Cavities and molar sealents?

So i hadn't been to the dentist in a few years, partially because my old dentist wasn't on our insurance, and partially because he got a bad reputation as missing cavities and screwing things up more then helping (but he was a really nice guy). anyways, i went to a new highly recommended dentist the other day, and found out I have 9 cavities!!! it doesn't make sense at all because he makes it sound like some of them are bad, but theres only one spot where I've had any pain, and thats like the most minor cavity. theyre all in my molars, and my molars were sealed a couple years ago, could that have something to do with it?

Cavities and molar sealents?
Get a second opinion if you're concerned. I will say two things about sealants though. #1 they are designed as a coating over the top of the deep grooves in your teeth and intended to help you get through the years of your life when you are likely the most irresponsible with dental care and many other things, your late teens. They will not last forever, think 5-8 years on the low end, and should be viewed with suspicion after even one shows signs of decay. #2 they are not all done equally well.


Also if you are having pain then you have at least one bad cavity and rarely does someone that has not seen a dentist in awhile only have one bad tooth. Many teeth tend to be in the same situation.
Reply:Sealants are most likely to blame. Unless the tooth was sealed with a massive cavity underneth, blocking the tooth from food should cause a small cavity that might have been missed to die out. Don't use pain as an indicator of dental problems. It is one of the signs that something is wrong, but if decay gets to the point that it causes pain, that is probly too late for a filling to fix it. Many things can cause pain in a tooth. Bite being too high, referred from another tooth, and several other things that don't actually mean that tooth that you feel is hurting has aproblem. Hope this helps