Barb_MO

I would get a second opinion also. and ask the current dentist for you xrays to take with you when you go to the new dentist. Not only the current xray, but previous ones also. Who knows, they might not even be your xrays.

Chasing Hawk

Something sounds a little off. My husband went to see a new dentist a few years ago. His teeth are strong, but the guy suggested ripping them out and have dentures made. Needless to say we never went back, and the current one we have filled a couple cavities,and the hygienist has cleaned his teeth so well his gums healed and everything is in great shape.

MamaBear61

I agree with getting your xrays, but I would also keep them under your hat until you hear what the second dentist has to say, sometimes professionals won't override the opinion of a previous member in their field

BKinCO

I have to throw my 2 cents in here (you know me, Rachel :))...

I'd go have a 2nd opinion but not tell dentist #2 what you already know.

I hate dentists with a passion (thank god I don't have any friends that are dentists :)) Have had nothing but a lifetime of horrible experiences with them, therefore I pretty much don't go anymore.

But, the one experience I had that is somewhat familiar to yours is that I went for my check up, they found a cavity...for whatever reason I did not have it filled at the time. I went back 2 years later for another check up and I didn't say anything about the cavity from 2 yrs ago. Same dentist, same hygenist, same everything. They did the cleaning, xrays, the whole deal and nothing was said about any cavities.

I'm pretty sure cavities don't heal on their own.

Just added to my list of things I'm skeptical about when it comes to the dentist.

Be sure to let me know how this turns out ~ I might want to add it to my list too ;)

karielt

Ok I would go to another dentist don't tell him the findings of the other dentist. Unless you never brushed your teeth in two years that sounds fishy.

Marjpf

I have found that over the last ten years or so, dentists are always trying to "upcharge" everything. If you need a filing, you really should get porcelain. If you need a cleaning, you should have deep cleanings every two months, and so on. That many cavities in that short a time seems very fishy. Maybe he wants to buy a new car? I would sure get a second opinion.

Lisanne

Bitewings aren't full-mouth x-rays, so it's possible you could have been developing cavities in other areas. It's also possible your pregnancy could have affected your teeth and bones. Every baby is different - a baby's blood type alone can really affect the mother in some cases. Also, the effects of pregnancies can be small but accumulate over time until they finally become noticeable.

It could also be that you're developing a calcium deficiency or something. It wouldn't hurt to see your regular doctor for blood tests.

What bothers me is that this was your first appointment in two years and the dentists didn't examine you before having you go to the hygienist for a cleaning.

I have real problem teeth and have been to several dentists in the last five years (ran into a few actively bad dentists for the first time in my life, also moved a few times). Every single one of them looked at and x-rayed my teeth before having me get them cleaned. So how is it that the dental assistant caught something that your dentist hadn't seen?

So I'm with the others who recommend that you get a second opinion. You might even consider getting it at a dental school. Tell them the story (don't say how many cavities were found) and say that if there are that many cavities, you want to save money by having them filled at the school. You don't have to actually go through with it. The point is, you'll have expert dental professors evaluate your teeth without their self- interest getting in the way. They can't teach students to fill cavities that aren't there, and it doesn't fill their pockets because they have plenty of other patients to choose from.

X-rays aren't always perfect, either. I had pain in a back molar but the dentist said nothing showed on the x-ray. It went away, and I was halfway across the country when it came back several months later. Major pain and my face swelled up on that side, so I went to a dentist, who also took an x-ray and saw nothing wrong with the tooth. He prescribed antibiotics, which helped until I used them up - and then the pain and swelling came right back. At this point, I'd left and was in yet another state. I got an appointment with an endodontist, who saw it on his x-ray but told me he used a different view or something. (I wasn't clear on this.) When he went into the tooth, it was definitely abscessed, and he did a root canal. Got back to PA, went back to my original dentist and by then I'd forgotten about the whole thing, but he immediately noticed the crown and asked about it. He was just sick when I told him the pain had come back (sick that he'd missed something that serious), and rechecked his x-ray, still saw nothing. I told him the second dentist hadn't caught it, either. Point is, this wasn't just the beginning of a cavity, it was serious enough to form an abscess - yet it didn't show up on the x-rays. Oh, and I should add that my original dentist had a brand new (just a couple of months old) office with all new equipment, so it wasn't old, outdated equipment.

