This morning as I was brushing my teeth, I located what appears to be a small patch of decay. Brushing did not remove it, and it's only on one of my teeth. It barely covers any of it save a very small area just above the gum. Is it possible to receive any medication, cleaning products or dentistry help to remove it? It's not all that noticeable, but I'm very worried that it may continue to decay the entire tooth. Can it do that?

It is possible to reverse decay if it's not deep (into the dentin). Applications of topical fluoride can help do this. If it's cavitated (into the dentin) it should probably be restored (cut out and a filling placed). Of course, it's possible that it's not decay at all, and might just be stain. You should have a dental exam to diagnose the problem and get a professional opinion.

My dad has smoked since he was like six (no joke) and his teeth are beginning to irritate him. Is there anyway to reverse tooth decay?

You can't reverse it but you can stop it and get the damage repaired.
He needs to see a dentist asap.

In the meantime have him use a sensitive toothpaste and brush with a paste composed of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
Mix the two together until a paste forms then use it like regular toothpaste paying particular attention to the area where the teeth meet the gum line.

I heard that you can oxydise the area (although with limited success)?! What can be done instead of ruining the intergrity of the tooth?

I went to a new dentist and was quite annoyed to find I had a bit of decay on one tooth, as my last dentist had been keeping an eye on it for over a year and suggested things to do prevention wise but didn't do anything and now the new dentist says I need a filling.

I can;t compain to the old dentist as I have moved to the other side of the world

The structure of teeth are composed of proteins and mineral deposites (calcium apatite). When teeth form the proteins form a scaffold and the calcium crystals start to fill in around the protein scaffold. Bacteria in your mouth (like strep mutans) produce acids which can cause the minerals on your teeth (enamel and dentin) to dissolve. In early cavities, just some of the calcium minerals are dissolved and the protein scaffold remains intact. At this point, there are some things to do to possibly remineralize the tooth (like topical fluoride). However, if the tooth continues to demineralize to the point that the protein scaffold is completely exposed, the protein scaffold collapses and it becomes impossible for the tooth to remineralize. Essentially you have a mush of tooth proteins that becomes a little nest for more and more bacteria to live in. The only way to stop this is to remove it by surgery (cut it out), which is why you go to a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS).

I am using methadone for pain relief and the last time I went to the dentist I had 9 cavities. I take very good care of my teeth I brush 3 times a day, I floss daily and I would like to know if methadone contributes to tooth decay ?

There is a myth that Methadone rots your teeth but it is just that …a myth. Methadone in and of itself does not cause tooth decay however some of the common side effects with methadone can lead to decay such as dry mouth (as the previous poster noted), craving sweets (not all people get this but some do and researchers theorize it is related to the "pleasure pathway" relationship with Methadone but they aren't sure), and there has been a link between increased dental care for addicts/pain patients after the Methadone begins to relieve withdrawal or pain (because most of us do not seek dental care when we are in dire pain therefore seeking a dentist after we feel better only to discover we have decay which is from years of neglect but we attribute it to the recent Methadone we are on). There are suggestions many doctors will make to help with this when they prescribe Methadone such as watching sweets and being aware that we may be craving more sweets, chewing sugar free gum for dry mouth will help , additional brushing if you do eat sweets and there is even a version of Methadone called "Vitadone" that claims it has decreased sugar cravings associated with it but I believe this is only for those being treated for addiction.

What hapens naturally to the tooth in the end ?

What you eat has more to do with the progress of decay than how well you brush. The "finish" would be when the cavity reaches the nerve and this can happen within a matter of a few months, once it gets started. It's not a good thing to try to find out through personal experience.

yes if your gums are bad and bleeding.hiv/.

My 3 year old has to have over $4000 worth of dental work next week. She will have all 8 of her front teeth capped with prefab stainless steel crowns with resin windows. I wanted to know how these caps look when they are in place. They are white (tooth colored) on the front and silver on the back. Is the silver visible? Can you provide any photos to me?

