I finally worked up the courage to visit the dentist after 8 years away. I've been having pretty severe pain in some of my molars so I figured I probably had a couple cavities. This is new for me because I had never had cavities before. Turns out I do have cavities - 13 of them - some of which my dentist so graciously classified as "massive". I guess I want to know how much I've messed up. I'm 25 and at least 6 of the molars need root canals because the cavities are so bad. The rest still need pretty significant amounts of decay drilled out. How bad is this? What can I do to protect my teeth in the future? Will the work hurt?
How bad is this? What can I do to protect my teeth in the future? Will the work hurt?
Honestly, it sounds rough, but you’re not alone. I had a bunch of cavities after skipping checkups for years too. Root canals freaked me out at first, but the pain relief after was worth it. The work itself didn’t really hurt—numbing works wonders. But I’d double check before agreeing to all those root canals. Sometimes dentists are quick to jump to that, and a second opinion never hurts.
But I’d double check before agreeing to all those root canals. Sometimes dentists are quick to jump to that, and a second opinion never hurts.
I get where you’re coming from, but in my case, waiting for a second opinion actually made things worse—one tooth that could’ve been saved ended up needing to come out. Sometimes if decay is deep, root canals really are the only way to stop the pain and keep your teeth. It’s a tough call, honestly. I do agree, though, numbing is a lifesaver... barely felt a thing during the work.
That’s honestly what I’m worried about… how do you even know when waiting for a second opinion is worth it? I’ve got a few teeth my ortho flagged as “watch closely” and now I’m kind of anxious that waiting could make things worse. Has anyone ever had a dentist say a tooth was borderline, and it ended up being okay? Or is it usually safer just to go ahead with what they recommend?
I’ve actually had a dentist say a tooth was “borderline” and we decided to just keep an eye on it. That was about two years ago—still hasn’t needed any work, but I’m super diligent with brushing and flossing now. I get the anxiety, though. It’s hard not to second-guess, especially after a big diagnosis like mine. Sometimes I wonder if waiting made things worse for me, but honestly, pain was what finally pushed me in. If you’re not having symptoms, maybe it’s okay to watch, but I’d probably ask for x-rays or photos so you can see what’s going on for yourself.