Dental Treatment as a Child in 1980's Ireland

rx6 · 04-07-2022 3:26pm #1

I was sitting in the dentist this morning getting an old filling repaired. It occurred to me that the only dental care I have ever needed as an adult was repairing old fillings. I'm mid forties and can remember several trips to the dentist during primary school years (early-mid 1980's) organised by the school or probably organised by the health board through the school. Today whilst staring up the dentists nose I suddenly thought that it was odd to get so many fillings as a child and then nothing (apart from replacing the existing fillings) as an adult. Several dentists have told me I have healthy teeth and it is apparently true since there is no new deterioration, so it makes me question the necessity of the original fillings received as a child. I asked the dentist about this and he said that it was normal to have to replace old fillings after a few years, which I think is pretty obtuse and is avoiding the question.

Anyone out there, patients or dentists, with experience of this?

Am I right in thinking it is incongruous to have such apparently terrible dental health as a child and then such apparently good dental health as an adult? (If anything my diet and brushing etc are worse as an adult than as a child)

Is it normal for children to require a load of fillings at primary school age and then no new fillings or other treatment or problems as a teenager or an adult.

Were they just trigger happy back then and just putting in fillings left and right at the slightest indication of need.

Is it a follow the money situation? Were the dentists on to a good thing in those years and got paid per tooth filled needed or not?

Was it something else like needing to let student dentists practice on unsuspecting children?

Is it valid to fill children's teeth like crazy to ensure healthy teeth in adulthood? (seems unlikely)

Just curious...

L1011 · 04-07-2022 3:30pm

Minor fissures in adult teeth were often filled the same as cavities in the past. Different era of tech.

rx6 · 04-07-2022 3:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289408#Comment_119289408

Thats not relevant to the question. The question is about validity of treatment as a child not as an adult. I've basically had no treatment as an adult except for maintaining the fillings received as a child. I'm questioning the treatment of children back then...