About a year ago, I had the kids at the dentist and she recommended sealants for Seth’s teeth. I told her I’d look into them. So of course I did my research and learned that some sealants have Bisphenol-A (BPA) which is the stuff in plastic bottles we are told to avoid. You’ve heard of it, right? Don’t microwave cheap plastic and don’t drink out of plastic bottles left in a hot car, the plastic breaks down and leaches cancer causing materials, BPA….that’s the stuff.
I asked for literature on the kind of sealants she used. This dentist used the BPA-full sealants. So next time we were there, I asked her if she would order the BPA-free, and she said no. She said the ones she used are the best sealants. She wasn’t willing to change. Her tone was condescending. As if I was ridiculous to even worry about this.
“I use these on ALL my patients and no one ever has a problem.”
Not that you would notice short term.
“I would have to order in bulk and it wouldn’t be worth it just for your kids.”
She tried scare tactics.
“He’s got a lot of plaque and he will get cavities if you don’t do the sealants.”
I nodded politely, knowing I was willing to do sealants, just not the poisonous ones. I knew I wasn’t coming back, and we didn’t. I have not spent the last ten years getting the toxins out of my kids so some professional who hasn’t done their continuing ed can mess it all up. This dentist had already been walking on thin ice with me.
Earlier this week, Seth saw a new dentist. He too recommended sealants. I asked if they were BPA free, and he didn’t know. He looked at me curiously, but not condescendingly. He went and got a package insert, handed it to me. They were BPA-free! I was so happy. He was happy that I was happy.
Last night at porch night, the sealant issue came up. My friend Melinda’s kids go to the first dentist. And get this….she’s now using only BPA-free sealants! I of course handled this information with grace, practically shooting out of my porch chair and screaming,
“THAT BITCH!”
I wonder if she got a lot of requests for BPA-free sealants? I wonder if it was just us giving her a hard time? I wonder if she did some research. I wonder what kind of arrogance makes professionals poo-poo parental concerns, rather than listen to them and learn from them? I wonder how many dollars her business lost over the long term from the loss of our two children as patients?
If her change-over to BPA-free had anything to do with us, I am happy.
I’m also happy we’re with the new dentist. Seth gets his new BPA-free sealants this morning. He’ll be protected from cavities. He won’t have BPA leaching into his mouth. All will be well with the world! Until 4PM, when we go back to have one of Riley’s teeth pulled. She’s got a stubborn baby tooth that won’t come out and it’s messing with her braces. She’s never had novocaine before. Pray for us.
Never a dull moment.
Lovingly yours,
MO’N
I hope the arrogant dentist is not the one I recommended to you! We are going back to them, btw. I would rather pay out of pocket than deal with the nightmare Dr. DeSade again!
Curious who no.1 and no.2 are?
I’ll PM you both, but no Meg, it’s not the one you referred me to.
Michelle, you will appreciate that we drive 45 minutes out of Minneapolis to a random small town twice a year to see an incredible dentist that people fly to from all over the country to see. He has all the latest technology BUT he is also keen on all things alternative. He is uber-careful about everything he puts in your mouth. He takes out mercury, etc. He’s seriously gifted.
Dentistry is not nearly as regulated and consistent as other medical fields. You’re not crazy to question this one dentist.
Oh Gosh, praying for Miss R… oxoxo to her from me.
🙂
Dear Michelle, I so admire your dedication to always, in every situation and experience, do what’s best for your family. And if you don’t know, you research and find out. What a fine mother you are. Peace.
I’m curious to know how/where you do your research. Often when I go looking for information, I find so many sources with conflicting info that I get overwhelmed and don’t know what to think.
So pleased you found a good dentist and I hope Riley’s extraction goes well. L chose laughing gas to help her with the novocaine shot one time and swears by it to help her through the anxiety.
” I of course handled this information with grace…”
YAMH
I would use your grace, which we all know you have and I’m being dead serious, and call the first dentist’s office and tell them the exact same story you told here so you can express your deepest appreciation for them looking into BPA-free sealants because that’s simply the right thing to do. I freaking love karma. She’s a peach!
I love your pun in the title! And THANK YOU for researching this and writing about it – I always wondered about those sealants and am glad we never did them, although now I’ll know to request the BPA-free variety! xo
Can you be my mom? Honestly it would never have even ocurred to me to think of BPAs in sealant. Thanks for educating me, fighting for your kids and kicking bitch dentist to the curb super momma!
Thanks for the great idea for a news story! And BTW, we did one last year on triclosan, a pesticide, which is used in toothpaste, hand sanitizer and hand soap among other things. *sigh* You are a Good Mom.
It’s important to point out that these “BPA free” products still use Bis-GMA, another form of Bisphenol A which, while well documented to be a more stable compound.. has still been found to have the same estrogen-like effects as Bis-DMA, or Bisphenol A.
I’ve included the link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10036843
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janice-horowitz/dueling-docs-are-dental-s_b_314729.html
Another interesting perspective.. 2 docs… debating how much this exposure matters.. confirming my observation from the studies I observed that while more stable, these “BPA free” alternatives are still derivatives of the same thing.
Hi Michelle, Good for you! We are looking into them ourselves recently and ran across your blog.
I was wondering if you knew if it was listed as any other name in the ingredients? Just to be extra careful.
Great post by the way 🙂
I’m not sure Angie. You might look at Theresa’s links above in the comments.