I Thought Only Kids Got Cavities
August 14, 2010 10:41 AM Subscribe
Do I have terrible teeth?
I'm 47, and grew up in New York. I brush my teeth a couple of times a day. It seems every year my dentist wants to give me a new filling, or drill out an old filling. This has been going on for decades.
Am I just very unlucky and have terrible teeth? Do I have an insane (or greedy) dentist? Is there anything I can do at this point?
I'm 47, and grew up in New York. I brush my teeth a couple of times a day. It seems every year my dentist wants to give me a new filling, or drill out an old filling. This has been going on for decades.
Am I just very unlucky and have terrible teeth? Do I have an insane (or greedy) dentist? Is there anything I can do at this point?
Cavities aren't just due to brushing- they're also caused by genetics and your diet. If you don't eat a ton of stuff that's causing tooth decay, there's probably not much you can do.
posted by emilyd22222 at 10:46 AM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by emilyd22222 at 10:46 AM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
You just may have bad teeth as compared to the general population.
I'm 34 and have never had a cavity.
YMMV, obviously.
posted by dfriedman at 10:52 AM on August 14, 2010
I'm 34 and have never had a cavity.
YMMV, obviously.
posted by dfriedman at 10:52 AM on August 14, 2010
I had a boyfriend once who was more susceptible to decay because of genetic enamel issues. Seconding that you find another opinion on the matter, because if that's the case, your dentist should probably have told you how to cope with it effectively instead of just lining his pockets with profits from your cavities.
posted by sunshinesky at 11:02 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by sunshinesky at 11:02 AM on August 14, 2010
Yeah, seconding emilyd22222. I asked my dentist about this. I take decent care of my teeth (I think), but some of my molars are like swiss cheese by now. My dentist said that they think it's due to genetics that different people have different natural levels of bacteria in their mouths. She said she had had patients who rarely brushed and never flossed, but still had perfect teeth. I think it's just our lot.
posted by mnemonic at 11:04 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by mnemonic at 11:04 AM on August 14, 2010
I would second two things that have already been said: it can be worth getting a second opinion. Having another expert look in your mouth can give you valuable feedback about the work you're having done (I knew I could really trust my dentist when every time anyone else had reason to look in my mouth, like when I lived out of state for awhile or was have a root canal, they said, "Wow, you have some really nice work in here.").
The other is: some of us are just unlucky. I've done everything dentists have told me to do my whole life, and at 44 it stills feels like a lucky break if I get out of my check-up without needing any work at all.
posted by not that girl at 11:09 AM on August 14, 2010
The other is: some of us are just unlucky. I've done everything dentists have told me to do my whole life, and at 44 it stills feels like a lucky break if I get out of my check-up without needing any work at all.
posted by not that girl at 11:09 AM on August 14, 2010
Do you drink soda, juice, coffee with a lot of sugar, or eat sugary foods? If yes, that could be a problem.
Do you floss? I'm guessing you do since you brush so often, but if not you should.
Otherwise you might just have bad teeth (I do.) Still, I've never had old fillings drilled out, that seems a bit strange.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:12 AM on August 14, 2010
Do you floss? I'm guessing you do since you brush so often, but if not you should.
Otherwise you might just have bad teeth (I do.) Still, I've never had old fillings drilled out, that seems a bit strange.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:12 AM on August 14, 2010
The life of fillings is usually about 10 years, unless you're lucky. The tooth-colored fillings don't last as long as the metal ones.
My dad, an orthodontist, has always said that the fluoride in toothpaste is most effective the longer it stays on, so rinsing your mouth out with water is generally a bad idea if you're trying to prevent cavities. Just spit, don't rinse. He says you can also follow with a fluoride-based mouthwash, like Act.
posted by emilyd22222 at 11:33 AM on August 14, 2010
My dad, an orthodontist, has always said that the fluoride in toothpaste is most effective the longer it stays on, so rinsing your mouth out with water is generally a bad idea if you're trying to prevent cavities. Just spit, don't rinse. He says you can also follow with a fluoride-based mouthwash, like Act.
posted by emilyd22222 at 11:33 AM on August 14, 2010
Still, I've never had old fillings drilled out, that seems a bit strange.
Not strange, it's pretty normal for old fillings: I had several replaced last year.
posted by Dr Dracator at 11:48 AM on August 14, 2010
Not strange, it's pretty normal for old fillings: I had several replaced last year.
posted by Dr Dracator at 11:48 AM on August 14, 2010
Sounds familiar. I have very bad teeth genetically. So does my husband. So does my kid, sadly. One thing that helps us all is using a fluoride rinse twice a day after brushing. But yeah, a second opinion wouldn't hurt if you suspect your dentist is taking advantage of you. How are the teeth of your family members?
