My filling/Tooth longevity -> extremely worried & regretful

[dwar277758]

All in all i have great oral hygiene (especially since going electric) but after getting braces off last year i go for a checkup, i was so excited cause it was my first after braces…she says all is good. Then we do the x ray and boom, premolar big cavity. Shocked me into oblivion i’m surprised i didn’t cry. Dentist was shocked too but felt like she didn’t react too much as if not to upset me. I assume i got it because of having the premolar next to it extracted before getting braces…me not being aware of how easy a cavity can begin to form and gets bigger gradually over years.

Anyways i’m looking for some advice on the filling. Was done November last year. Do you think i could keep this tooth for multiple decades from now? Do you think when this filling falls out it’s straight to Root canal treatment and all that stuff that’s a level more than filling etc.

I do everything to extend longevity (brush, floss 2x per day, don’t snack, swish water around mouth).

I just wish i could go back to before when i never ever worried about teeth every time i ate. I feel like im a different person since last year even though it’s only one tooth that has a cavity…ive tried to rationalise it e.g. people get teeth actually knocked out and stuff. But the reason it hurts is cause i had 4 teeth extracted before braces; so im already low on teeth aha so its so demoralising for me. Lots of things remind me of it and i find myself having it as a passing thought of regret when im out and about or eating…basically all day recently. It’s hard not to spiral and wish u were different about things. I’m someone who flossed as a kid before i got braces, and enjoyed flossing and brushing, i just couldn’t fit interdental brushes between my teeth. And didn’t know what a water flosser was…gutting and it’s killing me to be honest.

Thank you if you read this i have a lot more in my head but i wont go on even more lol. i just want this tooth to last 30,40 years but i feel it wont.

 

[Gordon]

Well... I've got fillings that were done when I was 16... more than 50 years ago now, which is shocking on several levels! There's absolutely no reason this one won't outlast you.

Better address this common myth too, before you beat yourself up for nothing... flossing your teeth does almost nothing to prevent cavities. It does prevent gum disease, which is the biggest cause of tooth loss in adults, so it's not unimportant, but not it's pretty irrelevant for decay.

Most important thing affecting decay rates is diet.

 

[dwar277758]

@Gordon Thank you. sometimes i feel having google is the worst thing for dental worries or worries in general.

I’ll take the message about flossing on board as that is the main reason i’d been regretful. Back then due to lack of choice my diet was quite poor (lots of carbs, no sweets or chocolate though regularly) but it couldn’t have been avoided given my situation. I should’ve ate much less frequently though as i did it out of convenience i.e. make one thing to eat, eat it, then make another. i was silly enough to think because i was a healthy weight, ate lots of meat, didn’t have much added sugar i’d be fine. but clearly not!

anyway thank you for the message. it’s mainly the last week i’ve been hyper analysing it again, it’s usually just a passing thought when i eat or brush. i’ll try and get back to that mental space as it’s been really affecting me but i am health conscious in general. have a nice day.