Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cavities

Help. I'm a pansy.

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:04:31 -0800

This is so shameful. I haven't seen a dentist since 2005. I've always been terrified of the dentist, but now it's been more than four years. When I finally go again, it will be so much worse. My teeth hurt sometimes, so I probably have cavities. What if I need a root canal? And the scraping! I know this sounds stupid, but for me, the scraping is the worst part. It's the way it sounds and the way it feels. It's not just the stabbing my gums with metal hooks, which novocaine helps... nothing helps the scraping.

So I can't go on like this, things will just get worse and worse. I have to go. I tried googling to find a sedation dentist... I feel so paralyzed by anxiety. I got nowhere.

Here are my conisderations. MetaFilter, please help me get this done. You are far more rational than I am and I need someone's objective, unemotional guidance.

Nutshell:

I need to see a dentist. I need a cleaning and to figure out if I have cavities, and if I do, I need to have them treated. I don't know what else I might need.

I do not have dental insurance. I do not have any money. I'm living without a cushion right now. My parents said they would pay for a visit to the dentist as a birthday present, but there is a limit to what I can ask them to pay.

Because of the financial constraints, I feel like I have to get it right the first time. If I go to a dentist who does a bad job, I will be stuck with it. This contributes to my anxiety and paralysis.

Sedation dentistry seems perfect but incredibly expensive. Do I need to accept that this is not an option for me right now, or are there reasonably-priced sedation dentists who are also reliable and good?

I'm in NYC.

Porcelain or MetalFilter

PhoBWanKenobi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:43 -0800

How bad is tooth sensitivity from gold inlays? I just got the bad news from my dentist that, despite brushing and flossing daily (really, I'm a nerd about flossing!), I need a whole bunch of cavities filled. Several of these are on teeth with existing fillings, on which he wants to place inlays.

I have the option of either getting gold or porcelain inlays. I actually kind of like the idea of having gold in my teeth; I'm not terribly bothered by the aesthetic aspect, since they're back molars that already have silver amalgam fillings in them. And gold fillings would cost about fifty dollars less a tooth after insurance--which, considering the inlays are going to cost around five hundred dollars each, isn't a huge savings, but it's still a nice dinner out.

This previous ask.metafilter post suggests that gold fillings are superior in most aspects except for aesthetics (again, not a concern) and sensitivity. Back then, a mefite described a gold crown as "exquisitely cold-sensitive." I already have some sensitivity in these teeth because of the caries, but, well, I love a nice hot tea. And ice pops in the summer! Do you have any experiences with gold inlays and tooth sensitivity? Is it really so bad that I'd be better getting porcelain, despite issues with wear and fragility, and despite the fact that I find the idea of gold teeth to be sort of wickedly awesome?

Destined for problem teeth?

mittenbex — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:14:23 -0800

What will REALLY happen when I get pregnant if I have poor oral health? I keep reading about how you need to get all your dental work taken care of before you get pregnant or during your first trimester (or whatever the designated window is).
The fact of the matter is I have awful quality (but great cosmetically) teeth. It's always been this way. As a child, I did regular cleanings and had cavities taken care of as needed. I definitely didn't keep up with brushing and flossing as much as I should've but what adolescent does?

But from high school on I was great about brushing (still not awesome about flossing) and I still repeatedly would get cavity after cavity. I've had a root canal experience go completely awful with an infection and I then had all four wisdoms yanked and experienced terrible dry socket which -- seriously, WORST pain of my life.
Now I'm 25. I have no insurance but I sucked it up and paid out of pocket for a cleaning and exam last summer. I still have cavities to be taken care of but didn't have the money to at the time. I realize I should've just gotten them fixed and gotten put on a payment plan BUT I didn't, and whatever. I gotta get them done.
Last week I had two old fillings break so I've been puttering around for a week with holes in two of my back teeth, frantically brushing constantly and rinsing. I'm going tonight to have them looked at to see what my options are.

I'm just wondering, or more I guess ... I'm petrified that I'm going to get pregnant a few years from now and my teeth, no matter their condition, are going to like rot away. My grandmother told me after she had her kids her teeth just basically went to shit and she ended up needing a bunch extracted and eventually she had dentures. I realize this was like 50 years ago so we've come along way with dental care.

Any dentists or people with first hand experience?
When I find out tonight what the situation is -- do I have to get everything taken care of and fixed up to avoid a monstrosity of the teeth when I eventually get pregnant?

Any women have stories about dental stuff and pregnancy?

Thanks!

