I'm wondering if there's something better to seal around hot and cold
water pipes than the usual silicone sealant?

Water from the shower-head naturally splashes onto tiles in the region
above the shower control. The water then trickles down the tiles as it
is meant to but it then meets the ironware of the shower-control at the
the two points where the hot and cold pipes poke through the wall to
connect with the control. The plumber who fitted the shower-control
can't have sealed up the holes around the pipes before he fitted the
ironware. So some of the water is dribbling into two holes, saturating
the adjacent tiles and, presumably, the wall behind.

I'm planning to take off the ironware myself and fill up the holes, but
am wondering if there's something better to use than just the usual
silicone sealant?

Thanks.

Eddy.