To make a long story short, I had weight loss surgery 8 years ago and since then, my teeth are in horrible shape.Since surgery, I've had 3 root canals (and I need two more!), three extractions, four crowns, and most recently, a permanent bridge ($2,500 out of pocket because I maxed out my dental insurance two weeks after the first of the year).I can't even begin to count how many cavities I've had filled.For every one I have filled, two more pop up.(I'm being perfectly serious here...I really DO have new cavities at every office visit.The more I try to do for my teeth (brush on prescription fluoride, more frequent brushing/flossing, special mouth washes, etc., NOTHING is working.My teeth continue to deteriorate.Nothing can be done about this, yet my dentist will not pull my teeth and let me get dentures.Any advice?I know it's always better to try to save your real teeth if you can, but this is getting ridiculous.There is nothing that can be done for my teeth.I have fillings in every single tooth in my head (save for the crowns, of course) and now I'm getting cavities underneath old fillings.(And they're not childhood fillings--these are fillings from the last two or three years).Help!--------------------
Well you have a frustrating problem...for you and the dentist.Decay rate is tough to treat.First off tips on how to avoid problems: 1.Stay hydrated...meaning water.Decay rate often is higher in those who mouths are dry.Try water, surgarless gums and mints, or anything else without surgar that will increase saliva.Avoid things that dry out your mouth (alcohol (this includes listerine, scope), and caffeine.2.Brush and floss twice daily and consider forking over the money for a sonicare toothbrush.These brushes are designed to take technique out of brushing and can help 3.Fluoride rinses and pastes can help 4.In order to help yourself, you have to understand how decay works....anytime you eat something with surgar the acidity level rises (the bacteria related to decay produce an acid and its the acid that breaks down the tooth).Your saliva helps bring this down to normal but it takes time and it varies from person to person.My worst decayers are sippers...they tend to buy a huge pop or coffee with cream and surgar and sip on it for hours throughout the day...bad bad bad.the acidity level remains high and decay rate is enormous.Fluroide makes your teeth less sensitive to the acidity level, nothing else.I tell my patients often it's not what you eat, its how often that is important.5.Because acidity really affects decay, make sure you avoid acidic foods as much as you can, get reflux treated and consider taking tums after meals (while it has surgar in it it supplies calcium and reduces that acidity) 6.Finally get a scond opinion....it may not be you.I don't want to say your dentist is bad because he/she could be doing everything right but it could be that his fillings aren't perfect which is why they are re-decaying so consider a 2nd opinion.As for dentures...the reason why people avoid them is because they are so hard to get used to.They are hard to keep clean.They are hard to get perfect fits and in general will never be as good as your real teeth.Also without teeth there is very little reason to have a lower jaw (it's growth is really affected by the ligaments that suport your teeth.As one without teeth gets older the bone slowly dimishes and often toward the latter years....there is very little jaw left and almost no support for a denture.This is why the longer you can prolong getting a denture the better.If you do go denture rout though consider implants...while they are very expensive they don't decay
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