I went to the dentist the first time when I was 12, and he said he stopped counting the cavities at 45. Is that even possible? I don%26#039;t have 45 teeth. He said I had some other problems too but we didn%26#039;t have the money so I just ended up having 8 of my back teeth pulled out and we let the rest go. I haven%26#039;t been to a dentist since then. After that I noticed my teeth seemed a little loose. I didn%26#039;t think anything of it and after a while they started to get looser. Now for the past couple months all my front teeth are really wobbly and I%26#039;m afraid they%26#039;re gonna fall out. Can that really happen? I%26#039;m only 14. What can I do to stop them from falling out?
Is there a way to stop loose teeth from falling out?
You need to visit a dentist/periodontist to determine the cause of the loosened teeth, why your teeth are becoming loose. The health professionals can help determine if the condition results from lack of proper hygiene, is related to medication, or related to an inherited disease or not which can lead to bone loss, or maybe there is another condition - where you sleep with your mouth open or you do not secrete enough saliva even during the waking hours.
Can someone have 45 cavities. Yes, I suppose they could. Each tooth can have more than one cavity and require more than one filling. For example, I have one tooth that has two fillings. One filling is on the side (facing the cheek) and the second filling is on top of the tooth, the chewing surface of the tooth. They are not deep fillings. If - being 14 years old, you have 28 teeth, then with 2 cavities per tooth, that totals 56 fillings.
When you were 12, did the dentist or hygenist offer any reason as to why you might have so many cavities? Dry mouth - sleep with your mouth open, don%26#039;t properly secrete saliva during the day or night time hours - saliva helps fights oral bacteria and reduces cavities, lack of flouride, medications, gum diseases, etc.?
If you didn%26#039;t have all the teeth treated (filled), then it%26#039;s possible the infection for untreated teeth could have become worsened.
Even with proper home care - brushing with flouride daily, flossing, 45 cavities seems extreme. Most children brush daily (with flouride), then have a routine dentist visit one to two times a year - i.e. have no cavities or very few before the age of 12 or 14. So, to see so many (45), I would think would have the dentist evaluating other reasons - other than brushing or yearly flouride treatments.
I do not know where you live, if you live in the states or outside the US. However, if your parents do not qualify for health/dental benefits from the federal/state government and they do not have insurance, you may want to check out the dental schools in your area. Also, a dentist can help determine if there is possibly a medical problem, which you can use medical benefits instead of dental benefits.
Some dental schools (for dentists) offer low cost care, since many graduated students are practicing before they go out into the field full time and the older students can observe what they will practice when they graduate when they leave school. Some dental assisting schools offer free services - like free cleanings and x-rays. The dental assisting school in my region of the US are desperate to have more people want to get x-rays or have their teeth cleaned. You can then take the x-rays to a dentist, it%26#039;s one less charge your parents would have to incur.
Also, if the dental schools cannot or do not offer low cost care, some of the schools can offer resources to clinics with low fees in your surrounding area. You really need to visit a dentist to see if you can possibly even save any of your teeth. Even if you can%26#039;t save all your teeth, it is very important to get dentures, because the shape of your mouth can change should you have significant tooth loss.
You might get lucky, too, I have heard some dentist offer free to very low cost treatment in certain areas.
For example, you might lose a lower molar. However, the molar on top might then fall down - into the space of the missing tooth on the bottom - and this situation can cause pain when you bite. Teeth tend to move when they have no other teeth to support them. Plus, dentures will help you keep the shape of your jaw bone (shape of your face, too) which allows you to be able speak words clearly, chew food, etc.
Some offices also have resources for dental loans, which can be paid back as money is used - kind of like a credit card.
I found some links online: you can view them and see if you find anything in your area. You might have to drive 1 to 2 hours, maybe 3, but if you can get help and relief, then even a 3 hour drive is well worth the travel time.
If you can find a place in your area which provides free or very little cost - free consultations, too, then please visit the dentist so that s/he can provide you with the best possible information - like which teeth can be saved and how you can save them.
Reply:Your parents should be reported for child abuse!
Best thing for you to do is continue to see your dentist and follow his protocol.
Again, your parents should have seen to the fact that you received dental care before the age of twelve! Public schools even offer this!
Reply:I don%26#039;t know of any way to stop your teeth from falling out. You know some people just have bad teeth and you must be one of those people. If your teeth are loose it must be hard for you to eat and you really need your mouth fixed. Besides the fact that your only 14 and appearance is important at this age.
Maybe Mom should check into welfare and see if they can help you get your teeth fixed. You know sometimes people can take care of the monthly bills but need help with insurance, medical/dental.
Or maybe you and or Mom could talk to a counselor at school, they might know of a way or someone that could help.
Reply:Wow! Sounds like you got the same problem I had. The bad news is I don%26#039;t know any way to stop your teeth from falling out. If they%26#039;re as loose as you say they%26#039;ll probly be leaving you very soon. My teeth got loose like that and I lost a front tooth at school 1 day last year. Went to a dentist and he said it was gonna cost some ridiculous amount of money to try to save the rest of my teeth and it wasn%26#039;t even garanteed to work. We didn%26#039;t have the money or even a chance to get that much, so while we were tryin to figure out what to do I lost a few more front teeth. Finally went to a different dentist and had all the rest pulled out. I%26#039;m hoping to get some false teeth in about 3 months. It was kinda scarey going back to school with no teeth, but it%26#039;s not so bad now that everybody is used to how I look. You should have your mom get you in to some dentist as soon as you can incase it%26#039;s not too late but it probly is.
Reply:ooooh, that%26#039;s a tuff break. I don%26#039;t know if there%26#039;s any way to stop them from falling out but I doubt it. I guess it really depends on how loose they are. Really wobby doesn%26#039;t sound like the outlook is good at all. What ever you do, don%26#039;t keep fiddling with them if they move easy cuz that will just make them fall out faster. Best thing I could tell you is have your mom get you to a dentist as quick as she can and start looking for good prices on dentures. They%26#039;re not as bad as a lot of people want you to think. I had mine long enough to be on my second set, and my wife had hers since she was around your age, so it%26#039;s not the end of the world. Hope things turn out good for ya tho.
Reply:I don%26#039;t think there%26#039;s anything that will stop your teeth from falling out by the way it sounds. If I was you I%26#039;d have your mom start checkin prices at denture clinics real soon. I%26#039;m not trin to be mean I%26#039;m just tryin to tell you the truth. Some people are just really prone to have teeth and gum problems and you%26#039;re probly 1 of them the way it sounds. That%26#039;s why I got dentures as a teenager. It was gonna cost way more than we could afford to try to fix my teeth and like you said, no garantees it would even work.
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