S
Sjh2025
Junior member
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2026
- Messages
- 1
- Location
- Australia
Is this a normal amount of dental work for someone in their 30s, or am I just really unlucky?
I’ve had dental issues since childhood. Before 18 I had an expander, premolar extractions, braces, a second expander and multiple molar fillings due to deep grooves. I think all of this contributed to my dental fear because I’ve always associated the dentist with pain.
At 18 I started avoiding the dentist. A few years later I needed a root canal, then had impacted/infected wisdom teeth removed in hospital. About a year later, that root canal failed and the tooth shattered, so I had an implant at just 22.
I then went to the dentist sporadically rather than regularly, having the occasional filling replaced or new one done.
Now in my early 30s I’m dealing with:
- Peri-implantitis (treated with LAPIP and currently stable)
- Gingivitis
- 4 deep fillings needing replacement due to leakage
- 1 crown needed
- 1 failed deep filling that has just required a root canal and also a crown I guess
I still have 2 fillings and a crown to deal with, and the latest problems have made my dental anxiety so much worse. I honestly sometimes think, “I just want all my teeth out so I never have to worry about them again.”
I do have good hygiene, electric toothbrush and flossing daily, so I know this isn’t from total neglect. A lot seems to be old dental work, deep fillings, years of procrastinating appointments, and probably genetics/luck.
So, for those in your 30s, does this sound like an unusually bad amount of dental work, or is it actually fairly common? I’d really love some perspective because right now I feel like my teeth are an absolute disaster compared with everyone else’s.
I’ve had dental issues since childhood. Before 18 I had an expander, premolar extractions, braces, a second expander and multiple molar fillings due to deep grooves. I think all of this contributed to my dental fear because I’ve always associated the dentist with pain.
At 18 I started avoiding the dentist. A few years later I needed a root canal, then had impacted/infected wisdom teeth removed in hospital. About a year later, that root canal failed and the tooth shattered, so I had an implant at just 22.
I then went to the dentist sporadically rather than regularly, having the occasional filling replaced or new one done.
Now in my early 30s I’m dealing with:
- Peri-implantitis (treated with LAPIP and currently stable)
- Gingivitis
- 4 deep fillings needing replacement due to leakage
- 1 crown needed
- 1 failed deep filling that has just required a root canal and also a crown I guess
I still have 2 fillings and a crown to deal with, and the latest problems have made my dental anxiety so much worse. I honestly sometimes think, “I just want all my teeth out so I never have to worry about them again.”
I do have good hygiene, electric toothbrush and flossing daily, so I know this isn’t from total neglect. A lot seems to be old dental work, deep fillings, years of procrastinating appointments, and probably genetics/luck.
So, for those in your 30s, does this sound like an unusually bad amount of dental work, or is it actually fairly common? I’d really love some perspective because right now I feel like my teeth are an absolute disaster compared with everyone else’s.
