- Joined
- Jun 28, 2025
- Messages
- 1
Hello All, I went from never having a cavity in over 10 years to having 5 cavities in the past 2 years, including 1 that required extraction and implant (38 yr old at the time.) I'm now facing multiple dental issues and wondering beyond the standard 2X yr dental visits, brush, floss, what else I can do to maintain and improve my oral health. A little background context, currently on perio maintenance, perio cleaning every 3 months, brush 2X day and floss daily, (I was not a consistent flosser in the past, I am now on top of this.) Some gum recession, high ph in saliva (teeth are somewhat translucent), a couple of crooked lower teeth, possible sleep apnea (getting a sleep test this week), and bruxism.
Current dentist wants me to do Invisalign at $6000 to fix crooked tooth, which he said may be causing sleep apnea (possible but I think unlikely,) and gum recession (more likely due to challenges with keeping area clean as plaque accumulates even with flossing). He also said I've probably had bruxism for decades. I'm a little upset that my prior dentist of 10 years didn't pick up on the cavities or bruxism until late in the game, and missed 1 cavity until I needed an extraction. I think most of the cavities were all gum line, so I'm hoping improved hygiene/perio maintenance will stop gum recession.
My questions are:
1) Is Invisalign really worth it? I understand difficulties with keeping the area clean and crooked teeth affecting bite alignment, potential for bone loss, etc., but saying that this could be the cause of the apnea (if I have it) seems a bit of stretch. Every dentist I've ever been to has wanted to do Invisalign and I'm skeptical, especially with a $6k price tag. Other forums I've read said if you really need Invisalign, go to an ortho instead.
2) For the bruxism, I did start wearing my custom Invisalign night guard again, however the bottom retainer doesn't fit perfectly anymore because it was made before the implant. is there any risk continuing to wear it or should I have a new one made? I'm OK with a 90% solution of preventing a cracked tooth, I just don't want other teeth/gum problems because the fit is slightly off. Ironically, the upper retainer (implant was on lower jaw) hurts more to wear than the bottom one, I wake up in the morning with pain in my top front tooth, which goes away when I take the retainer out.
3) How can I treat the high PH?
4) What else can I do to get my oral health on track? As an early 40s guy with no history of dental problems, it feels like I got hit with a bunch all at once. I understand not flossing and things can build up quietly over time, but how bad is this for my age group and can I turn it around?
One other piece which I believe may be a factor, I was also diagnosed with osteopenia a few years back (super rare for a male in my age group, I work out extensively and eat right for the most part), and I've read of a higher incidence of dental issues with this diagnosis being that bones and teeth are related. Interested in any home-health, supplements or lifestyle changes I can make. Appreciate any advice!
Current dentist wants me to do Invisalign at $6000 to fix crooked tooth, which he said may be causing sleep apnea (possible but I think unlikely,) and gum recession (more likely due to challenges with keeping area clean as plaque accumulates even with flossing). He also said I've probably had bruxism for decades. I'm a little upset that my prior dentist of 10 years didn't pick up on the cavities or bruxism until late in the game, and missed 1 cavity until I needed an extraction. I think most of the cavities were all gum line, so I'm hoping improved hygiene/perio maintenance will stop gum recession.
My questions are:
1) Is Invisalign really worth it? I understand difficulties with keeping the area clean and crooked teeth affecting bite alignment, potential for bone loss, etc., but saying that this could be the cause of the apnea (if I have it) seems a bit of stretch. Every dentist I've ever been to has wanted to do Invisalign and I'm skeptical, especially with a $6k price tag. Other forums I've read said if you really need Invisalign, go to an ortho instead.
2) For the bruxism, I did start wearing my custom Invisalign night guard again, however the bottom retainer doesn't fit perfectly anymore because it was made before the implant. is there any risk continuing to wear it or should I have a new one made? I'm OK with a 90% solution of preventing a cracked tooth, I just don't want other teeth/gum problems because the fit is slightly off. Ironically, the upper retainer (implant was on lower jaw) hurts more to wear than the bottom one, I wake up in the morning with pain in my top front tooth, which goes away when I take the retainer out.
3) How can I treat the high PH?
4) What else can I do to get my oral health on track? As an early 40s guy with no history of dental problems, it feels like I got hit with a bunch all at once. I understand not flossing and things can build up quietly over time, but how bad is this for my age group and can I turn it around?
One other piece which I believe may be a factor, I was also diagnosed with osteopenia a few years back (super rare for a male in my age group, I work out extensively and eat right for the most part), and I've read of a higher incidence of dental issues with this diagnosis being that bones and teeth are related. Interested in any home-health, supplements or lifestyle changes I can make. Appreciate any advice!