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:48 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:48 AM on August 14, 2010
Oy, this question reminds me of a hideous chapter of my youth....I was in the third grade and brushed regularly and saw the dentist twice per year. But he thought I had an unusual amount of cavities for someone my age with access to regular dental treatment. Thus I was put on a (to me) bizarre sugar-free diet for the next few months. This was in the days before Nutra-Sweet, before an array of designer diabetic food lines in supermarkets, etc. I remember attending a number of birthday parties during that time and drooling over the delicious frosted birthday cake being served while I had to content myself with the carton of sugar-free pseudo-ice cream I'd brought with me. Well, after the non-sugar diet was complete, my next dental check-up didn't reveal any difference in my cavitiy content. Flash forward twenty-some years and I was diagnosed not only with Lupus, but also some collateral afflictions, including Sjogren's Syndrome. Sjogren's was the reason I'd had such a dry nose and significant nosebleeds during my youth, and also was why I wasn't producing enough saliva, which can lead to excess cavities.
So that's my story; my husband also had frequent dental problems as an adult....he brushed and flossed regularly, but also ended up with not only a lot of cavities but also required crowns at a young age. He didn't have a "regular" dentist while growing up (he lived in a rural area and his parents didn't have dental insurance, so it was a matter of seeing a dentist when there was an obvious problem), but when we married he was able to get on my insurance and see the dentist I'd been seeing since I was two years old. That dentist not only examined his teeth, he also took Mr. Adams' complete dental history and determined that he had soft enamel. (An oral surgeon we consulted when Mr. Adams got a severe gum infection and consulted about his wisdom teeth confirmed the soft enamel diagnosis.)
As far as old fillings being replaced, I haven't yet had this done but both of my parents have. I never asked the reason why (do 20-some year old fillings eventually erode or what?) but I do know that Mom has mentioned occasionally that she's had to have a filling replaced. However, Mom and Dad are in their 70s and 80s, and have been going to the same dentist as me and my siblings for the past 40 years and thus far of our clan only Mom and Dad had have filling replacements. Take that info for what it's worth; to me it says that a filling should last a couple of decades at least.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:56 AM on August 14, 2010
So that's my story; my husband also had frequent dental problems as an adult....he brushed and flossed regularly, but also ended up with not only a lot of cavities but also required crowns at a young age. He didn't have a "regular" dentist while growing up (he lived in a rural area and his parents didn't have dental insurance, so it was a matter of seeing a dentist when there was an obvious problem), but when we married he was able to get on my insurance and see the dentist I'd been seeing since I was two years old. That dentist not only examined his teeth, he also took Mr. Adams' complete dental history and determined that he had soft enamel. (An oral surgeon we consulted when Mr. Adams got a severe gum infection and consulted about his wisdom teeth confirmed the soft enamel diagnosis.)
As far as old fillings being replaced, I haven't yet had this done but both of my parents have. I never asked the reason why (do 20-some year old fillings eventually erode or what?) but I do know that Mom has mentioned occasionally that she's had to have a filling replaced. However, Mom and Dad are in their 70s and 80s, and have been going to the same dentist as me and my siblings for the past 40 years and thus far of our clan only Mom and Dad had have filling replacements. Take that info for what it's worth; to me it says that a filling should last a couple of decades at least.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:56 AM on August 14, 2010
My dentist wanted to replace some 25 year old fillings. He called them "liabilities" and I would always ask if the replacement could wait a year. If he said no then I asked to see the x-ray to see what he was talking about. I find it best to go with your gut feeling. I still have some old fillings. If they become loose or broken then of course I'd have them refilled. I never have anything done on my teeth that I don't question. If he agreed to wait a year I'd see if he'd tell me that a filling needed replacement after a year. Sometimes he would not ask again.
posted by JayRwv at 12:24 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by JayRwv at 12:24 PM on August 14, 2010
I'm 40 and have a few small fillings that have been in place for 25-30 years. I went for 17 years without visiting a dentist, then only needed one filling and a clean. So I'm probably in the genetically-lucky group to some extent. My dad's 75 and hadn't been to a dentist at all, ever, until he was 70. My mum, on the other hand, had pretty much lost all her teeth before she was 35.
