Should I get my teeth filled?

submitted by trident765 from (self.nonmorons)

Last September I went to the dentist for the first time in 2 years, and the dentist said I needed 2 fillings and so I got them filled.

Four months later (today), I went back to the same dentist and again he says two of my teeth are decaying and I need fillings on these two teeth. Should I get them filled? I find it strange that in the last 4 months I got just as many cavities as the preceding 2 years, especially when I have been eating a healthy low carb diet in the last 4 months whereas in the preceding 2 years I was eating pizza and junk food.

What's even more puzzling is that I actually do have a tooth that hurts a little when I eat certain hard foods such as almonds, but this tooth is not one of the teeth the dentist said should be filled. The dentist only spent 1 minute looking at my teeth, and told me I needed the fillings basically as he was exiting the room. And then the hygienist escorted me out of the room. I never got a chance to question him about these two fillings he wants done, or bring up the tooth that hurts.

Should I let him fill these 2 teeth? I was thinking of calling the office and asking if he can place sealants on my teeth instead of filling them. I would prefer to minimize the number of fillings in my teeth because I have had fillings fall out before.

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[–]StrategicTactic 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I agree with AmericanMuskrat. I went to a common chain dentist near me at one point. They said I needed about 8k worth of work. I found a small family dentist and he agreed I would need some of it done, but only about $700. I have refused to go to anyone else since.

[–]trident765[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Interesting - the dentist I went to is also a chain dentist.

[–][deleted] 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Get a second opinion. My old dentist started finding a suspicious amount of cavities and nobody else could find anything. Some dentists are crooked.

[–]trident765[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I just bought a dental mirror to look at those teeth with. They look like textbook examples of Arrested Cavities, which are remineralized cavities that don't need to be filled. I will ask my uncle who is a dentist to look at these teeth.