Haven't been to the dentist for ten years - what to expect?

Question

I'm hoping for reassurance that I haven't wrecked my teeth for good...

I went regularly when I was a kid (up to age 17). Then that was it until I was 25 when I needed a wisdom tooth taken out. The dentist said I didn't need any other work doing.

Now I'm 34 and I can feel a hole. It's a tooth which already has a filling so I don't know whether I've lost part of that filling or whether it's a new cavity that's developed.

Common sense tells me that since all my teeth are made of the same stuff and have had the same experiences then if one has a hole the others won't be far behind. This is making me not want to go... stupid I know... I can't help it!

So, my question, to any dentists or dental nurses. In your experience, when people my age show up having left it for ten years, do they typically need loads of work doing as well as the specific problem they came in with? What are my chances of getting away with having left it so long?

Also, what should I expect? What's changed?

Answer 1

Hi..
I dont know where all these dental assistants work but they have different answers for everything, I Am however a dentist and I'll simplify the visit for you.

Firstly brush your teeth,and go in.DONT chicken out.

The decay is probably nothing like u fear.IF u had ADVANCED DECAY you'd have gone believe it!the pain would have forced u to.As u haven't suffered abscessing of teeth the decay,if any,on other teeth cant be bad.

Todays dentistry is painless and not at all anything to fear.

Your dentist will look over your teeth, check for decay thats visible, check for sensitivity. He will clean and polish your teeth, brightening your smile and removing plaque.

Fiilings are done gently and easily under a local anasthetic by simply lightly drilling away any decayed material and filling it..

An xray is painless as u know,its a photo,however unlike dental nurse said above its not necessary unless you have deep cavity(ies) or pain thats not immediately visible.

After 10 years u have probably lost part of your filling,it will be removed simply,the hole cleaned and filled.thats it.

Many people wait as long as u and longer..go in,its easy,you'll be happy u did I guarantee u my friend.Write back here when its done and let me know how u get on.

Finally absolutely NO disrespect to dental nurses and the difficult and important work they do but it does concern me when people make sweeping statements here about teeth and call themselves dental nurses, some of the things I read lead me to believe these people are not dental nurses and they cause more fear than reassurance.
As a dentist I can diagnose nothing without seeing your teeth but working from the info u gave..how long since last visit and fact you're not in pain I can safely say you need not worry but do go in!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Whether or not you need a lot of work will depend on how much plaque has built up in your mouth over the past 10 years. My daughter went 10 years without seeing a dentist and all she needed was a good cleaning (but she has very little plaque for some reason).

Some indicators to look for that might indicate you have a problem mouth (besides the hole in one tooth) might be sore gums or gums that bleed. If you spit 'pink' when you brush your teeth, you've likely got issues.

You need an evaluation by a qualified professional. If it turns out you have a lot of work to be done and you don't have dental insurance or otherwise can't afford to get the work done, see if you have a dental college in your area you can schedule an appt with. These people will be doctors performing their residencies, but the people overseeing them and advising them should be some of the best dentists available. The procedures they perform should be cutting edge since dental colleges are generally well funded. Besides, they have to TEACH the latest technology, therefore they have to have the latest equipment to do so.

If you are afraid to go to the dentist because you think it might be painful, please be aware that virtually painless dentistry exists in this day and age.

Answer 4

Not a dentist or dental assistant...but....

You will probably need some fillings. The injections are effective at killing any pain, all you get is some vibration. A tip to help you. Find out where the dentist is going to inject your gum for the fillings. An hour before your appointment start applying baby teething gel to your gums at those places. Do it every 10 minutes. You will find you dont even feel the needle go in.
You will probably have to have some tartar removed from the teeth, thats a pretty easy procedure. Air gums are used to dry teeth they can be a bit of putting at first but are nothing but a blast of cool air.
Tell the dentist you are nervous, they are pretty good at putting people at their ease nowdays. The work may be done in smaller units to help you;
Good luck, you'll be fine;

Answer 5

First, its going to be hard to find an NHS dentist! You may need to go private so ask around for recommendations and let people you're asking know you're nervous about it.

