Small dental caries discovered by X-ray

Lame Lantern

Hi again! Looking for a little input,

I went in for a check up and to get X-rays done for a wisdom tooth extraction referral. The dentist found five extremely small interdental cavities on my teeth at the gum line invisible to the naked eye. She said she might treat the smallest two with fluoride but would prefer to go the filling route for the rest. Because of the position of the caries (right in between the teeth, facing each other at the lowest level), she described the fillings as needing to be fairly extensive, along the whole side of the tooth to get to the very bottom.

She did some test on me where she was able to push my gum back 5mm in some places and suggested that my old dentist wasn't adequately cleaning the plaque at the gum line around my molars. I've never had a filling before so I'm pretty mad.

Anyway, my question is that given the very small size of the cavities (they only show up on X-ray) would there be any merit to just blasting the plaque down there and try to go a holistic route? She mentioned using fluoride in place of fillings for the smallest of them, would it be risky to suggest taking that route with all of them for say two visits (a year) and see if we can reverse it at the very early stages? I only ask because this particular dentist (whom I like a lot) is extremely thorough and might be going 0 to 80 when something a little more measured might do.

Thanks!

Dianthus

If the decay/demineralisation is only within enamel, then flouride& daily flossing will prevent it progressing.
If the decay has reached the junction of the enamel and the dentine, then it will need a filling.
This would be something your dentist would assess based on their training.
(as a sidenote, xrays under-estimate decay by about 25%, so however deep it looks on xray, it'll be a quarter deeper again in the mouth).
If the xrays are digital, you'll be able to see exactly what your dentist is referring to, on a large screen.
Just because the decay can only be seen on xray, doesn't mean they're small- dentists can only "eyeball" 3 sides of your tooth- the part facing your cheek or lip, the biting part, and the part facing your tongue or palate. The 2 sides of the tooth where it makes contact with the adjacent tooth are masked.
The 5mm pocketing= gum disease. The average dental patient has a cleaning twice a year. However, if you aren't flossing daily afterwards, tartar/calculus will start building up again within as little as a week (food stagnates between the teeth)->decay& gum disease. Clean the tartar first, then sort the decay (no point in the gums oozing blood onto the newly cleaned tooth you're having filled)

ovalu

Lame Lantern wrote: »

She did some test on me where she was able to push my gum back 5mm in some places and suggested that my old dentist wasn't adequately cleaning the plaque at the gum line around my molars. I've never had a filling before so I'm pretty mad.

!

unfortunately the problem lies with the person who has been inadequately cleaning your teeth on a daily basis, if you can find that person you should complain to them

Dianthus

ovalu wrote: »

unfortunately the problem lies with the person who has been inadequately cleaning your teeth on a daily basis, if you can find that person you should complain to them

Lol. Surely if you see the dentist twice a year, for say, 2 hours in total, then they should be wholly responsible for the remaining 8,758 hours of the year also?

Lame Lantern

ovalu wrote: »

unfortunately the problem lies with the person who has been inadequately cleaning your teeth on a daily basis, if you can find that person you should complain to them

Well I can only tell you what the dentist told me. I visit the dentist twice a year, brush twice a day, floss, use a radiation-coloured listerine yoke. I don't quite know what dentists do with the spikes and VROOOOM brush but I assume it's *something*. I've no visible plaque or tartar and was told that what's led to my issues is something my old dentist should have been monitoring for nearly ten years.

Thanks for the advice though, I'll just go with the flow as the dentist recommends since there seems to be a point of no return with even very small caries.

Never had any fillings so weirdly more freaked out about them than the surgery to get the wisdom teeth out.

Thanks again!

btkm8unsl0w5r4

OP your tooth brush has never once cleaned between your teeth. Only flossing will do that or other interproximal (between the teeth cleaning). Caries is a combination of leaving plaque between the teeth and diet. You have three options.

1. ) Do not accept the caries is there, leave it and allow the cavities to get bigger. The teeth will eventually fracture and cause pain.
2.) Have the reccomended fillings and work on prevention in the future.
3.) Get a second opinion.

Once decay is big enough to see on X-ray it need to be removed. Flouride treatment will only work on decay that has not penetrated to the dentine. Procrastination is generally not good for your long term dental health.

Best of luck

ballsymchugh

ovalu wrote: »

unfortunately the problem lies with the person who has been inadequately cleaning your teeth on a daily basis, if you can find that person you should complain to them

you need a mirror for that.