It's got to be genetic to a fair degree. Having said that, it's entirely possible that your dentist is doing more work than he/she really needs to. It doesn't do any harm to change your dentist once in a while, in any case.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 12:25 PM on August 14, 2010
It's got to be genetic to a fair degree. Having said that, it's entirely possible that your dentist is doing more work than he/she really needs to. It doesn't do any harm to change your dentist once in a while, in any case.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 12:25 PM on August 14, 2010
My father and I are both in the genetically-terrible group. There is not one tooth in my head that doesn't at least have one filling, and I also have three crowns -- and I'm going to need a fourth as soon as this baby is born. (Dental work is safe while pregnant; the anxiolytics I need to get through it are not.) I've had multiple fillings drilled out and replaced, too; it's more necessary with big ones than little ones.
I had one filling that I was told needed to be replaced and then i proceeded to just not do anything about it for years. Everything was OK, modulo increasingly bad heat and cold sensitivity on that tooth, until one day I bit into something moderately chewy and huge chunks of my tooth just lifted out of my gum. Decay had gotten under the filling and had put pressure on and eventually cracked the tooth. That was my first root canal + crown.
I'm better off than my dad, though. . . he'd started losing his teeth by the time he was my age. I will say, since I switched over to prescription toothpaste, an electric toothbrush (sonicare ftw), flossing 4+ times a day, and dental visits three or four times a year, I've had many, many fewer cavities. Like one in four years rather than four in one year.
posted by KathrynT at 12:43 PM on August 14, 2010
I had one filling that I was told needed to be replaced and then i proceeded to just not do anything about it for years. Everything was OK, modulo increasingly bad heat and cold sensitivity on that tooth, until one day I bit into something moderately chewy and huge chunks of my tooth just lifted out of my gum. Decay had gotten under the filling and had put pressure on and eventually cracked the tooth. That was my first root canal + crown.
I'm better off than my dad, though. . . he'd started losing his teeth by the time he was my age. I will say, since I switched over to prescription toothpaste, an electric toothbrush (sonicare ftw), flossing 4+ times a day, and dental visits three or four times a year, I've had many, many fewer cavities. Like one in four years rather than four in one year.
posted by KathrynT at 12:43 PM on August 14, 2010
Nthing genetics, but a second opinion won't hurt. I have a filling in every tooth, eight crowns, and have had eleven root canals. Thanks, Mom and Dad! I brush after every meal and floss daily and have since I was in my early teens, to no avail. However, I haven't had a new cavity since I stopped eating sugar for an unrelated health issue. Coincidence? I think not.
Some of my permanent teeth came in *already* decayed, so I had some ancient fillings at one point. I've had most of my fillings replaced at least twice - maybe once every 15 years or so. I did voluntarily have all of my mercury amalgams replaced - one of those things that they always try to talk you into even though there is no hard science to back it up. Most of those fillings had been in place since the 1970s, so I figured it was time.
As for greedy dentists - any time I've gone to one that contracted out to my insurance company (HMO, which pays more than the PPO option) I've gotten a dentist who tried to sell me work. Each time, I've gone back to my tried and true, non-HMO dentist of many years, for a second opinion, and most of the time she was able to catch the HMO dentist trying to con me into doing something unnecessary.
posted by chez shoes at 12:44 PM on August 14, 2010
Some of my permanent teeth came in *already* decayed, so I had some ancient fillings at one point. I've had most of my fillings replaced at least twice - maybe once every 15 years or so. I did voluntarily have all of my mercury amalgams replaced - one of those things that they always try to talk you into even though there is no hard science to back it up. Most of those fillings had been in place since the 1970s, so I figured it was time.
As for greedy dentists - any time I've gone to one that contracted out to my insurance company (HMO, which pays more than the PPO option) I've gotten a dentist who tried to sell me work. Each time, I've gone back to my tried and true, non-HMO dentist of many years, for a second opinion, and most of the time she was able to catch the HMO dentist trying to con me into doing something unnecessary.
posted by chez shoes at 12:44 PM on August 14, 2010
You should read this thread about preventing cavities in children and please Google Xylitol + cavities.
posted by cda at 1:45 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by cda at 1:45 PM on August 14, 2010
You might try using a dental school clinic--the prices are usually much cheaper than dentists in private practice and the students really are learning up to date techniques and practices. Could be that your old fillings aren't going to last much longer, but a dental student (supervised by professors) is a cheaper way for a second opinion.
posted by Ideefixe at 4:30 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Ideefixe at 4:30 PM on August 14, 2010
When I was a child I got several cavities despite brushing after every meal and trying to be careful about my teeth. Now I'm an adult and have gotten... lazy (often only brush once a day, baaaaah). But no cavities and my gums are crazy healthy. I tend to assume it's a lack of eating refined sugars. I eat fruit by the bucket, though.
