eww. black hole on surface of tooth ):

millyaulait

hi guys.. i can't really figure out if this is against the rules or not but..

i have a small, black hole on the surface of one of my top teeth. it's quite shallow but it is dark and i'm not sure if this is decay or not? i actually only faced my 10+ year dental fear a few days ago when i got a molar removed. it was /horrible/ and i'm now a bit traumatised to be honest. i'm terrified of going back because i feel like this tooth might need a filling? i've never had one before.. do you need to be numbed via injection? i'm absolutely terrified (i mean the -hyperventilating oh my god no no no- type of terrified)of needles thanks to the aformentioned molar removal. is there anything i can do at home? if i brush it harshly/really frequently do you think i can get rid of the black/minimize the damage?

i'm so embarrased about this. all my teeth are in fine shape apart from this, however they are stained a bit thanks to my coca-cola habit, but it's not very noticable because my teeth are naturally only off-white. i'm going back to the dentist for a cleaning in a week but i'm so scared incase she says that she's going to do the filling while i'm there or something. helllllp! ):

Toothsmith

They won't do anything without your consent. No-one holds you down.

A black stain/hole could be anything from a proper cavity to a bit of sultana stuck in the grooves.

Just ask your dentist when you go. They'll be best placed to tell you what it is and how best to deal with it.

millyaulait

Thank you, Toothsmith.

ElkyElky

Dentists aren't as bad as you may think. I once had a fear of dentists and NEVER went. However, I cracked a tooth and had to go, since then, I've had regular appointments for cleaning and whitening and god knows what else. I'm even having my teeth straightened in the next few weeks.

I actually quite like going to the dentist now.

I think the fears go away if you have a good dentist who is friendly and causes minimal pain.

You have to picture yourself in 10 years with no teeth, and gums as black as coal. I did and it has motivated me to develop an obsession with oral hygiene. I brush as much as 5 times a day now.

millyaulait

Haha, thanks Elky!

Wow - well done! I'm amazed, hopefully I can get over my fear like you & get good teeth again. I'm just a scaredy cat lol. That's a lot of teeth-brushing! :0

Cati_Jane

Dentists are not my favourite people but i have found that an MP3 player with the volume up loud (the dentists suggestion!!) and some playdough in hand do help when it comes to fillings. (along with the local anesthetic)

Cati

boliston

I had to have 3 fillings about a year ago, after not seeing a dentist since 1989 and I was surprised at just how painless the whole process was.

I seem to remember some pain 2 decades ago but I'm sure that that the injections have been improved since then. Mind you, my old dentist was a spitting image of Doctor Christian Szell!

The only bit I did not like was the smell of burnt tooth as the high speed drill did its work!

millyaulait

Phew, thanks Boliston, that puts me at ease a bit. I'm just a wuss you see.

pjk_3

I used to have a bit of a phobia too but denistry has come on in leaps and bounds. My dentist uses a numbing gel on the area he's going to inject so I don't even feel the needle, let alone the "work".

OK so it's not the most fun you can have on a Monday, but it's perfectly do-able. I tend to just close my eyes when I'm there, and think of other things. A couple of times my dentist has wondered if I've fallen asleep - talk about relaxed...