What causes tooth decay besides sugar?

[starting_over]

I'm not too sure. Did it whiten your teeth?

ps. Very limited chemistry knowledge here.

OTW, my dentist is great but hates smoking so she seems to try and guilt trip me about it. She did say that bleaching "opens pores" (paraphrasing) and smoking immediatelu after treatment can lead to deeper stains. True? I smoke 4-5 rollies q day, can go without as needed. I used to be q very heavy smoker though. Before commencing treatnent (extractions/multiple fillings/root canals/whitening) about 3 years ago, my teeth were awful. Quite stained, decaying, broken. Fucked. It really bothered me but they are better now, no pain, looking nice. Though sone back molars are almost all filling, one is almost black- I think it needs a root canal. No pain though but it doesn't like hot or cold very much. I sense that tooth may not be with us much longer.

You guys are great and its fucking awesome having a goddamn reformed hippy dentist on Bluelight :D

You really should get that black tooth checked out... just extract it if it's a 3rd molar requiring a root canal. The opposing tooth will eventually erupt though.
2nd molars you typically want to keep unless $ is an issue.

And try to cut down on the smoking even more.

 

[Tranced]

^^I can't say for certain due to the xanax haze of last year, embarrassingly, but my only real memory of it was a girl friend of mine saying she could tell i had my teeth done, so unless it was a sort of disingenuous compliment, I'd say so. But I didn't keep it up, and it genuinely might have been just a random "nice" throw away compliment. Like I say, last year is a haze.

For anyone reading this, some people disagree with the method (potentially problematic/won't work), so errr, please do your own research and consider professional whitening. It's hard to find information on the internet regarding this, especially given that we live in a generally cautious society and a lot of the websites that I've read seem to be affiliated with whitening companies and the likes. I'd imagine professional whitening yields much faster and better quality results.

 

[swilow]

You really should get that black tooth checked out... just extract it if it's a 3rd molar requiring a root canal. The opposing tooth will eventually erupt though.
2nd molars you typically want to keep unless $ is an issue.

And try to cut down on the smoking even more.

I'm dentisting next Friday so we shall see.

Its the second furthest tooth from the back if that makes sense. I really don't want it extracted. I can afford root canal so will do if needed. So fucking expensive. I really don't see why . . .

What do you mean by "opposing tooth will eventually erupt"?

 

[Tranced]

I think they might possibly think that you're implying that the tooth is black because it's rotten, rather than because it's got so many amalgam fillings.

The thought that I've got so much mercury in my teeth doesn't comfort me. I'm pretty certain that I've swallowed a few fillings that came out over the years. Who's the (former?) dentist here, One Thousand Words? What are your thoughts on amalgam fillings? Whenever I ask a dentist it's very much trivialised, so I'm never quite sure.

 

[starting_over]

I'm dentisting next Friday so we shall see.

Its the second furthest tooth from the back if that makes sense. I really don't want it extracted. I can afford root canal so will do if needed. So fucking expensive. I really don't see why . . .

What do you mean by "opposing tooth will eventually erupt"?

Good that you're taking this seriously and have the $ to deal with it. Hope your appointment goes well.

If you were born with a full set of teeth, your 3rd molars are your wisdom teeth. Assuming you have these, it sounds like a 2nd molar.

When you extract a tooth, the opposing tooth on the bottom or top might no longer have anything to occlude against. This results in growth of the remaining tooth.

Since you clench your teeth it might be a good idea to get a crown with that root canal.... easily a few grand out of pocket.

Or opt for extraction. Not the end of the world if you're missing it but once you start pulling teeth it puts pressure on the other ones in your mouth. Teeth can also shift slightly. And you'll learn to chew with the other side of your mouth.

I remember reading that the first molar and the biscuspids do most of the work chewing though.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/11307270/

 

[One Thousand Words]

Edit: The following is potentially shady and I don't know very much about it at all, so do your own research.

I bought some 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide and swilled it around my mouth for about 30 seconds or so (exact details on google). I was looking into buying relatively expensive stuff, but found out on the internet that you might as well save yourself the hassle of expensive re-labelled and re-packaged bleach and go straight for the active ingredient. 250ml lasted me for ages.

You might want to clarify this is actually a valid/good idea, of course. You know a lot more about chemistry than I do, iirc.

Whitening is concentration multiplied by time. 3% for three minutes will whiten, but it will take years. Compare this with 30% of in house systems that are in contact with your teeth for 60min for their result. At this concentration the gums burn so don't be foolish enough to seek out something stronger for a backyard experimentation.

Take home systems using trays designed by a dentist is 10% over 2hr every day for 7 days (10% x 14hr), so you can see how inefficient a 3% mouth wash would be.

 

[vaginafruit]

A lot of drugs will dry your mouth and the lack of saliva will cause tooth decay. Also smoking is obviously poor for your dental hygiene as well as the fact that you grind your teeth on some drugs (main problem for me with booze and mdma).

 

[swilow]

My appointment went okay, I had a filling repaired and general assessment. The 'black tooth' is something with a lot of amalgam, I don't think I clarified that... Accordibg to xray, its okay.

There is another molar that is cracked and probably needs a deep filling which I'll attend to soon. Overall, teeth were okay, no decay or further gum recession but continued wear from grinding. My dentist really wants me to wear mouthguard at night. I dislike it, makes my mouth fill with saliva but I think ill get used to it. I'm not sure there is an alternative anyway.

 

[CFC]

makes my mouth fill with saliva

Ideal then really (restores surface enamel). Can you get a thinner guard perhaps?

 

[swilow]

Apparently my body thinks its eating but yes, good point. Extra saliva yum.

Dentist said I'd get used to it, man up effectively.

 

[China Rider]

my 2 cents is that just some people are born susceptible to tooth loss/decay and some people are not

and if you're going to floss take it easy to start and minimize bleeding, opening up significant sores in one of bacteria's favorite hang outs can't be a good idea

i wonder if having access to well water has any benefits because it's a miracle that with my sugar intake and my lax approach towards oral hygiene that at age 30 my only alerting damage was having a molar chip, leading to 'hollowing' - i would know the medical term for my case but haven't been able to see a dental specialist yet,(i know) it's been over a year now and only discomfort i had was intense pain/facial swelling about 6 months ago, went to urgent care, rx'd antibiotics and haven't dealt with any discomfort since

 

[swilow]

My sisters first set of teeth emerged quite decayed. But my parents never had teeth issues and they were both drug users. Though my dad lost a few before his ignominious end. I personally think I upped the ante on abuse, plus I've always been restless/anxious and grind those fucks relentlessly. I do all sorts of stupid shit in my sleep, such as talking, walking and grinding... I actually sleep walked a few months and woke up trying to brush my teeth :D mainly face brushing really.

I have Irish/brit heritage, often a toothy bunch. My teeth are not crooked but they are not straight geometrical slabs but I care not as long as they are healthy and look nice

 

[Thomas1]

Smoking is another potential cause of tooth decay.