In my 20's I went to a dentist who filled the same back tooth 3 times and every two weeks it came out so I gave up and never went back until in my late 30's (or even later). My husband has always been good with his teeth so it was actually when we moved and had to find a dentist (private) for him that I decided to actually get checked out. I did send him first to see what he thought of the dentist and hubby told him I was really nervous and hadn't been for about 20 years and if I felt even a sniff of discomfort or fear then I'd be outta there. A few weeks later I went to see him and he was fantastic. Very very gentle, telling me every step of the way what he was going to do/doing and that was just a check up! Anyway, I don't eat sweets or drink fizzy drinks and I've even pretty lax on my brushing (at least once a day but sometimes only once a day)!!!! I still had the hole where the previous third filling had dropped out and he decided on the next visit to fill that. We discussed injections...I DONT like needles. But he promised I wouldn't feel it and if I felt comfortable maybe next time I could try without. He always said at any time, if I wanted him to stop for any reason to raise my hand and he would immediately. When it came to the injection he told me to open my mouth wide...and I thought he was putting some packing in but he'd actually injected me! I felt nothing! He filled the tooth. It stayed in for 6 weeks! So next time, we tried without the injection...and I was still fine! But it still came out another 6 weeks later. The poor man tried a third time but apparantly I have a strength of bite almost equivalent to a great white so fillings won't last long with me. So now, I've had 4 fillings taken out and replaced with 4 crowns instead. And I did it all in the year following a pregnancy (as guided by the dentist) so I got them all half price. None have come out and that was 4 years ago. Suffice to say I've been back every 6 months for check ups each time, not had any work needed. Hubby though, even though he looked after his teeth much better than I ever did is about to undergo his second root canal and has had one out too! Dentist says I'm very lucky to have gone so long without a check to have needed so little work done and how good a condition my teeth were/are actually in....and I'm now 45.

So, I've only said all this to let you know that a) just because you haven't been for so long, don't assume the worst. b) find a good one you're comfortable with and who really does put you at ease c) stick with him! When ours changed practice, we moved with him and now our 4 yr old son sees him too and is so NOT afraid, like I used to be! He's only about 30 and I enjoy the banter with him, hubby enjoys the football chat and my son enjoys getting stickers afterwards. Dentists today are a different breed to what they were years ago.

So go on, take the jump. Oh and don't think you're the first nervous person to have wandered in saying you've not been for years. They've seen cases much much worse than you will be!

Answer 6

I can tell you what you could expect to happen if you were going to the office that I work for.
First, we would take a pan x-ray of you. This x-ray shows all of your teeth and the bone structure around them.
Then the dentist would prescribe treatment for the tooth with the big hole.
After it is fixed, he would want you to set up an appointment for a cleaning. After the cleaning, he will check you for other cavities and prescribe treatment for them.
It may sound like a lot to do, but it's actually very common. Many people who decide to take better care of their teeth later in life have to come in for a few appointment to get many teeth filled.
But, after those teeth are filled, they just have to come back every 6 months for a cleaning. And problems can be addressed then instead of piling up on you.
Also, the first cleaning may be a little uncomfortable, but if you go back as prescribed, the next ones will be much easier.
Best wishes!

Answer 7

It depends on you some have gone a long time without going and not had to have much done others lots I think dentist are more aware now how nervous some can get at the thought of going and are very reassuring if you look in the yellow pages you will see that some deal with nervous patients Good luck hope all goes well

Answer 8

Yes, a dentist would definitely know. Smoking causes permanent stains on the teeth and darkening of the gums and lips. Congratulations for quitting. Cheers!

Answer 9

The first thing you can expect is an x-ray to check on the condition of your roots.As long as you have kept your brushing regular you may well find that you need very little work done at all. You will definatly get a scale and polish which will really make a difference to the appearance of your teeth.I had pretty much the same experiance myself and only had to have two fillings and a wisdom tooth out.You really shouldnt worry though,you might like to explain the situation to the dentist before he/she starts working and tell them you are nervous. They are really very good these days.

Answer 10

You really need to make an appointment. For one thing, it will probably start to hurt if a filling is missing or if you have a cavity. Secondly, it can cause bad breath. No, at age 34, you won't necessarily need tons of work done. Your teeth may just need to be cleaned. After ten years, I can pretty much guarantee that. But that does not hurt.