Dentists- Tiny cavity under existing filling
 

My recent dental x-rays showed a tiny cavity beneath and old existing filling. These were 5 year x-rays. I am 67 years old. Is this something I need to worry about or should I just let it go? My dentist wants to drill, of course.

They all do...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1533233898.jpg

My guess is that it will only get bigger and possibly cause an abcess. I would not want that.

Did you ask your dentist what the risks are?

The rule with teeth is to always fix them and try to keep them if possible. Always beats the alternative. You can argue against orthodontics or cosmetics all day and I'd agree with you.. But decay though, will never end well, and will pester/hurt you at the worst possible time or place, or cause other health issues... Honestly if I could go back in time, other than telling myself to buy APPLE and GOOGLE and AMZN stock, I'd tell myself to take the best possible care of my teeth (cheaper in the long run).

I once had a tooth go bad and require root canal the day of a hurricane strike. It took 3 days before the dentist had power back and could help me, the 3 longest days of my life (had no idea you could take that much advil and live). Fix decay now.

I have heard tooth decay could kill you.
Not sure if it has something to do bacteria, and excessive inflammation.
Increasing heart attack.
Years ago a guy who work at the same company with me. Was said to have died from that.

Fix it. If you wait until it hurts you’re too late.

Sounds like an easy fix. Do you trust your dentist ?

My dentist does x-rays every year. If there is a small cavity, he doesn't even ask for the ok, he just goes ahead and schedules it to be done.

Fillings have a life. Get the cavity fixed.

I think the issue has been thoroughly covered by all of the "fix it" votes, but this ^^ is a very valid point.

Who knows how quickly that will grow or how long you'll live. If you live to be 90, that cavity will eventually be a problem (probably long, long before then). If you are certain you aren't going to make 68, then don't worry about it. I assume you'll be wanting to get that fixed.

And it will start to hurt at 5:15 on a Friday night during a 3 day weekend.

The research I did back in my Sensodyne days showed a definite correlation between overall health and dental decay. Of course the decay had to be chronic in order to effect your overall health.

"...is it safe?"
"...is it safe?"
"...is it safe?"
"...is it safe?"
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Cavity under a cavity. Maybe time for a root canal. If that is what you need, don't let the dentist start on it. Mine kept drilling away and it was irritating. My endodontist did a fast/painless job the day before Thanksgiving.

Thanks - guess i’ll Get it fixed.

It could be that is really a minor issue right now, something that is asymptomatic and will only progress slowly. Could be at some point in the future you may not be in as good health overall, and unable to go to the dentist. Murphy's Law says that is when that minor issue will turn into a major issue. Fix it sooner than later. Small problems require small fixes that are usually easy to do, not very painful or expensive. Big problems take big fixes that are much less fun, much more expensive, and might not be as successful. Do it sooner as opposed to later.

What is your reasoning for thinking about possibly not getting it fixed?