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Found a dark brown spot on the side of my molar. Should I go to the dentist?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 29134
  • Start date Start date
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Deleted member 29134

Former Member
Hi, all. I'm new here, so go gentle on me. :) I experience bad anxiety when going to the dentist - I don't like the atmosphere, I don't like getting an unexpected bill, and I always feel this PTSD-like phobia/anxiety when getting Xrayed, because I don't want a cavity! I also get anxious that something is seriously wrong with my teeth (even though that hasn't been the case so far). I have faced this anxiety for many years now by going and facing it by getting the yearly checkup and cleaning, but I'm always a bag of nerves before going to the dentist. :(

Last autumn, I went to the dentist, and got a clean bill of health - no cavities. However, I recently discovered a dark brown/black spot on the side of my molar today, facing the inside of my jaw, while flossing (happened to notice it). I've done research online, and seen answers varying from caries to a cavity, to mineralization, to a stain. I very vaguely remember seeing it before on my teeth, but I'm not sure if I was misremembering and it's recently showed up.

So far, it doesn't hurt at all - I don't have sensitivity, or any kind of pain. In other words, if I never saw the damn spot, I wouldn't have known anything was possibly wrong. I'm debating whether or not it's worth biting my lip (no pun intended) and going to the dentist to get it checked out, but as I was recently there in the autumn and nothing was said, I'm not sure it's worth the hassle. Especially if I haven't felt anything at all. I really am not sure if it has been there and I just forgot/overlooked it until now, or if it recently developed. I take good care of my teeth - brush and floss everyday, go to the dreaded checkup/cleanup every year, and have never had a cavity in my whole life, so far... at 30, that is quite remarkable, I'd think.

See the attached picture to see what I mean. What would your thoughts/recommendations be? I don't want to go to the dentist until my regular checkup if I can't help it, but if it really seems to be something bad, I might as well face my anxiety and go.

Teethscreenshot.png
 
That looks like an old filling...
 
Really? See this for a very, very zoomed in version.

gHp2G19l.png.jpeg
 
Hi dubiously_dude,

it's great you keep going to your check-ups and cleanings and keep spotless oral hygiene despite your anxiety. Cavities need some time to develop so if everything was ok in autumn and you haven't changed your brushing or eating habits or haven't get any health condition or special medication that would affect your teeth, it's very unlikely that you got a new cavity in such a short time. What is more likely to happen is noticing a spot that has been there for a long time but remained unnoticed. I for my part had found out to have a small amalgam filling on my upper tooth that I had no idea was there.

All the best wishes
 
Yep, that's an amalgam filling :-) Looks like it's been there for years.
 
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