How do you know if you have soft enamel?!


Question:
I just found out I need 4 fillings in my teeth, and I never had any cavities before, and I saw the dentist one year ago and my teeth were fine then.

Somebody in one of my other questions said something about soft enamel. How do you know if you have soft enamel? And can it suddenly just get soft? Cos I never had any cavities until now.

Just now I brush my teeth once a day, at night before I go to bed. And I floss maybe two times a week. That is the same as I've always done so I don't know why I got cavities now and didn't in the past.

I feel really bad now because I have to get fillings and my big brother and sister have never had any, and my mum is really mad with me because she found out I've been eating sweets at school and she doesn't let me eat them usually. So she's being horrible to me about it and says it's my own fault, but I'm really scared about getting fillings.
Answers:
When I purchased our practice long ago, we took over from a retiring dentist. There was one family Iremember the mom was all over us, "She wanted to know who these new kids were?" Well we saw the girls, it was one question after another. We finsihed the exam. Each girl had 6-7 cavities. She wanted us to show her, so we did as best we could pulled out the X-ray, tried to cam a full year of radiography into a 30 second explanation. pocked the little pocky thing(exporer) into some stick spots. Well needless to say they never came back. They even went so far as to call the previous owner and tell them how agressive we were. Turns out the previous dentist was terified of the mom and dad, She had always been all over him and over the years he just wanted to get them out of the office whenever they came in. He under treated unintentionally because of the mother and father.

As far as your situation, look, if you don't trust your dentist, ask him to show you the cavity. Whenever I sense that a patient is not confident in my diagnosis. I'll stop in the middle of the procedure get my intraoral cameral and take a snapshot of the lesion. ust to re-assure the patient that he has made the right decision. Ask your dentist if he can show you the cavity. We love questions. Good luck
They are your teeth, you have the right to ask questions.

Other Answers:
Relax, please! I don´´t know your age, but if you have soft enamel you just have realize and have many many problems since a long time ago. It´s not only your enamel, many other factors make you more susceptible to cavities. Maybe you should try to brush your teeth 3 times a day ( before each meal) and go to your dentist every 6 months. And believe me, it´s better to get a teeth fill than get it out.
Source(s):
:-)

I don't think you have soft enamel hun, I think you've probably just been eating too many sweets.sorry! If you had soft enamel, you would have had cavities before now I'm sure, and enamel doesn't just suddenly "become" soft.

I think maybe over the years these cavities have been forming very very slowly, and it's only now that they have become visible. You really should be brushing your teeth twice every day, and you MUST floss every day to avoid getting cavities in between your teeth.

Maybe you should talk to your mum and tell her that you're sorry for going behind her back and eating sweets, and you know that by doing that you've caused cavities, so you know it's your own fault. But tell her that you're really scared about getting the fillings done, and maybe ask if she will come with you to your appointments when you're getting them done? It might make you less anxious if your mum was there. Good luck, and try not to worry about it.

So far, you've gotten good answers. If you had weak enamel, you would have been dealing with cavities all your life, not just now. To prevent cavities, you should be brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day. And cut back on the sweets. The more sugar you eat, the more opportunities the bacteria on your teeth can create acid. If you want to decrease the chances of developing cavities even more, try rinsing with a fluoride rinse for one minute one time a day. Fluoride stops demineralization (weakening of the enamel) and promotes remineralization (strengthening of the enamel). You can also try chewing a sugarfree gum that contains xylitol. Xylitol prevents the bacteria in your mouth from creating the acid that causes cavities. But the gum and fluoride should only be used in addition to brushing two times daily and flossing daily, not as a substitute.
Source(s):
Registered Dental Hygienist

It is normal to get cavities when you get older..especially if you are only brushing once a day & flossing a few times a week. You need to brush 2 times a day & floss once a day. If you are getting cavities on your back teeth, this is very normal. Everyone has grooves on top on their teeth & our toothbrush can't get to the very bottom of them, so cavities get started. Getting fillings done are a breeze!! They'll get you nice & numb so you shouldn't feel a thing.
Source(s):
Dental Assistant

UMMMMMMM./ there is no such thing as soft enamel. your cavities are due to diet, hygiene, acid reflux, basically outside influences. sorry, it is not mother nature you should be blaming.
Source(s):
dentist
Answers:

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