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What to do about lots of cavities

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Former Member
I made a post about a week ago about how I haven't seen a dentist for about 14 years and now I really need to go again. I had a few specific questions about certain teeth that for which I got answers in great detail which I appreciated a lot. But I'm still concerned about the rest of my teeth. I believe they're getting "soft". I've noticed that when I bite down in a certain way, that some of them almost stick together. This is obviously from decay. I'm concerned that I have cavities in most, if not all of my teeth. If this is the case, what can I expect when I make my first visit? Will I have to get a individual fillings for each? Will I have to get a "full restoration"? At the cleaning, does the dentist still poke your teeth real hard with that hook?
 
Also, My wisdom teeth have come through. Though not entirely straight, they're not really crooked either. I don't know for sure if they are impacted, all I know is that they don't hurt. Would they still have to come out?
I think I have a lot of work ahead of me.
 
But I'm still concerned about the rest of my teeth. I believe they're getting "soft". I've noticed that when I bite down in a certain way, that some of them almost stick together. This is obviously from decay.


I wouldn't jump to conclusions, sometimes when we concentrate really hard on something it's easy to imagine things (not saying that you're imagining things, but considering you did see a dentist 2 years ago for an emergency and nothing was said then, things might not be as bad as you fear). If detailed and explicit information helps you, have a look at the following page, which touches upon some of your concerns:



If this is the case, what can I expect when I make my first visit?

Unless you request to meet the dentist just for a chat, in the normal way your dentist asks you if you're experiencing any problems/concerns, x-rays are taken, the dentist has a look at your mouth, and makes suggestion as to what can be done to get your mouth healthy. Some dentists will also do a cleaning, but in many places, this is done by a hygienist or during the next appointment. Usually, there are a variety of treatment options and you can discuss these and the way in which you would like to proceed with your dentist.

Will I have to get a "full restoration"?

A "full-mouth restoration", as far as I'm aware, is a term most often used when referring to cosmetic dentistry where all the teeth are matched in terms of colour, shapes are selected etc. It usually involves things like crowns and veneers and tends to be quite fancy. But there may be other uses of this expression which I'm not aware of.

Will I have to get a individual fillings for each?

If you have cavities, each cavity is filled individually.

At the cleaning, does the dentist still poke your teeth real hard with that hook?

Which "hook" did you mean when you were talking about the cleaning? A lot of places these days have ultrasonic scalers, which are very good and painless for getting gunk off. For the fine stuff, a hand scaling instrument is still used. Some hygienists/dentists are a lot rougher than others, so it's a good idea to ask around for a gentle dentist/hygienist.

If you meant the explorer, which is sometimes used to check for decay, the vast majority of dentists don't "poke" around like they did in the past. It is now recognized that this could potentially do damage to enamel that is slightly demineralized but has a chance of remineralizing. Sometimes it needs to be used, but the old-time "random poking" has gone out of fashion.

Hope some of this helps :) !
 

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