she will need to have it pulled out. It's really unusual that they would use that without asking you - IME it was used if people couldn't afford the white filling. I had amalgam fillings from when I was a kid and they were fine, but I had them all replaced with the white ones when I worked as a dental nurse purely because I got it done for free and not because of any issue with them. So it's not a drama to have them, it's more of a cosmetic thing.

What Trillian said but don't get it pulled if it dies!!!