Cavities?!

[Stupiddentalfear]

Hi there,

Hoping a dental professional can help with some questions to help ease my anxiety. Please see attached photo.

Upper right first molar - is the discolouring a cavity and if so, what stage do you think it is at?
Second u/r molar - dentist has been watching for approx. 4 years. Is this now on the verge of needing a filling? (The dentist seemed to be more vigilant inspecting it at my last appointment.)
Second u/r premolar - Wishing someone could provide a miracle cure. Is there any new technology that could save this tooth? How long does a cavity usually take to get this bad? (Dental fear of losing teeth teeth actually meant I avoided dentist for 19 yrs and thus without realising promoted the problem. Pregnancy seemed to escalate the problem.)

Apart from this major problematic tooth I have 4 fillings from childhood. Dentist has said, that in his opinion, I shouldn't be getting cavities but I seem to have new areas they are watching everytime I go. I brush my teeth 2-5 times a day with manual and electric brush. I use mouthwash and floss. I don't smoke, don't drink pop, hardly drink alcohol and I watch my intake of sweet foods. What else can I do? Why am I getting cavities now?

Would really appreciate some answers.

 

[Gordon]

Sorry, can't really comment on your mouth from the photo, it's just not possible.

As for cavities, make sure that you're using a fluoride toothpaste, do NOT use a mouthwash after brushing (ideally don't use one at all) make sure that the last thing that goes into your mouth before bed time is your toothbrush
Try not to snack during the day, constantly nibbling doesn't give your saliva a chance to repair the enamel that's damaged by eating.
Looks like you drink a lot of tea/coffee going by the staining, do you take sugar in it? Even the milk lactose can be an issue if you're sipping at it all day long.
Hope some of that helps.

 

[Stupiddentalfear]

No I don't have sugar in my tea or coffee. I have always has this staining even when I was only drinking 2/3 cups of tea a day. I try and drink some tap water after hot drinks. I don't snack - 3 meals a day. I have better habits than I did years ago when I wasn't getting any cavities/areas dentist is watching. Are you more prone to cavities as you get older? I'm almost 41.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Gordon]

Your saliva output can decrease a bit as you get older or if you have an immune disorder such as arthritis, some drugs can also decrease saliva flow and older people tend to take more medicines.
You could try keeping an accurate food diary and going over it with your dentist?

 

[geos]

Maybe adding a warning for that picture would be warranted.

 

[Stupiddentalfear]

What is that supposed to mean geos?

 

[Enarete]

I believe what geos meant was that some people are, due to their dental phobia, at a place of not being able to see any dental related pictures as it might be too distressing for them. For this reasons some posters put a 'warning' into the name of the thread, such as 'contains a picture', so that anyone who prefers not to see pictures can chose to avoid the thread.

In the old forum we had an attachment symbol that gave the idea of a picture being posted there, I just noticed that currently there seem not to be any such. This might be an idea for improvement.

 

[Stupiddentalfear]

I understand what you are saying Enarete. I had read the forum rules/guidelines and so believed it was OK to post photos in this section. Despite using this forum for years this is the first time I have posted any photos. My photo isn't meant to distress anyone. I am simply seeking advice.

I am at my witts end with my teeth. I am in a state of constant depression and anxiety. The last thing I mean is to cause offence.

 

[Enarete]

I am really sorry to read about how you feel currently hope things get better for you soon and hopefully you will find some encouragement here too because that's what we are here for. Do not worry about the picture, this part of the forum is for dentistry questions and you even checked the guidelines, that's very mindful. Sending you a virtual hug and fingers crossed for you to get better soon.

 

[letsconnect]

Yes it’s fine to post photos in the dentistry questions section (as long as they don’t depict dental instruments).

Unfortunately, Xenforo doesn’t offer an attachment icon option at present - perhaps in a future version!

 

[geos]

My bad. As letsconnect said, on the old forum we would notice a post had attachments (with the icon) and since I didn't see any icon, I was surprised to see a picture. Not your fault.