Free white fillings if you breast feed

[fia101]

But will cost you if you formula feed your baby (apparently) due to new dental regulations introduced.

Just keep that in mind when, if you need a filling and you've just had a baby, the dentist randomly asks you if you breastfeed or formula feed your baby.

@Vitalogy agree.

@jarhead123 people all ready lie about bf and co-sleeping.

Im a dental nurse and this thread is ridiculous!!!!
You dont get white fillings if your breastfeeding at all. You get a free dental treatment for a year after having a baby (NHS) and the new regulations want us to use white fillings on any pregnant/nursing mothers as they want to phase out amalgam fillings eventually. Again not because of safety concerns but because theres too much amalgam waste ending up in our enviroment, not because ots so toxic. It is the most widely used medical material in thw world with years of use as opposed to white fillings which haven't been aroubd long enough for us to see the long term effects of.
Please go and speak to a professional before believing all you read and see online!!!!

Thank you mrsbont that's the most helpful post on this thread!

That's interesting mrsbont. I had white fillings and was told it was specifically because I'm breastfeeding. But thinking about it I wasn't actually given an explanation as to why beyond the fact I was breastfeeding.

P.s you all do reaslise that "white" fillings are a composite made up from a mixture of glass and plastic right? Like I said previously, they are still studying them as they havent been widely used for long enough to get a definite answer of any long term effects. Quit bashing the amalgam so much and thinking that a plastic substitute is so much better.

Amalgam has been banned in the US for years. Literally no idea why it’s still used here.

My previous dentist gave me a few amalgam fillings whilst I was breastfeeding! She was quite a terrible dentist and I wish I never trusted her to do so much work on my teeth.

Lillybug, they probably meant as your a nursing mother. Where I work, nursing mother means bottle or breast for the first year after birth. We also have to provide all children with white fillings as from this year too, as like I say, not because they are bad for you but they are aiming for a world wide amalgam ban by 2024 (dont quote me on the year as I may be wrong) as theres too much going into out waters and polluting it thats why x

Right so you guys are saying that a glass and plastic mixed filling that hasnt been out and used as widely as amalgam has for so long, is more safe?!

Thanks for the explanation mrsbont. It's interesting to know.

I do still stand by my post though that the OP is unnecessarily making an issue out of breastfeeding and dental treatment and encouraging a waste of NHS resource.

Its been banned in the US for such a long time as they were one of the biggest users of it and contributed to a lot of the pollution frok it, not because a lot of American's were dying from having amalgam fillings.

Yabu OP. Here is a huge pot 🥣 for you to stir.

Many years ago I worked alongside a respected consultant restorative dentist who studied the amount of mercury that was released into the bloodstream through inhalation while the amalgam filling was being removed, the results were conclusive and threw doubt into the personal accounts of people who claimed immediate relief from their ME/arthritis etc symptoms the minute the filling was removed.... (whilst in situ nil levels of Hg on removed high levels of Hg detected in the bloodstream) leave the amalgam filling in place unless it needs removing due to tooth decay or fracture. Over the years I have had repeated failures of my white fillings, due to to the limitations of the material not the operator and have recently resorted to having good old fashioned amalgam replacement or a gold crown/ inlay where the restoration was too large.

Dentist here. @mrsbont87 is totally on it and correct. On the regulations, the nhs terms and on the evidence on composite.

As an aside. On the nhs we can use whatever is the most appropriate material for the job. White fillings are permitted on all teeth in all patients. But. We get a set fee and pay all our (ever increasing) cost from this. I will use the cheapest material available that will do the most effective job for the patient. I want minimum proven toxicity long term, pain relief, longevity and cheap. Aesthetics only come into it in some circumstances. There are technical reasons that can make white fillings in appropriate in some circumstances. So actually there are many many circumstances where I use white fillings. And if a patient is exempt from charges, they get that free.

Coffeeandtv, I couldn't agree with you more!! We see so many people who believe that having them removed will be so much better for them but our dentist wont ever remove an amalgam purely on request if theres no obvious signs of needing to do it as its so much more dangerous due to the spray. From what I have heard most dentists are on the same page with this too.

AFAIK amalgam in teeth is a bit like asbestos in buildings - fine as long as it's intact.

I had two fillings years ago (my only two thus far, touch wood) and I think they're ceramic (?) - they were recommended to me as being the best option. (Not UK).

Bonzo77 so glad a dentist has shown up on this thread! Sorry to be so vocal on the matter but it really does wind me up when I see how hard we all work in our profession and by putting our patients first. People dont care about all the other daily toxins we are exposed to, but whenever amalgam is mentioned its the devil. Give it another 30 years and people could be saying the same about all these white fillings 😂

Its not some kind of favouritism!

Amalgam fillings have risks which can be passed to baby in the milk.

This isn’t new either. I was asked if I was breastfeeding by my dentist and given white fillings at the time. DS is 11.

I had a filling in my tooth 2 weeks ago. Dentist asked if I was still breastfeeding. When I said I was she said I would be given a white filling. Or I could pay for a different white one made of different material.

I asked why she asked if I was breastfeeding. She said it wasn't because she was being nosy it's because they can't give silver fillings when your breastfeeding. I'm assuming it's the same if your pregnant.

It's not a secret benefit to penalise formula feeders is due to what could pass to the baby. Lots of drugs/painkillers etc have to be different if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Oh FGS there's more mercury in tuna than in an amalgam filling.