Rachelcb80

My husband actually mentioned this (the xrays not being mine). She had my xrays from 2 years ago and the new ones side by side comparing so hopefully she would notice if the teeth weren't the same. I sure hope so anyways!

Both sides of the scenario are hard to believe so I don't know. I can't believe a dentist would lie to me, but I have a hard time believing I developed so many cavities in such a short time.

MCH

Just to add something else to the mix, here.

If you or someone you know is taking an anti-depressant (Paxil, Zolof, etc.) for whatever reason, know that you (or they) must drink copious amounts of water. The drug drastically reduces the amount of saliva your salivary glands produce. Issue being, therefore, that your teeth aren't being "rinsed" frequently enough by saliva, making them vulnerable to cavities and other problems.

My dental hygenist told me that she always reminds her patients who take anti-depressants or other drugs that have the side effect of "dry mouth" to keep a bottle of water within arm's reach all day every day, empty it and to refill it frequently. Sodas (even sugarless ones)don't count, nor do juices, etc. Plain water is the antidote of choice.

My SIL took Paxil for a few years...and when she went to the dentist after she quit taking it, her teeth and gums were a mess. She's had to have teeth pulled, a bridge put in, gum surgery, and numerous cavities filled in addition to having a root canal or two. The only thing different in her life was her taking Paxil. She told me that no one ever mentioned to her about the decreased saliva side effect.

My Mother, who had dentures, took Zolof for a few years...and her doctor reminded her to chew sugarless gum as that would stimulate the salivary glands to help rinse both her dentures and her gums. She didn't have any gum problems the entire time she took the anti-depressant.

The irony for my SIL was that once she quit taking Paxil, she was really depressed about all the necessary dental work.

Be very careful when taking any drug for an extended period of time. Who would think an anti-depressant would mess with your dental health?

Sharon321

Okay I can't stand it. I am a dental hygienist of thirty years. So I am getting on my soap box. First, that must be a licensed hygienist that did your cleaning. She has a minimum of two years of training before being allow to take her boards for licensure. So if that was an assistant that cleaned your teeth she is practiciong without a license. License is to be hanging in a visible are to all patients here in Texas.

Second, babies do not leech calcium for your teeth. Pregnancy does however change the quality of your saliva, increase inflammation of gum tissue and nausea or acid reflux can increase the acidity in the mouth. Also many women if nausous of tissues inflammed do not do adequate home care.

I would get a second opinion also but here are the things that contribute to dental decay. Decay is a bacteria infection in the mouth cause by streptococcus mutants (also the cause of most ear infections) This bacteria is communicable ( commonly passed from spouse to spouse or mother to baby). Over 200 medications contribute to dry mouth. Your saliva is your natural cleansing and acid neutralization. When the mouth is dry, plaque (bacterial colonies) reproduce much faster and do more harm. The plaque take sugars for the foods we eat and convert is to acid for a period of 20 minutes. This is why sipping a drink (Juice, soda, Gatorade, energy drinks) are so devistating. Take a sip, acid for 20 minutes, take another sip 15 minutes later. If it takes you an hoour to hour and half to drink a soda, your teeth are bathed in acid for that length of time plus 20 minutes. Acid pulls the calcium out of the tooth enamel,this stage is decalcification and can be reversed by using fluoride toothpaste, regular profession fluoride applications or a prescription fluoride nightly and drinking fluoridated water. If you are drinking bottled water or water run through a filter the fluoride has been removed. Many filter manufactorers will tell you that it does not remove fluoride but all independant show that they do.

Yes their are "bad" dentists just like every other profession. Detection of decay is not black or white but a judgement call which will differ from dentist to dentist. Personally with your history of lapses in your recare visits and exams, I would fill anything suspicious because a borderline area will need a root canal and crown in two years. So to avoid that, he may be recommending filling in areas that he would watch in a more regular interval patient.

Although you don't usually find that many cavities in a young adult it is not unheard of. Are any of these old fillings (more than ten years old) that are breaking down and leaking? You not only need a second opinion but a consultation with the dentist you saw and ask lots of questions. Have him show you both sets of x-rays, simple instruction is all you need to be able top read them. Have them show you pictures of these area and do an evaluation of all your risk factors. You need more information before you start treatment. And most of all you need to have confidence in your dental team.