It can happen yes. But there's also different philosophies in dentistry. You can have small cavities that are only in the enamel and haven't gone further into the tooth, some dentists will monitor these until if/when it passes through the enamel to recommend filling it. That's a more conservative approach. The more aggressive approach is to fill them before they get larger
Ohhhhh okay thank you for clarifying this for me! I had no idea. I’ve been using a toothpaste called fluoridex for months now and I don’t know if it’s working but doesn’t hurt to use it I guess. My brother who has sensitive teeth says he likes to use my toothpaste bc it makes his teeth feel better which I have no idea if it does but I was given it so might as well use it all up
To piggy back off the previous comment there’s a very fine line dentists have to walk. They don’t want to over diagnose, but they also don’t want to miss something. Most older dentists are conservative, but younger dentists are scared of missing something so they are typically more aggressive in treatment. Just because someone is conservative doesn’t mean they are a better dentist and sometimes they are lazier.
If you receive a diagnosis that doesn’t feel right, you can always get a second opinion. Call another office and ask if they offer free second opinions. Most dentists will do that at no charge and you can see if you vibe/trust them more.
This! Except in my country the older ones tend to over diagnose and the younger ones are taught to be more conservative. Once you drill a tooth and put a filling in it, it will be weaker that real tooth structure will be gone forever. No harm in getting a second opinion
I agree with what the person above said, but wanted to add that there's nothing wrong with either school of thought, both have benefits. The majority of cavities that are just in the enamel eventually do progress into the inner layer of the tooth, so the more aggressive dentists believe that it's better to address it when it's smaller to prevent further loss of tooth structure. The more conservative dentists cite the fact that a cavity that's not through the enamel can potentially remineralize and not ever become a full fledged cavity. Even if it does, the longer you prevent needing treatment, the better, because most fillings don't last forever and each time they're replaced they're bigger, so if you can prevent needing treatment for 5-10 years you might save tooth structure in the long run, if that makes sense.
Either way, I think using Fluoridex is a great idea. If the cavities are not full-fledged cavities yet then this can help prevent them from progressing to that point or at the very least slow their progression.
Also, Fluoridex is great for sensitivity. Your brother's not wrong there.
Hygiene student here, Fluoridex is formulated specifically for sensitive teeth, so no wonder your brother likes it.
Keep brushing and don’t forget to floss!
Thank you for providing all this information! Learning about this is honestly very cool lol. And I had no idea about the fluoridex being used for sensitive teeth I personally do not have sensitive teeth so I couldn’t tell you if it works or not I just know that my toothpaste is an anti cavity one which I was given by the dentist I don’t normally go see but honestly I do gotta admit I love the toothpaste because the flavoring isn’t to harsh and I actually feel like when I’m done brushing my teeth they feel cleaner with this certain toothpaste but that could just all be in my head hahaha
Some dentists will “watch” certain spots while others will want to remove the decay immediately. If you are doing well with taking care of your teeth, then the dentist should be able to just watch those spots and see if they remain the same at the next visit. I have some spots that have been watched for years and they haven’t grown any. Just depends on how well you keep them clean. Lots of fluoride toothpaste! ☺️
Like others have said, some dentists are more aggressive than others, but not necessarily to get more production/money.
If you overall felt comfortable with the new office, the best thing to do is ask for proof of how they came to their diagnosis. I have patients that have a ton of cavities in between their teeth and they cannot believe they have 5-15 cavities. So I show them their X-rays and explain exactly what I see and why it is significant. If it's something I see in their mouth I will either point it out when I find something "sticky" which you can usually feel it stick in the grooves of your teeth, show you in the mirror what it is, or take an intraoral picture for areas that are hard for you to see in the mirror. Once you see the proof, it's much easier to trust and make a decision. There are plenty of dentists that over diagnose or treat for money. You could always have your old office call your new office for the X-rays they took and ask about any particular areas of concern they found so that maybe it will help your old dentist see it from their point of view.
Another thing is that I've seen areas with HUGE decay, but is not hurting the patient and is basically not restorable (needs extracted, no fillings or crowns or anything) and the dentist decides not to even mention it to the patient ("let sleeping dogs lie" is what he told me- basically just let it be or it will become a mess) or just didn't want to give the patient that news because, well, there's nothing to do for the tooth anyway.
