Lying dentist?

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When I was a kid I never got cavities. Now even though I brush twice a day my dentist claims to find at least one cavity every time I go sometimes more and then I have to pay to have them filled and it hurts like hell. One time I went to see him and then went to my college's dentist and he couldn't find the cavities the first one told me about. But I always thought the college dentist wasn't very smart so I don't know. I take as good care of my teeth but apparently that doesn't matter because I get cavities anyway. Is there a chance he is lying to me? How can I tell?

It's quite possible he's just lying to make cash. Since it's hard to judge though, getting a second opinion is a good idea.

He should of talked about prescribing you a fluoride toothpaste if your getting cavities as often he says. I started seeing a new dentist last year & he mentioned that he'll prescribe me one in the future if I start getting cavities but I only had one in my life & that was like10(or more) years ago. My regular toothpaste contains some fluoride & he was glad I was using one that did. Perhaps you switched to a nonfluoride toothpaste or don't brush or floss nearly as much as you did when you were a kid. I would get a 2nd opinion from an experienced dentist if that stuff hasn't really changed.

I found out that chewing gum solved my problem with cavities. My mouth is always dry and that causes cavities - the system doesn't wash particles away. I stopped chewing gum when I got my first job. Then the cavities started. Maybe it's worth mentioning.

Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous dentists in the world...particularly those who accept government subsidized dental insurance.

I would stop going to this dentist on the basis that he causes you pain alone. Having a cavity filled should never hurt. If it hurts, the dentist is not doing the anesthesia correctly. This may be due to your dentist being bad at anesthetic injections, or you having a resistance to the lidocaine (first choice in dental anesthetics), or it may be because your anatomy is unusual and your nerves are not exactly where the dentist would expect to them be, but in either case, these problems are not unsolvable.

If you really want to confirm whether or not the dentist is lying before you switch dentists, go in for a check up, see how many cavities, if any, your dentist finds, make note of where they are, and then get a second opinion from another dentist. If the second dentist doesn't concur that there are cavities, or even anything that could become a cavity, you will have your answer.

I heard more than a few times from different sources that chewing gum can cause cavities. My dental nurse who did my last two cleanings recommended I use Biotene for dry mouth. I made a post a while back in the Health section asking about treatment for dry mouth & was told that Biotene wasn't that good so I haven't tried it sense I'm not super concerned but maybe I should try it when I go to bed like the nurse had recommended.

I don't know it might be the toothpaste i suppose but I know it is not the brushing. I actually never brushed when I was a kid. I probably brushed five or six times a year. And I still never got cavities. But now that I do brush I'm getting them left and right. That's what I find so suspicious.

It isn't so much the drilling and filling that hurts so much as afterward where the tooth hurts for weeks or months and I can only chew on the other side of my mouth. Although one time he scheduled me an appointment on his day off (I didn't know it was his day off) and his assistant did it instead. They had the football game playing on the tv above me. I don't like football but the assistant did and the filling took all morning because he kept stopping everything so he could watch the game. That one did hurt a lot.

If the alleged cavities are on your molars, it's a bit difficult to determine whether or not they're there yourself, as they're pretty far back into your mouth. You could try looking into a hand-mirror with a light source such as a book light or tiny flashlight and see if your molars have any darkened areas or divots. Feel with your tongue! Any holes? Any deeper than usual? If the cavities aren't on your molars, it'd be pretty easy to tell if you actually have them or not, as there'd be brown/orange discoloration and tiny holes. He could be referring to the start of a cavity and not a full-blown one.
There is a possibility that your main dentist is lying, or perhaps just confused. Dentists have been known to lie or stretch the truth to make non-issues seem like they require immediate, and expensive, attention. Not all dentists are bad, though.
I think you should switch your primary dentist, if possible, just so you can feel more at ease. If the new dentist finds cavities, you'll know your current one isn't bad. If he doesn't, well, then your current dentist is either a dummy or entirely corrupt.

Claradoon,

Do you have Sjogren's syndrome? Dry mouth is one of the major symptoms of the condition. I remember watching the show Mystery Diagnosis and a woman with Sjogren's said she had dry mouth and a lot of cavities, among other problems.

Anyone who is taking your money for goods or services can be tempted to choose to lie or overstate the case, in order to squeeze a bit more money out of the customer. This is where it gets so hard to find someone you can trust.

This holds true for anything from mechanics who work on your car -- or even conduct its annual inspection -- to dentists paid at point-of-sale. Wherever there is room to feasibly and convincingly tell the customer there's more work needed than there really is, or something additional that has to be done, some unscrupulous people will do just that to you.

Get a second opinion.

If you are in the united states, it's illegal for a dental assistant to drill teeth and fill cavities and this type of misconduct should be reported to your state's dental board.

A tooth should not hurt for long after it has been filled. Some people have sensitive teeth and require liners, Your dentist should have offered this option.

My eyes are not dry. I'll be seeing an ophthalmologist soon and I'll ask. Thanks for mentioning it.