The feeling when dentist finds a cavity

I had one cavity when I was about 8 years old, nothing since. But I'm always afraid that she'll find one for me and then I'd be ashamed of my teeth.

@Girll, there is no need to be ashamed of your teeth. Cavities happen for a multitude of reasons (not just bad brushing practices). Besides, with the modern tooth repair and filling products that Dentists use today, no one would ever be able to tell if you had a filling or not unless you told them about it. Throughout my life I have had just about every tooth in my mouth drilled and filled (some more than once), including several capped teeth. To look at me when I smile, you would never know this. Personally, I have a very high tolerance for pain and never get numb before the drill goes to work. My Dentist always asks, but I refuse.

Back when I had a lot of teeth, I don't think I ever had a dentist's appointment in the US where they didn't find cavities. I bet if I'd had teeth made of solid stainless steel (or Wolverine's adamantium) , the dentist would still have found cavities ... ha ha

Back when I had a lot of teeth, I don't think I ever had a dentist's appointment in the US where they didn't find cavities. I bet if I'd had teeth made of solid stainless steel (or Wolverine's adamantium) , the dentist would still have found cavities ... ha ha

The outlook of receiving money makes it all, i would think !!

I've never had a filling but I'm nervous that I will one day and would be very embarrassed and disappointed in myself I feel.

I've never had a filling but I'm nervous that I will one day and would be very embarrassed and disappointed in myself I feel.

I my youth I had pretty good teeth, with only a few cavities. Stayed that way until I started chewing tobacco, in particular, the sweet stuff. That did a number on my back teeth. Fortunately I had insurance so fixing them wasn't too bad.

Now that I don't have insurance anymore I dread the dentist finding anything wrong because holy shit that's going to be expensive, whatever it is.

The feeling now is OH SHIT.

Haven’t had a lot of fillings, but when they told me they found one my feeling was simply: “oh fuck, now I m either stuck here longer or I have to make an appointment to come back!”

Haven’t had a lot of fillings, but when they told me they found one my feeling was simply: “oh fuck, now I m either stuck here longer or I have to make an appointment to come back!”

That and as I noted earlier, "what is this going to cost?" LOL

Had a routine cleaning this past Thursday and everything was A-OK which is always a relief to hear. Cleanings go very fast these days. I have been using a tartar control baking soda toothpaste and tartar control mouthwash the last few years. Leaves very little scraping and descaling for the dentist to do these days (unlike years ago where they spent a lot of time on the job). Mostly just the polishing these days and fluoride treatment.

Totally get what you mean — it can feel like a personal failure even when it’s just a tiny cavity 😅 But honestly, a good dentist makes all the difference.

If you’re near Eastlake, I highly recommend chrcking out https://jeffreygrossdds.com/ . They’re super understanding and focus more on prevention than just drilling and filling. Plus, their whole approach is calming and judgment-free, which really helps if you’re feeling anxious or embarrassed. You’ll walk out feeling way better, cavity or not. 😊