How exactly will my dentist fix these cavities?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:49:56 -0800

Cavities: I have one in both of my two front teeth, one of which is fairly significant. Both of them are on the outside edge of the respective teeth, and thus sandwiched between my front teeth and the teeth next to them. How will a dentist fix this? As a touring musician, hygiene sometimes takes a backseat. I know this is not acceptable, and it also has much to do with a significant lack of 'enforcement' about dental hygiene when growing up. Now that I have dental insurance, I've resolved to have my teeth fixed and to take care of them moving forward. As dentists make me nervous however, I would like to know what to expect in having these two cavities addressed.

Of my two front teeth, the one on the right (the #8 tooth) has a pretty significant cavity on the right side, which has also done a small bit of damage to the #7 tooth as well. There is absolutely no pain or sensitivity in this cavity (or the other for that matter), but it is quite embarassing and clearly needs to be addressed. I am quite certain that both of these cavities are due to infrequent flossing.

As I understand it, a dentist will clean this out or something and fill it, but I can't imagine how they will do that thoroughly with the #7 tooth hindering access somewhat, and also how they will repair the small amount of damage to the #7 tooth; once these are both addressed, will the repair look natural? Also, my #9 tooth has the exact same problem, but it hasn't quite created a hole yet. However, the dark discoloration is there and it is clear that a significant cavity is forming. With their not being a hole to fill there, will the dentist have to drill out the damaged portion of the tooth in order to fill it? Also, my #10 tooth was chipped quite severely a few years ago, so they extracted what was left of it and put a post and a crown in place which looks/feels great. As I assume that is somehow bonded, will they remove that crown in order to allow for easier access to the developing cavity on my #9 tooth.

My question is fairly broad in that I'd like to know what to expect as far as exactly how they will address these cavities, and what kind of pain and timeframe will be involved. I'd like to have it taken care of as soon as possible. I'm sure I have a few other cavities in my back teeth and such, and I'm probably long overdue for a cleaning, but if I request that my dentist address the front cavities first, will they oblige? Is there any chance that they could just knock me out and take care of these all at once?

Thanks, MeFites!

Go to an out-of-network good dentist, or in-network dental factory?

schmoppa — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:27:15 -0800

New cavities and replacing old amalgam fillings filter: go to a good dentist who isn't in-network and to whom I'd pay up to $1000 out of pocket, or go to one of those in-network dental factories? I saw this out-of-network dentist for the first time today for a checkup. It had been a few years since my last appointment.

He seemed good... at least according to his thoroughness and gadgets. He has a digital x-ray machine, and some laser poker that can tell how much decay is in a tooth based on its reflectivity.

He found some cavities with the laser poker (corroborated somewhat by the x-rays). A couple were spots of decay underneath old amalgam fillings that he says generally do not provide a seal, and thus allow bacteria to get underneath.

Another was a tooth that didn't look like there was a cavity externally but he could tell from the laser poker + xray.

It's about $2200 quoted from the dentist for redoing all my amalgam fillings and fixing the new cavities. Delta Dental can only say today that they'll pay between 33% and 53% of the procedures' costs; they don't have an exact fee schedule down for this dentist because he's out of network.

To be honest, I don't know for sure whether this guy is that much better than one of the "dental factory" dentists.

gah!

Thoughts?

One of my teeth is pink. What is this??

mintchip — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:03:50 -0800

One of my teeth is pink. What is this?? I just had a dental cleaning and the hygienist said that I have a "pink tooth." She said that this tooth has what seems to be a "huge" cavity on the x-ray. Unfortunately I don't have an appointment with the actual dentist until next week and the hygienist wouldn't say any more except that it was "very strange" that my tooth has a pink color and that she was unsure as to what the cause was.

I looked in the mirror and this tooth (it's in the back of my mouth) *does* have a pinkish hue to it.

I'm a little worried; basically because I don't have dental insurance and dental work is SO expensive. Also, I brush and floss EVERY day and haven't had a cavity in years so I'm wondering what in the world could cause a "pink tooth" (whatever that is) and how much of a cause for concern this is. I do not want to have a root canal!

P.S. everyone, DO NOT put off your dental cleanings/exams. I used to go like clockwork every six months and never had any dental problems at all. Just recently I tried to start going a little longer between cleanings...maybe 8 or 9 months. Now suddenly I've got dental problems to worry about. I was trying to save money. This sucks!

How to Get Dental Goodness

The ____ of Justice — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:17:25 -0800

How do I take better care of my pearly yellows? Ok, they're not rain slicker yellow, but my teeth have had problems for as long as I can remember (my mom has had the same problems, so I think it's genetic.)