But having also experienced crazy orthodontists who wanted to give me unnecessary surgeries and pull extra teeth, I'd go get that second opinion. Just in case.
posted by vienaragis at 5:05 PM on August 14, 2010
But having also experienced crazy orthodontists who wanted to give me unnecessary surgeries and pull extra teeth, I'd go get that second opinion. Just in case.
posted by vienaragis at 5:05 PM on August 14, 2010
There is a lot of subjectivity in dentistry. You can spend quite a lot of money perfecting your teeth, or you can be economical and just do the minimum that will keep them intact and functioning. It's like home repair. If you have a leaky roof, you can have it replaced with aesthetically pleasing and super durable roofing materials, or you can pay somebody to patch it so that it will hold another year or two. Both approaches are legitimate. The best thing to do is find a dentist who will let you know what range of options are available for your problems and work within your budget.
posted by Wordwoman at 5:12 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Wordwoman at 5:12 PM on August 14, 2010
I will say, since I switched over to prescription toothpaste, an electric toothbrush (sonicare ftw), flossing 4+ times a day, and dental visits three or four times a year, I've had many, many fewer cavities. Like one in four years rather than four in one year.
Yeah, I'm also in the "constant cavity" club. I've had a whopping three times in my life where didn't have a cavity (usually more than one) at a dental visit. I have been told by the dentist to get the damn Sonicare, only use ACT restoring mouthwash (they at least let me keep my toothpaste), have to floss and use a pick on my teeth AND a WaterPik AND go to the dentist four times a year...and that led to time #3 without a cavity after a year+ of that. I have been told that I should reasonably expect to spend thousands of dollars a year for the privilege of keeping my teeth, seriously.
Bottom line: a lot of work for possibly good or possibly little payoff is gonna be required your whole life. Sigh.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:43 PM on August 14, 2010
Yeah, I'm also in the "constant cavity" club. I've had a whopping three times in my life where didn't have a cavity (usually more than one) at a dental visit. I have been told by the dentist to get the damn Sonicare, only use ACT restoring mouthwash (they at least let me keep my toothpaste), have to floss and use a pick on my teeth AND a WaterPik AND go to the dentist four times a year...and that led to time #3 without a cavity after a year+ of that. I have been told that I should reasonably expect to spend thousands of dollars a year for the privilege of keeping my teeth, seriously.
Bottom line: a lot of work for possibly good or possibly little payoff is gonna be required your whole life. Sigh.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:43 PM on August 14, 2010
I had great teeth until I got pregnant and spent four months vomiting. For a month every time I brushed my teeth I'd vomit. I'd gone to the dentist just before the throwing up started in earnest and they were fine - when I went after I had the baby one tooth was almost at root canal stage and I needed a bunch of fillings. Basically the throwing up had munted the enamel and my (reformed) dislike of flossing meant I got a bunch of issues between my teeth. Hardcore flossing and enamel protective toothpaste for six months cleared up the iffy bits and I'm back to normal.
I hope.
posted by geek anachronism at 3:40 AM on August 15, 2010
I hope.
posted by geek anachronism at 3:40 AM on August 15, 2010
I've had several dentists, and my current dentist is wonderful. Every dentist I've ever been to has always found cavities regularly. Quite often, they are undeniable (discolorations and/or depressions in the teeth that I can clearly see myself when shown). I brush 2-3 times per day and floss and use toothpicks after every meal. My dentist tells me my oral hygine is excellent. And I have siblings who never ever get cavities. Yet I have tons. I guess some people just have bad teeth.
Eating habits may also be a factor. Both what you eat/drink and how you eat/drink it can affect your rate of tooth decay.
And no, cavities are not limited to children. Why do you think so many old people have dentures? Obviously they didn't have perfect dental health until they turned 65 and then all their teeth suddenly rotted and fell out at once. They gradually decayed away, one cavity at a time, until they all needed to be replaced.
posted by Vorteks at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2010
Eating habits may also be a factor. Both what you eat/drink and how you eat/drink it can affect your rate of tooth decay.
And no, cavities are not limited to children. Why do you think so many old people have dentures? Obviously they didn't have perfect dental health until they turned 65 and then all their teeth suddenly rotted and fell out at once. They gradually decayed away, one cavity at a time, until they all needed to be replaced.
posted by Vorteks at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
That being said, I understand there are often good reasons for replacing old fillings, but it never hurts to get a second opinion.
posted by ambrosia at 10:45 AM on August 14, 2010