Is it possible for cavities to disappear?!


Question:

Is it possible for cavities to disappear?

I went to a dentist in April of '06. She did such a bad job on 2 cavities that I had, so I never went back to her. This dentist also told me I had 5 cavities on my left side and I was like "Hah, I'm not going back to her so she can drill holes all in my teeth." Yes, I know it wasn't smart to not get those cavities taken care of, but I wasn't in any pain, so I figured I could get them taken care of when I found a new dentist.

In April (this year), one of my wisdom teeth broke, so I was forced to find a new dentist. I found one and he is GREAT! But when he did my x-rays, all he and his assistant found was 2 cavities on my left side. I was really confused. Is it possible for cavities to disappear on their own? Or was the dentist I previously went to just dishonest?


Answers:

I have worked with many different dentists in 21 years. Some dentists will "watch" an area because the enamel is just starting to change, either in appearance or texture. When the dentist uses the explorer to check if the tooth is sticky, sometimes it can be a deep pit and not a true cavity. The fluoride in your toothpaste and rinses can harden some sticky areas if it is kept clean enough and not washed in a sugary bath (soda pop) all day long. Now on the other hand, some dentists never "watch" an area. They believe you are just watching it get worse. I see both points of view, but normally make my decision after I see how clean the person keeps their teeth. I have seen many patients that said their last dentist found X amount of cavities and we couldn't find any or just one or two. It is a dental mystery I know.




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