X-rays show that I have multiple cavities...could they be wrong?

My dentists said that I have two cavities on either side of my two upper molars. I've scrutinized my teeth over and over and I only spot traces of one cavity. Could my dentist be wrong? Maybe thats how my teeth are just shaped?

X-rays show that I have multiple cavities...could they be wrong?
Why do you think we take x-rays? It's because WE can't see between your teeth, either. By the time you can see a cavity that started between the teeth, trust me, it's huge.





If you don't trust your dentist, you have two choices.


1. Get a second opinion, which pretty much means, get a new dentist, or,


2. Ignore the dentist's advice to get fillings and time will surely tell you if these are cavities or not. By the time the diagnosis is confirmed by pain, though, you will need a root canal treatment or an extraction.
Reply:no, they seldom are wrong
Reply:no the dentist took x-rays right =they are showing cavities on the inside of the teeth
Reply:he is not wrong.
Reply:NO


X-rays don't lie


You probably can't really see your teeth well enough to see the cavities


If you think the dentist is just trying to get business go to another dentist
Reply:X-rays can determine decay and lack of enamel in your teeth. They do not lie. It's possible the decay is in a part of your teeth that are not easily visible. Also, the doc gets right in there and can spot tiny traces of decay.





Realize that once a tooth has decay, it will not go away. Once enamel is gone it is gone for good. So if the dentist and the x-rays reveal even a small amount of decay, it is in your best interest to get it filled so nothing more comes of it.
Reply:It's not likely that they're wrong, cavities are kind of like iceburgs, what you can see is only a small portion of what's really there. The x-rays would should the rest and the whole story. If you waited until there was a hole big enough to see you would be in pain.
Reply:VERY unlikely. Sometimes there can be what's called an "artifact" on an xray, which can be caused by shadowing ffrom other teeth on the film, but your dentist will know how to identify this. Often with cavities in your molar teeth there are no visible signs in the mouth, the only way to detect any problems is by xray. If you CAN see cavities in your molars, it's usually because they are very advanced. Sorry!
Reply:if you sincerly doubt your dentist's findings get a second opinion- but they know better then you what to look for... you could ask them to explain the x-rays?? it's not unheard of for professionals to try and cheat people... but who wouldn't like to believe people are honest!
Reply:Yes he could be wrong. Have you gone to this dentist before? Have you gotten the feeling that they were doing work on you that you didn't need?





The reason I ask these questions is that I went to the dentist and had a wisdom tooth pulled. The dentist told me that the tooth in front of that needed a root canal. Well, I didn't have any more problems with my teeth so I didn't go in for a while.





A month or so later, I went in to talk to the dentist about another tooth. The dentist that did the extraction was no longer with this office, so I talked to another dentist in the same office. She had me scheduled for a root canal--without talking to me--because that's what my chart said.





When I got in there, she checked it out and flat out told me that I did not need the root canal and she couldn't figure out why the other dentist had told me I did.





If you suspect that you don't need the cavity filled, go to another dentist.
Reply:I suppose your dentist sees places in those teeth, that are darker, so it may make it appear that there is decay there. You can see the xrays with your own eyes, so if the tooth looks OK to you, AND your women's intuition tells you those translucency's are not decay, leave that tooth alone tell the doc he needs new glasses!
Reply:Interproximal decay is a cavity in between the teeth that can only be seen on x-ray. Ask your Dr. to show you the x-ray. It is usually easy to see the dark area...Also start flossing, brushing doesn't help the area between teeth.
Reply:Ok. I had a really bad tooth on my top right side like a year ago, It was PAINFUL and I could see the cavity. They said I might need a root canal or get it pulled if the filling didn't work out. So you know it was bad. Now keep in mind that I have a mouthful of cavities anyway.... But 2 weeks ago my new dentist tell me I have a really bad cavity on my top left tooth, IN THE GUMLINE. So I could never see it. Maybe that's how yours is. But he's telling me same root canal stuff...... What kills me is this tooth never bothered me until he "fixed" it.......
Reply:No, most likely not wrong. It could be in between the teeth that you can't see. But the docs see xrays day in and day out so usually if they say that's the case, I would trust it.