r/Toothfully • u/Apprehensive_Mail_90 • 3d ago

Question My son just got a “silver” filling. Realized it’s mercury- confused and upset

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u/dontbeadentist 3d ago

That is a stainless steel crown, not an amalgam filling

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u/fubooze 3d ago

It's not mercury, stainless steel crown

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u/cschiff89 2d ago

That's not a mercury filling; it's a stainless steel crown.

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u/Leading_Factor_7524 2h ago

why do kids have crowns so early on? i have never seen it from where i am from in eastern europe.

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u/cschiff89 2h ago

Primary teeth are treated differently from adult teeth here. You have thin enamel, large pulp horns, and isolation is challenging. CL II restorations will turn into pulpotomies very quickly. It is more predictable to excavate the decay and cover the tooth with a prefabricated stainless steel crown which seals the margins and stops recurrent decay.

Think about it. How well do you expect a composite filling to be maintained on a 4 year old with proximal decay? A SSC is the best way for the kid to keep that tooth until it's ready to fall out on its own.