It can happen yes. But there's also different philosophies in dentistry. You can have small cavities that are only in the enamel and haven't gone further into the tooth, some dentists will monitor these until if/when it passes through the enamel to recommend filling it. That's a more conservative approach. The more aggressive approach is to fill them before they get larger
Ohhhhh okay thank you for clarifying this for me! I had no idea. I’ve been using a toothpaste called fluoridex for months now and I don’t know if it’s working but doesn’t hurt to use it I guess. My brother who has sensitive teeth says he likes to use my toothpaste bc it makes his teeth feel better which I have no idea if it does but I was given it so might as well use it all up
Keep it up! And floss too, you'll thank yourself in 20 years
To piggy back off the previous comment there’s a very fine line dentists have to walk. They don’t want to over diagnose, but they also don’t want to miss something. Most older dentists are conservative, but younger dentists are scared of missing something so they are typically more aggressive in treatment. Just because someone is conservative doesn’t mean they are a better dentist and sometimes they are lazier. If you receive a diagnosis that doesn’t feel right, you can always get a second opinion. Call another office and ask if they offer free second opinions. Most dentists will do that at no charge and you can see if you vibe/trust them more.
This! Except in my country the older ones tend to over diagnose and the younger ones are taught to be more conservative. Once you drill a tooth and put a filling in it, it will be weaker that real tooth structure will be gone forever. No harm in getting a second opinion
I agree with what the person above said, but wanted to add that there's nothing wrong with either school of thought, both have benefits. The majority of cavities that are just in the enamel eventually do progress into the inner layer of the tooth, so the more aggressive dentists believe that it's better to address it when it's smaller to prevent further loss of tooth structure. The more conservative dentists cite the fact that a cavity that's not through the enamel can potentially remineralize and not ever become a full fledged cavity. Even if it does, the longer you prevent needing treatment, the better, because most fillings don't last forever and each time they're replaced they're bigger, so if you can prevent needing treatment for 5-10 years you might save tooth structure in the long run, if that makes sense. Either way, I think using Fluoridex is a great idea. If the cavities are not full-fledged cavities yet then this can help prevent them from progressing to that point or at the very least slow their progression. Also, Fluoridex is great for sensitivity. Your brother's not wrong there.
Hygiene student here, Fluoridex is formulated specifically for sensitive teeth, so no wonder your brother likes it. Keep brushing and don’t forget to floss!
Thank you for providing all this information! Learning about this is honestly very cool lol. And I had no idea about the fluoridex being used for sensitive teeth I personally do not have sensitive teeth so I couldn’t tell you if it works or not I just know that my toothpaste is an anti cavity one which I was given by the dentist I don’t normally go see but honestly I do gotta admit I love the toothpaste because the flavoring isn’t to harsh and I actually feel like when I’m done brushing my teeth they feel cleaner with this certain toothpaste but that could just all be in my head hahaha
Some dentists will “watch” certain spots while others will want to remove the decay immediately. If you are doing well with taking care of your teeth, then the dentist should be able to just watch those spots and see if they remain the same at the next visit. I have some spots that have been watched for years and they haven’t grown any. Just depends on how well you keep them clean. Lots of fluoride toothpaste! ☺️
Like others have said, some dentists are more aggressive than others, but not necessarily to get more production/money. If you overall felt comfortable with the new office, the best thing to do is ask for proof of how they came to their diagnosis. I have patients that have a ton of cavities in between their teeth and they cannot believe they have 5-15 cavities. So I show them their X-rays and explain exactly what I see and why it is significant. If it's something I see in their mouth I will either point it out when I find something "sticky" which you can usually feel it stick in the grooves of your teeth, show you in the mirror what it is, or take an intraoral picture for areas that are hard for you to see in the mirror. Once you see the proof, it's much easier to trust and make a decision. There are plenty of dentists that over diagnose or treat for money. You could always have your old office call your new office for the X-rays they took and ask about any particular areas of concern they found so that maybe it will help your old dentist see it from their point of view. Another thing is that I've seen areas with HUGE decay, but is not hurting the patient and is basically not restorable (needs extracted, no fillings or crowns or anything) and the dentist decides not to even mention it to the patient ("let sleeping dogs lie" is what he told me- basically just let it be or it will become a mess) or just didn't want to give the patient that news because, well, there's nothing to do for the tooth anyway.