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Hey, Lindsay, are/were you an endo assistant? I was for a couple of years, and then grew tired of it so I moved up to the billing department in the office, LOL.
I do'nt have any amalgam (silver) fillings in my teeth because of concerns with mercury... but the resin (tooth colored) fillings tend to leak more, IME. It could be because of sloppy technique (there can't be any moisture when bonding it all together to the tooth), but either way, I've had my own leak and we saw MANY patients with leaking composite/resin fillings. So I think you're out of luck either way, unfortunately... prevention is the best medicine.
I worked for a coupple general dentist who happened to do some lesser complicated root canals.
My fillings are so small but I should probably get them replaced someday. I imagine my sealants have fallen out as well, they were put in like 15 years ago.
I have worked as a dental assistant for nearly 20 years. What we reccommend to our patients with excellent oral hygene and little or no restorations is to have a check up once a year instead of twice a year. This way if you do have a cavity, it will most likely end up a very small filling which is less expensive and much longer lasting. We also avoid placing resin fillings since they do leak and cause problems. It is possible to be free of periodontal disease by having excellent home care even if you have a history of the disease (some people just never have a problem with it naturally) but unfortunately, unless you never eat sugar (and there are sugars in most foods, even ones you wouldn't expect) you are still at risk for cavities so you should see a dentist regularly.
Do you think it is possible to be completely free of dental issues like cavities, periodontal disease etc. just using good oral hygeine and without ever visiting a dentist?
How common is periodontal disease? I read somewhere that 80% of Americans do not have optimum oral health.
It is always possible for some people, but not for everyone. Many people do not have floridated water (a kiss of death that leads to dental problems) and many people have congentital teeth & gingival issues. My boss is 51, never had a cavity yet will lose his teeth within 3 years due to a gingival issue that runs in his family. My daughter has some dental disease that creates holes in her teeth. These things just happen.
The best way to prevent teeth problems is to live where the water is floridated, have young kids get their permanent teeth sealed, use something like sonic care toothbrush for two minutes 3 times per day, floss daily and avoid soft drinks. That's the best one can do.
I'm in my early 30's and I have okay teeth. I see my dentist twice a year and have good oral hygeine, but I had a lot of cavities as a child so I have a lot of silver mercury fillings, which I'm concerned about--most of them were put in in elementary school. My dentist says they're starting to show signs of wear, and I have to decide either to wait and see what happens with them or get them replaced with porcelain fillings. I probably have about 15 fillings total, both silver and porcelain. My husband, on the other hand, never had a cavity until he was in his late 20's! He has incredible teeth. My parents both have bad teeth.
I had braces but my teeth weren't too crooked so I didn't need to wear the braces that long.
I do have early signs of periodontal disease, but I saw my periodontist for one of those procedures where they do a very deep cleaning under local anesthesia--it's called a deep cleaning/root planing. And that is a preventative measure which takes care of early perio disease, so I don't have any problems anymore.
I do'nt have any amalgam (silver) fillings in my teeth because of concerns with mercury... but the resin (tooth colored) fillings tend to leak more, IME.
What does it mean when the resin fillings leak? Can you tell in your own mouth or does a dentist have to diagnose this? I have some resin fillings but more silver mercury ones, but I'm wondering about this leakage thing, as I haven't heard about that.
What does it mean when the resin fillings leak? Can you tell in your own mouth or does a dentist have to diagnose this? I have some resin fillings but more silver mercury ones, but I'm wondering about this leakage thing, as I haven't heard about that.
You need to get a dentist to test that. I guess maybe over time the filling might shrink or become loose. Therefore a void underneath for the decay to take hold.
There was a recurring infection with one of my canine teeth. Antibiotics would fix it up, but it would come again. My dentist sent me to the periodontist. There was no evidence of gum disease so he sent me to the endodontist who of course said I needed a root canal.
A root canal had already been done on that tooth a couple years before, but the root canal guy still wanted to do it again. I got the feeling that everyone who came in to his office got a root canal since that was his specialty. Kind of like taking your car to a brake shop to have your brakes checked. Of course you are going to need a new set of brakes.
I was running out of time because I was scheduled for hip surgery and they couldn't do it if I had an infection because it could spread into the bone.
So I gave up trying to save the tooth and had my dentist pull it.
I got my new hip, have never had anymore tooth infections, and I now have a mouth full of crowns with a couple of permanently mounted fake teeth.
My dentist made a killing off of me, and the endo man is still doing root canals.
Freddie, did you find that your teeth got worst after surgery? Mine started breaking apart.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Freddy
There was a recurring infection with one of my canine teeth. Antibiotics would fix it up, but it would come again. My dentist sent me to the periodontist. There was no evidence of gum disease so he sent me to the endodontist who of course said I needed a root canal.
A root canal had already been done on that tooth a couple years before, but the root canal guy still wanted to do it again. I got the feeling that everyone who came in to his office got a root canal since that was his specialty. Kind of like taking your car to a brake shop to have your brakes checked. Of course you are going to need a new set of brakes.
I was running out of time because I was scheduled for hip surgery and they couldn't do it if I had an infection because it could spread into the bone.
So I gave up trying to save the tooth and had my dentist pull it.
I got my new hip, have never had anymore tooth infections, and I now have a mouth full of crowns with a couple of permanently mounted fake teeth.
My dentist made a killing off of me, and the endo man is still doing root canals.
Once you have a root canal, the tooth where the nerve has been removed does become more brittle. Not alot you can do about that other then do all you can to avoid having a root canal at all.
This is why the dentists I have worked for put a crown over the tooth once the root canal is done.
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