I looked through metafilter but I couldn't find "general tips" for someone who always has to get cavities filled every time she visits the dentist, and has had several root canals--probably 4, but I've lost count.

Things I'll Try:

I'm gonna try to reduce the amount of sugar and sticky foods I eat, floss more regularly (though it's hard because I have a "sensitive" area in my mouth), and stay away from my beloved sugary tea and acidic sodas.

Aside from that:

Does anybody here have some tips? Would love to hear from some someone who used to have a lot of cavities until one day they began to --insert miracle cure here--.

(Incidentally, my tooth seems to be hurting right now...and I'll probably need to visit the dentist this month. ARGH!)

Anything I can do to increase my pain tolerance?

dmo — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:38:05 -0800

Tomorrow at 11:00 am I have an appointment to have 5 tiny cavities taken care of. The dentist says I shouldn't need numbing. What, if anything, can I do to maximize my pain tolerance? I've tried this once before, and twitched immediately, so the dentist numbed my gums. But because of a friend's several-month-long numbness that resulted from a purportedly simple dental procedure, I'd prefer to skip the novocaine this time. I don't know if this is relevant or not, but I have a relatively low caffeine intake - less than 60 mg a day.

Does carbonated mineral water cause cavities?

Ø — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 14:51:29 -0800

Does carbonated mineral water cause cavities? I drink a lot of soda throughout the day, but am concerned about cavities and want to make a change.

My question is whether the carbonation in soda contributes to cavities, or whether the culprit is just the sweeteners and other ingredients.

What I like about soda is less the flavor than the carbonation, so if carbonation is harmless I could switch to carbonated mineral water without much difficulty. Is this a good idea, or would it also cause cavities?

The two options I'm considering (because they're available inexpensively at Costco) are Perrier and San Pellegrino. They have a ph of 5.46 and 7.7 respectively. Mineral analyses are available here and here. Strictly from a dental health perspective, would San Pellegrino be a good choice?

Whether to replace amalgam fillings

lilybeane — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 11:13:40 -0800

DentalFilter: Anybody else have their amalgam fillings replaced because they're old--NOT because you were worried about their possible harmfulness? So I've heard both sides of the controversy about whether amalgam fillings cause any harm because of the mercury they contain. My dentist told me that the anti-amalgam people are ridiculous and that no research has proven their claims--but he wants me to get my amalgam fillings all replaced just the same because he says they're too old (most are about 15 years old). I've researched online and haven't found many cases in which people get their amalgam fillings replaced with the white stuff simply because their fillings were old. His argument is that they start to recede and, because bacteria can then enter the cavity, new decay starts. This is going to cost me quite a bit of money (yeah, so I ate a lot of candy as a kid) and gain him quite a bit of money so I'm a tad skeptical. Or maybe I'm just looking for reasons to avoid dreaded dental work. Anybody else had theirs replaced because of age?

roshizzle syzzrup

casarkos — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:16:55 -0800

I have a bottle of (violently pink) rose syrup, and (having never used the stuff before) no idea what to do with it. Suggestions, please?

Dental Ass't: Cavities by Bacteria? Heart Plaque = Teeth Plaque? Etc.

RustyBrooks — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 11:27:43 -0800

My dental assistant has made a lot of interesting, maybe controversial claims. I'd like to know how common these ideas are, and how well supported. [+] I've been going to the same dentist/assistant for many years now. She always says a few things that startle and
surprise me, and when I bring them up with other people, they're skeptical. I am too, a bit, although I generally defer
to professionals. Anyway, wanted to run these by and see if anyone else was familiar with these concepts.

* This one seems the least controversial, and some parts of it I know to be true: cavities, peridontal disease, etc, are
caused by bacteria. Her claim though is that you could be born without it, and thus never get any cavities or gum
disease, etc. You can catch it (generally by mouth) from another carrier though, and it's impossible to eradicate. She
didn't know what percentage of people carried it but thought that it might be the majority. This actually came up
because my spouse and her family have an extremely low incidence of cavities, etc, and I wondered aloud whether this was
due to resistant teeth or what.

* She said that the plaque on your teeth is the same as the plaque around your heart and kidneys (um, might have been
gall bladder or something and not kidneys, sorry, I spaced a little)

* As an addendum she said that you can guage the health of a person in a large part by examining their mouth

* She claimed that your body gives priority to the mouth when fighting infections, with the exception of the heart and
the brain. That is, if you have a low-grade infection in your mouth, your body will fight that before fighting other
diseases, with the exception that the mouth comes third after the heart and brain. The idea she was trying to get
across was that if your mouth was healthier you would have more resistance to other diseases because you wouldn't be
fighting the infection in your mouth.