Hi there.
I was a pediatric dental assistant for years…..used to do these procedures for little ones everyday.
You may see the silver depending on your child's arch. If the child is a thumb sucker or a tongue thruster the gate of the jaws is more open and the silver will be more visible. However, it's not so noticeable that your lil one will be ghastly to look at.
I am assuming a pediatric dentist is performing the work for you at the hospital under anesthesia? The dentist I worked for would take even more time with the lil ones when we had them in a surgical op at the hospital. This way he would make sure that the lil ones had the perfect smile.
Rest assured you are doing the best thing for your child and your pediatric dentist will provide the best care!
Good luck and take care!

RC Cola + a penny + 1 week.

After a week, the penny will dissolve. Tell the kids that the same thing in the RC Cola that made the penny dissolve will do the same thing to your teeth unless you brush.

I want full cast gold crowns on my maxillary & mandibular second & third molars (8 in all). I'm 24yrs old & dealt w/ a ridiculous amount of cavities in my lifetime. The teeth mentioned above have about 3-4 silver amalgam fillings in each tooth & maybe a few composite resin fillings too on outside surfaces. In other words, my back teeth are messed up.Those teeth aren't cracked or damaged but have a little pain. I deal w/ a bit of gumline recession. Right now,I have 5 more cavities that need fillings. That's the aprox. # of cavities I'm getting every 6 months. I take good care of my teeth too! I use: scaler & explorer, floss after snacks, use waterpik & brush 2-3x/day. My teeth aren't too aesthetically bad upon 1st glance. I've always regularly visited the dentist. I'm tired of the constant cavities & worry.
Would a dentist perform these services for me? How much should I expect to pay for each tooth? Would this be considered cosmetic or restorative? (insurance covers crowns)
I don't want crowns on any teeth but the back ones. The reason I brought up gold is for it's durability, not for cosmetic reasons
No you will still have problems with your teeth. Maybe not right away but the tooth under the crowns will still decay and they crowns will not last as long as the dentist tells you. I have had a crown that came out 8 years later. I would suggest you look into getting implants. They atleast last alot longer and even though they are more expensive they do not decay in the same manner as regular half decayed teeth do that some dentist just puts a crown on top of. I am 29 years old and I have also dealt with tons of cavities even though I brush regularly and have always went to the dentist. Losing my teeth now. Lots of pain. Hope that you do the right thing.

Regards,
Nicole

or does he have any responsibility to investigate with you what might be causing your condition?

Yes, they do have an ethical responsibility to teach patients about oral hygiene. But the patient has to listen and take responsibility to do what he tells them. If someone doesn't go to the dentist on at least a yearly basis, 6 months would be better, then I feel they have no one to blame for their poor oral health but themselves. A dentist can't educate a patient if they hardly ever see them.

Perhaps it is the fact that I have been in the dental field so long, but it amazes me that some patients know so little about oral care. I have seen so many patients who are in shock when we tell them how many cavities they have, and then you find out that they drink 3 sodas a day and don't brush before they go to bed, or they feel they have bad breath and suck on Altoids or peppermints all day. Bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar. The more sugar you consume, the more you are feeding them. Just like any living creature, they eat and then poop. That poop is an acidic substance that can rot your teeth, or more plainly, causes cavities. If someone eats or drinks sugar and then doesn't wash it off before they go to bed, that sugar sits in their mouth all night long, giving the bacteria more to eat. People often wonder why they have bad breath in the morning. Well, if they don't brush their teeth in the morning and at night, they have allowed that bacteria to eat and poop since the last time they brushed their teeth. Bacteria poop smells just as nasty as any other type of poop.

Kinda gross when you think about it huh??

I make it a point to educate all my patients on proper dental care. Our hygientist spends at least 10 minutes with each of her patients, BEFORE she even cleans their teeth. But what a patient does with that information once they leave our office is up to them.

Now, if you can say that you have been going to a dentist for a long time, every 6 months, and he hasn't tried to educate you on how to stop your oral problems, then perhaps it is time to find a new dentist.