When I see articles and/or posts like this I cringe! The general population is just not “dentally educated” I suppose. However, that’s where we come in! I have patients ask me about these sorts of things they have seen and I just tell them the research and the science. That’s all anyone can do, one patient at a time! I sure feel your frustration though!

I have many patients that have incipient decay that has not progressed to the dentin layer and my boss watches it closely. Some have been able to keep it incipient and some have eventually needed the decay restored. Just last week we had been watching distal incipient decay since 2007 and it took 7 years to progress just slightly to the DEJ and now requires a restoration. Just think if that tooth was restored in 2007 then by 2014 it may have needed a larger restoration. Each restoration will eventually need larger and larger restorations. I don’t always agree with “watching” like some dentists I’ve worked for. I don’t always agree with “why?…. watch it get bigger” like another dentist I’ve worked for. If it’s so small give the tooth a chance to see if it can remineralize or restore once it reaches the DEJ. I’ve seen it first hand and am glad I work for a dentist that is more conservative when it comes to incipient decay.

We have a patient in our office with rampant decay and refuses to have any tx because “the enamel will grow back” according to him. I don’t know how many times the dentist has informed him that it won’t. There’s also a new fad called oil pulling which from my research, is suppose to work and be “natures chlorhexidine.” A lady on youtube states she no longer has pain or tooth decay and her teeth are whiter. Her dentist was even shocked when she went for her recall. I don’t get it? I guess I need to do more research.