When do YOU get a 2nd opinion from a dentist?

[1bassoon]

Just got back from my first dental appointment in 2 years - we now have insurance, so I could have a cleaning! Hooray!

 

I had to use a new office (my old one doesn't take the new insurance).

 

I knew I'd have lots of tartar. The hygenist was GREAT. I mean, the best I have. The dentist was an older (maybe about late 50s?) woman. She started out by saying, "Are you sure you want to keep those wisdom teeth?" I have all 4 - my mouth is not large, but they fit fine.

 

Then she said I have 5 small cavities. 1 on each wisdom tooth, and one right next to a wisdom tooth. So I'll have to have those filled.

 

I haven't had a cavity since I was 9. I've always prided myself on great teeth, but I guess age (I'm almost 40) and a lots of carbs, lots of sugar diet is catching up with me.

 

SO - do I get a second opinion? No WAY do I want major oral surgery, especially right now. . . . .

 

What would the hive do?

[G5052]

A lot of people have problem with emerged wisdom teeth as they get older though because it's harder to keep them clean because they're so far back. So dentists often advise just taking them out if you have a cavity, because unfortunately any tooth with a filling is "on watch." Fillings don't last forever, especially in the very back.

 

DH has decided to have his filled the first time, and then have them pulled if he gets another filling or has more problems with them. It's a relatively simple office procedure that a general dentist can do with just a little swelling afterwards.

 

Mine were horizontally impacted, and had to be removed in a hospital operating room because of the extent of surgery required. Not fun and entirely different than yours!

Edited April 2, 2009 by GVA

[OH_Homeschooler]

A lot of people have problem with emerged wisdom teeth as they get older though because it's harder to keep them clean because they're so far back. So dentists often advise just taking them out if you have a cavity, because unfortunately any tooth with a filling is "on watch." Fillings don't last forever, especially in the very back.

 

Yes, this. :)

 

I have recently had my wisdom teeth out. I would not call it major surgery. They just used novacaine, they did not knock me out. It was right in the dentist's office. It was not what I would call pleasant by any means, but also not much worse then having cavities filled, and now I'll never have to deal with them again. I rested that day, and I was at about 90% the next day.

 

Since your teeth are erupted, I am guessing that your experience would be more like mine and less like GVA's.

[hornblower]

I heard the author of this book http://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Hidden-Forces-Decisions/dp/006135323X/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238688181&sr=8-1

interviewed on the radio recently & among the many anecdotes he was discussing, he talked about the conflicts of interest that arise when doctors have medical equipment & specifically talked about dentists and xray equipment.

 

He said that 50% of the time, dentists will disagree about xray interpretation.

 

I find that amazingly high.

 

BTW, I did pull my wisdom teeth but I waited for them to go bad & then did it one by one. What was amazing was that each "went bad" very quickly. I was getting check ups & cleanings every 6 months so you'd think we would know something was going wrong. But each time, I went to bed fine & woke up with a huge swollen cheek. For one of them they had to give me the freezing into the cheek before they could even open my mouth to examine it because I had swelled up so much. Gross.

[1bassoon]

I feel like I'm being a baby on this!

 

Right now is just NOT a good time for me to have teeth pulled - dh gone out-of-state, so me resting for a day is kind of, um, impossible. But otoh, I'm thinking about doing it just b/c we know we have dental insurance now, and who knows what the future will hold?

 

I'm also about to *gulp* radically change how I eat. So I'm wondering how that will impact my rate of decay back there.

[ELaurie]

and although my previous dentist always asked whether I wanted to have them removed, for the reasons cited above, I always declined. He agreed that as long as they weren't causing any discomfort, and there were no signs of decay, it was reasonable to leave them alone.

 

After moving to a different area, I consulted a dentist who informed me that I had 25 cavities that needed to be filled! Needless to say, I was stunned - I've always had deep fissures in my molars, and I have some stains and dark areas that are "on watch", but his recommendations were a shock to say the least!

 

I got a second opinion, from a dentist who came highly recommended by a friend, and guess what? NO cavities! I still have deep fissures and some stains that are "on watch" but other than that my teeth are perfectly healthy.

 

So when in doubt, you may want to get a second opinion :)

[Tree House Academy]

I have one of my wisdom teeth left. It is still in my gums and grew in sideways (yes, under my teeth - sideways totally in the gum. You should see the x-rays). I am a big ol' baby...and unless it HURTS, I am keeping it!

[abbeyej]

I agree with having a second opinion if you want one. But I had a somewhat similar experience -- I've only ever had one tiny cavity on my "ordinary" teeth, but then in my late twenties, my wisdom teeth developed cavities and one of them actually started to fall apart. Completely freaked me out 'cause I've never really had cavities and my wisdom teeth hadn't been a problem before! But I guess they had reached their time. Sigh.

 

I had them out. I don't think that's necessarily what you need to do. I'm just saying it's possible for someone who hasn't had trouble with other teeth to have wisdom teeth problems many years after they've come in.

 

Dh and I both had our fully-impacted wisdom teeth out as adults. He was totally fine with it. Not a big deal at all. I had a bad reaction to the pain meds they gave me for afterwards, and ended up with dry sockets too, so for me, it was wretched. We both had the same oral surgeon, etc, etc. So it might be totally fine and not a big deal for you at all. But I wouldn't do it without having someone around to take care of you for a few days, just in case it *is*. *If* that's what you decide (at some point) to do.

[Jenn in Mo]

You don't have a good feeling about it. It could be fixed with fillings for now. There may or may not be more trouble down the road. I'd probably have them filled and opt to have them pulled the next time if there was a next time.

 

I had a yucky extraction leaving part of my face without feeling, so I'm not a huge fan of pulling wisdom teeth even if my experience was extremely rare.

[stripe]

I hadn't had my teeth x-rayed in 2 years and then when I did it 9 months ago, it was at the time of my cleaning where I was seen by a part-time associate. She didn't say anything except to lecture me about flossing. Then my dentist came at my last appt (3 months ago) and, looking at the 6 mo old x-rays, informed me that I have *six* cavities. I was horrified. I have been getting my teeth cleaned regularly, and I floss and use an electric toothbrush. When I started going to this dentist, I had two or three cavities, and he seems to find new ones regularly. I hate to suspect him, as he is sort of a family acquaintance and seems very nice, but I am getting suspicious and unhappy. At the very least, he's not giving me good advice -- he's just now decided I need prescription toothpaste and other stronger measures than the usual flossing lecture, when I do floss already. I am thinking to change dentists. Sigh.