Waiting on fixing cavities?

Well, earlier today I noticed two OBVIOUS cavities in one of my upper thirteen year molars.(On the back of course, the most difficult area to brush) ARRRG. I really don't know how I didn't notice them before, but, unfortunately I didn't. I am already a starving college student, but decided to invest in some dental insurance as I also have 3 wisdom teeth erupting. *sigh* There is a six month waiting period on it for minor-dental work, immediate coverage for preventative/cleanings type stuff. I'm at a loss of what to do here. It is probably incredibly stupid to wait, but does anyone think I could make it until September without getting this fixed? Perhaps brushing 5 times a day instead of 2, getting a cleaning? Or will this just wear my already weakened enamel into nihility? I assume when I go to the dentist he will recommend I don't wait, but realistically, if I take preventative steps, will the cavity spread into the pulp? I use flouride/floss and don't eat a lot of sugar.

If the decay is visible to you, odds are it's pretty extensive under the surface. See your dentist as soon as you can so he can tell you the extent of the decay. Let them know that you have dental insurance but that coverage for basic and major work has a 6 month waiting period. Ask if you can wait until then to have treatment. Odds are you can't without running into a probable emergency situation before then and/or the decay going even deeper and possibly requiring more extensive work. All the brushing in the world isn't going to stop the decay that is already present in your mouth. Decay on the mesial or distal side of the tooth can spread to the tooth next to it if not treated. Certainly you should brush after every meal and at bedtime. Talk to your dentist about any flouride products you can buy in his office. A toothpaste called Control RX has 5X's the amount of fluoride that any over the counter product has. You brush with it at night and do not rinse your mouth after. This allows the fluoride to do it's thing while you are asleep. Definitely get your cleaning done too. Only your doctor can tell you what type of cleaning you need. If you do not have any periodontal problems, you would have a routine prophy which is covered under your preventative coverage on your dental insurance. Periodontal treatment falls into either the basic or major category of your insurance, thus the waiting period would apply. Make sure you get a fluoride treatment with each cleaning. The positive side of any treatment which falls into the waiting period, is that the fees are set by the insurance company. If you are going to an in network provider, you pay the fees set by your insurance company, not the dental office. These fees are always much lower.

Good luck to you and call your dentist in the morning.

Unfortunately, the bacteria in your mouth will spread regardless. You really should go see a dentist. Waiting could mean that you have more problems later. Trust me, I work for an Oral Surgeon and see the most extreme cases of teeth that cannot be saved. I'd rather see you keep yours!

I know you can wait to get cavities filled, and as long as there isn't anything in your mouth to further the decay (bacteria, etc), you should be fine. I recommend calling the dentist to just find out, but to minimize bacteria in the mouth, rinse frequently after eating with a non-alcohol mouthwash. good luck =)

Yes, do all the things you wrote about...especially the fluoride type toothpaste. Happy cleaning.

You could probably wait, but keep in mind that the cavities will be growing. Kind of like a rust spot on your car - they don't "heal" themselves, and they only get worse.

You might want to see if the local college has a Dental Hygiene course - they often will clean your teeth really cheap.
The fillings will require a Dentist, of course.

Listen to GIJOHN... however, I wouldn't wait if I didn't absolutely have to. Trust me... i'm a result of bad dental care, and lack of dental care. After some bad dental visits, I avoided dentists for years... thus ending up with 5 root canals, 6 cavities and 3 crowns. If you can in anyway, at least do something, do it. It's not worth the agony to wait. I say exchange those new shoes, outfit, whatever you can because if you wait like me, you will regret it. Hope that helps. There is also a company called care credit. They provide no interest loans for dental and medical care. www.carecredit.com

Cavities normally progress slowly, but better to go as soon as you can. I think you mean 12 yr molar!! DMD here