Are Fillings for Cavities Necessary?
Have you ever been told by a dentist that you have a cavity? Have been told by that same dentist that you need a dental filling? Have you ever wondered if they were actually telling you the truth?
Well, the truth is if you showed the cavity in question to a number of different dentists, some of them will diagnose the situation differently than others. So, when you see a little niche on your x-ray residing in the enamel, but it’s not through the enamel, some dentists will say, “Well, this is decalcification and it needs to be filled.”
The way I was taught and what I believe in and what I’ve seen over the 38 years I’ve been practicing dentistry is if the niche in question in the x-ray does not look like it’s going through the enamel and it’s simply decalcification, then there’s potential for this little niche in your tooth to last for a long, long time remaining exactly the way it currently is. If you decide to go this route, be sure to floss regularly, use a fluoridated toothpaste and also remember to schedule a check up every 6 months or so to keep an eye on this cavity situation.
Another dental filling situation for you to get potentially taken advantage of by a less than honest dentist is to have the dentist diagnose a stain on the biting surface of the tooth as a cavity. Beware, if this happens to you. If your dentist cannot get his dental probe stuck in the supposed cavity, and you don’t see a shadow developing underneath the enamel of the tooth, the odds are pretty good that it’s exactly what it was the day the tooth came in your head, and you simply leave it alone.
Now, if the little niche is through the tooth’s enamel and because the Dentin in your teeth is only about a third of the hardness of the enamel, the cavity is going to spread out and it doesn’t much matter what you do because the recommended next step should always be a filling at this point. You simply have to plug that cavity.
To learn more about connecting with a conservative dentist in Ventura, CA and how to avoid more potential, unnecessary dental costs, visit Ventura Total Dentistry right now to get all your dental questions answered.
So the question is, does tooth decay really affect your heart? And the answer is “no.” But infection in the tissue or if tooth decay actually reaches the nerve of a tooth to the point that you now have a chronic or acute abscess, then in theory, you now have bacteria that’s circulating throughout your body that ultimately could lodge somewhere in your heart, specifically on a heart valve and cause damage that could ultimately either require surgery or conceivably cause death.
Your mouth affects your health in a couple different ways. For instance, if you have discomfort in your mouth that makes it impossible for you to eat well, then poor dental health will directly affect you nutritionally. On the other hand, let’s assume that you’re eating fine and everything feels fine, but you just don’t like the way that your teeth look, this could be a major self esteem issue that has you become the type of person that never smiles. So poor oral health may be something that affects you psychologically, and affects your overall happiness as a person.
When it comes to how often you should get your teeth x-rayed, the bitewing x-ray schedule is a good guide to go by. 
The short answer as to why your teeth have changed colors over the years is because ‘you’re getting older.’ What happens over time is your 
The most important thing for you to take away when visiting a dental office is walking away with enough information to make the best next decision for your dental health.
The single greatest reason people do not see the dentist is Fear. It’s fear of a lot of things. It’s fear that they’re going to feel something. It’s fear tat they’re going to be uncomfortable. It may be that they think that you can’t get them numb, and sometimes it’s simply fear of the expense. But, fear is the single greatest reason why you don’t see people walk into a dental office. 
