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tooth decay, can it be delayed?

L

llmercll

Junior member
Joined
Jan 25, 2009
Messages
3
I've got a cavity on my wisdom tooth, and I'm starting to feel sensitivity and even slight pain on it. at the moment ive got no health insurance, but will soon, and will also be getting all my wisdom teeth removed when i get insurance.

whats strange is that i woke up this morning and felt slight pain in both of my jaws, near the back. one side i can clearly see a cavity, the other side i cant find one for the life of me (using mirrors/flashlights). i find it strange that both forms of tooth decay happened on the same day, but it appears so.

anyway im wondering if i can somehow slowdown the progression of the decay, so i can wait my month or 2 and just get the wisdom tooth pulled out when i get my insurance.

i take horrible care of my teeth, i know its bad but true. if i were start brushing flossing, using mouthwash, chewing on garlic, whatever it would take, to just slow down the cavity so it doesn't get any worse, would that work? is it possible?

or once the cavity is formed it just keeps going, regardless of what happens on the tooth surface?
 
Go to www.zellies.com, and read this dentists blog. She claims that her system and stop decay, and many people I know (in real life, and on the internet) seem to think it has helped them. I recently started it, and my teeth are definitely *clean* now, but I'm not sure how well it is helping the decay.
 
Sorry, this is a real techy answer...


Decay is a dynamic process, so far as we're aware, the surface of teeth is constantly in a state of demineralising/remineralising. Decay happens when something tips the natural balance too far in the demineralising direction.
Since you need bacteria/fermentable carbohydrate/susceptible teeth all to be present for decay to progress, then changing the balance of one of the three will change the decay progression.
It's not likely that you can alter the bacteria much, although obviously making sure that you're cleaning the area thoroughly 3 times a day will help, which can be tricky with 3rd molars, so you're left with altering the other 2. Cut down the carbohydrates in your diet by restricting them to meal times and make the enamel less vulnerable to attack by getting lots of fluoride into it are the best way to deal with decay. The easiest way to do that is to get some fluoride toothpaste and when you're finished brushing your teeth with it, rub it vigorously into the affected areas and DON"T rinse out afterwards. You can slosh about loads of fluoride mouthwash as well, but getting the paste in there is best.

At the worst, that should buy you some time while you get your finances sorted out.
 
Sorry, this is a real techy answer...


Decay is a dynamic process, so far as we're aware, the surface of teeth is constantly in a state of demineralising/remineralising. Decay happens when something tips the natural balance too far in the demineralising direction.
Since you need bacteria/fermentable carbohydrate/susceptible teeth all to be present for decay to progress, then changing the balance of one of the three will change the decay progression.
It's not likely that you can alter the bacteria much, although obviously making sure that you're cleaning the area thoroughly 3 times a day will help, which can be tricky with 3rd molars, so you're left with altering the other 2. Cut down the carbohydrates in your diet by restricting them to meal times and make the enamel less vulnerable to attack by getting lots of fluoride into it are the best way to deal with decay. The easiest way to do that is to get some fluoride toothpaste and when you're finished brushing your teeth with it, rub it vigorously into the affected areas and DON"T rinse out afterwards. You can slosh about loads of fluoride mouthwash as well, but getting the paste in there is best.

At the worst, that should buy you some time while you get your finances sorted out.

thank you gordon! that's good to hear.

i have one question though, i read that after a certain point it doesn't matter what you do to the tooth, once the cavity is deep enough external forces wont help it. mine would be pretty deep if it were causing pain, would these things still help if that were the case?

i mean a cavity is a big hole right? so the hole should go as far down as the decay, and in that case a big glob of flouride toothpaste going right down in the hole should be effective, no? at least in delay of the decay.
 
I've got some early decay on a back molar, which my hygienist tells me can still remineralise. She recommended a toothpaste that is twice the normal flouride level - you have to buy it from the dentist's, though. Maybe that would help? My dentist also recommended Flouriguard as the only mouthwash worth using for this - although it's the one the dentist doesn't sell so I found it in Boots!

It worries me but the hygienist was very reassuring, saying it was not likely to progress if I kept off the sugary stuff.
 
how about chewing sugar free gum? I've been chewing some for awhile and my mouth feels better, probably because im exercising it and not focusing on the pain.

i hear gums good for your teeth, and if get sugarfree
 
At least the originally Finnish xylitol chewing gum is very good for teeth. There's scientific proof for that.
 
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