Should I rush back to the dentist.....again?

kayeb · 10 November 2019 at 10:24PM

Evening all. I'm 55 years old & have always visited the dentist for regular check ups & treatment. My NHS dentist went private 13 years ago. I have a mouth full of fillings, & 4 root canals. I think I've made several mistakes in my dental history:

1) In my 20s I would take (sugar free) squash to bed to sip in the night, not realising the damage fruit acid would make. Hence many of my fillings are interdental.

2) I was a chocoholic who would "graze" on chocolate throughout the day.

3) In my 40s I improved my diet, having fruit instead of chocolate, & cleaning my teeth after every meal, not realising I was brushing at the softened enamel. This led to 3 root canals in a year.

4) In my 50s in an effort to get healthy eating I started snacking on almonds & broke 2 molars that have been reconstructed by white fillings.

Sadly I've got to have my first extraction soon (a top premolar) as the tooth was so heavily filled it couldn't be saved, & I'm mortified. I'm going to replace with an implant but I'll have a gap for 3 - 6 months. It's put the fear of god up me & I've cut right down on chocolate, I've stopped eating between meals, & I've added interdental brushes to my routine. My dentist is also prescribing high fluoride toothpaste too.

My question is this:

The 2 molars that I have had reconstructed don't feel quite right & I'm wondering whether to go back to my dentist sooner rather than later. I don't have toothache as such, but occasionally when I bite on something small, I get a momentary small dull pain on them (seperately, depending on which tooth I bite on). When I saw the implantologist a couple of weeks ago he examined my whole mouth & he made a note to "watch" those 2 reconstructed molars.

I hate making a nuisance of myself by rushing back to my dentist all the time, she must be getting fed up with me. I have a check up in January & I was hoping to last till then. I would add that I've had this intermittent discomfort on these 2 molars for about 2-3 months.

I would do anything to turn the clock back with my teeth, but sadly I am where I am.

theoretica · 10 November 2019 at 11:24PM

I suggest you call the receptionist and ask if they think you should come in. If they can bring your January appointment forward it won't be much of an increase in times your dentist sees you and better to be reassured than worried.