[ravenstine]

Is it just me or do dentists rarely if ever suggest that their adult patients change their diet to avoid dental caries? They probably still tell children "don't eat candy", but since I reached adulthood I don't think a dentist ever told me suggested that the reason I needed so many cavities drilled was because I was feeding bacteria in my mouth.

If my experience is as ubiquitous as I suspect, there seems to be a perverse incentive among dentists to allow adults to ruin their own teeth. It's convenient because most people know extremely little about dental health beyond brushing and flossing. A minor carie on the enamel doesn't necessarily progress further than surface damage, and in some cases can even be reversed. Instead of saving the patient time and money by waiting for further progression of a carie, many dentists see the tiniest surface divot as an opportunity to drill n' fill. A more appropriate response would be to suggest the patient eat an appropriate diet that doesn't feed carie-causing bacteria and to come back in 6 months to a year for a follow-up; if the carie is visibly worse, then now it's time to consider drilling.

In defense of dentists, I imagine so few adult patients are compliant with suggestions of lifestyle changes that they figure it's hopeless and they might as well be the ones to cash in on cavities rather than some other dentist. Everyone hates going to them and they know they can't win.

[cauliflower2718]

A dentist once told me that it's worse for my teeth to sip a soda or a coffee slowly over several hours than to chug it all at once. I wonder if it was suggested because patients might actually do that, compared to not drinking soda or coffee at all.

(I might drink coffee slightly faster than I used to. I do not drink soda. I'm fine with stains but not unnecessary tooth decay.)

[bombcar]

I've been told that drinking it via a straw is better on your teeth because the straw deposits it directly into your throat and doesn't swish it around your teeth, but in any case I suspect doctors and dentists have stopped telling people to change their diets because people just don't.

[Fire-Dragon-DoL]

It would be hilarious if this turns out to be true. My wife eats slowly, has some dental problems. I eat extremely fast, have been criticized my whole childhood because of how fast I eat (and drink, but nowdays I drink only water).

I have zero dental problems.

[quickthrowman]

> If my experience is as ubiquitous as I suspect, there seems to be a perverse incentive among dentists to allow adults to ruin their own teeth.

If you read the thread, some dentists will perform needless work on healthy teeth to make money, so I doubt there’s an incentive to let adults ruin their teeth when you can just lie and say they need the work anyways.

[hattmall]

Go to the dentist in France and they will warn you that without sealants you might get cavities. In the US most dentist don't even attempt to offer to adults the simple and cheap treatment that prevents 80% of cavaties.