>for 26 years I've gone to the dentist and they've told me that my teeth are perfect
>never had any problems except for teeth pulled to create space in my mouth for braces
>suddenly, I go in today and x-rays reveal a 'minor cavity' which as far as I can tell is a tiny dark spot on the x-ray which is barely visible, but has gotten darker since last years x-ray
>hygenist tells me that they've been "watching this cavity for 2 years and it's gotten worse"
>now it needs to get drilled out before it goes through the enamel into the next layer of my tooth
Why the fuck would my dentist AND my hygenist tell me for 4+ bi-yearly visits in a row that my "teeth are perfect" only to tell me now that I need a cavity drilled because of a tiny dark spot they see on my x-ray?
I mean, is this gross incompetence or just utter retardation?
How can you tell me my "teeth are perfect" but then not inform me that I've had a cavity forming on my enamel for two years when I could have stopped it by flossing more?
Has anyone else had to deal with this shit?
What's it like getting a cavity drilled?
Fuck, I'm mad.
>>17255269
>watching this cavity for 2 years and it's gotten worse
>watching this cavity for 2 years
>watching this cavity
>2 years
>WATCHING
This is like shitpost in real life I guess.
These people should be killed.
>>17255291
I've never had a problem with these people before.
The only thing that annoyed me was that my dentist would only come in and actually look at me for ~30 seconds every visit, but I was used to this because of how "perfect my teeth were" so this didn't concern me.
don't freak bro, it's no big deal. i monitor lesions like that all the time but usually ill tell my patients. flossing more wouldnt have helped.
Its not that bad, first (optional) you get the injection inside your mouth, near the tooth area to numb the feeling, then you have a draining tube that keeps the saliva from drowning you around your tongue and also clean cloth, small enough to fit in your cheek-area to keep the whole area dry.
the drill comes together with the washer that takes away the small bits, towards the draining tube. the whole procedure can be frightening, as you hear the drill "whistling" as it takes away the bad parts, maybe some small pain like when you pinch hard enough with your fingernails your skin, it comes in waves so its bearable.
then when the dentist has done the drilling comes the final session, where the plastic seal is placed and is being molded to fit inside your mouth. after this I guess the dentist paints over every teeth with something that prevents future cavities.
Now now, holes come with time and should be dealt with as soon as its large enough area that is affected, drilling on a tooth that still is healthy HURTS, it could get infected and BLEED for a while. Sounds like they did the right decision on waiting for the right time.
>>17255306
Would they give me my x-rays if I asked?
Could I email them or bring them to a second dentist to get a second opinion if I wanted to?
>>17255269
I haven't gone to the dentist in almost a year since my last dentist apparently forgot to let me know I had cavaties. On top of that she found a lot of cavaties that I got when i started flossing, brushing, and using mouthwash that I didn't have when I wasn't.
Seemed like a cash grab.
>>17255327
No, this is to secure your dental records if you are to be identified and your teeth are the only thing left on your remains.
>>17255382
What? That sounds like bullshit.
According to what I read online right now it's federal law that dentists must supply you with x-rays if asked.
>>17255327
>>17255382
that said, you will be paying again for transferring information to the next clinic, if they allow it. if not they will want to do the x-ray photo themselves, costing you a lot of money. the photos will be sent offshore (India) for a speed analysise and the result will be back the next day if well organized company.
>>17255406
India? The fuck?
My current dentist/hygenist looks at the x-ray themselves while they sit next to me in the office.
>>17255410
deny the truth but its there, when the day has ended the files that hasnt been read are sent of to another country to get processed.
>>17255327
yes they would, it is law in the US. i wouldn't bother w a second opinion, if they were trying to fuck you they would have hit you with a much more expensive treatment plan a long time ago.
>>17255441
this guy is off his meds
>>17255462
you're probably right.
i'm eternally mad right now though because they 'monitored it for two years' without telling me.
I only floss ~once a month because i've never had problems before.
If they had told me 2 years ago that they saw a cavity forming on my enamel, I would have started flossing religiously twice a day.
Now one of my teeth is going to be permanently destroyed by a drill and I'm going to have to deal with this bullshit the rest of my life.
This sucks.
>>17255501
if it makes you feel any better those lesions very rarely improve.
>>17255633
So once my enamel is fucked up due to my shit flossing, pretty much the only recourse is to drill?
Hopefully my dentist can avoid going full retard on my teeth and the $200 for the composite filling will be worth it, then.
I'm going to floss 2x a day for the rest of my life from now on so I don't ruin any more of my teeth.
I don't know what the whole "watching" a cavity for two years thing is but getting a cavity taken care of it no big deal. You'll be slightly uncomfortable for 20-30 minutes and it will be over. Your mouth will be dumb for a few hours and you may drool on yourself.
>>17255642
imo flossing doesnt do much, you would be better off getting a fluoride rinse and using that for the rest of your life
>>17255269
Cavities are a little like skin moles in that they can take a long time to develop and even longer to maybe become a problem.
Some dentists would begin drilling (and billing) the minute they spotted something with the potential to become a problem. Others would take a wait-and-see approach, making note of the spot but waiting until they had to act before acting.
Both approaches are reasonable and professional. Personally, I'd be a little more suspicious of the dentist eager to work on (and charge me for) every slightest flaw or thing-that-might-someday-be-a-problem.
Might as well ask here instead of making a whole new thread since it's also a tooth problem.
Recently my dentist pulled my second last molar out since it was pretty much done for. He told me I should hurry and get an implant because
1.The adjacent teeth and above one will move around causing a huge mess in my mouth and ruining my "smile".
2. Something about my jaw bone compressing or whatever, I don't remember this part exactly.
What I want to ask is, is this really such a big deal as he makes it out to be? Getting an implant right now would set me back financially for a while, but if it really prevents some retarded donkey smile then I'd rather go with it.
Also anyone who's been missing a tooth for more than 5 years can share their experiences with how they turned out? The missing molar is not visible when talking, and it doesn't bother me at all when chewing, I'm more worried about how much it affects the other teeth.
They should have told you they were watching a spot.
But really, once decay starts there's nothing to do but watch it until it's big enough to fill.
>>17257551
A bridge will also hold your teeth in place and is a hell of a lot cheaper.
>>17257568
I've been told about bridges, but my mom had one and it ruined the other ones, so I want to go with either implant or nothing. (If I am to ruin my teeth at least I won't pay for it)
>>17257551
i dont recommend my patients to restore missing second molars with implants. if they want one, i will treat but i dont recommend. however you may end up losing your second molar on top. it is unlikely to cause shifting of your lower teeth unless you still have a third molar in which case it may drift forward, dont worry about it
