Tell me about sealants, wisdom teeth + my experience with panoramic x-ray

[1love4ever]

I had sealants put on my molars when my adult molars came in as a kid, and I am wondering if they are safe?  I have heard that they contain BPA but I dont know if that gets into my body all these years later or what?  Is it a large amount?  Can they be removed?

My wisdom teeth apparently do not have enough room to come in (I am 21 and learned this from an x-ray, they are not giving me problems yet).  One bottom one is wedged against the next molar underneath.  The top ones are pointed back.  Nothing really severe but I am just wondering if getting them removed is a good idea or necessary, dangerous, etc?  Any experiences welcome.

Since I am 21 the Dr was concerned about my wisdom teeth and talked me into a panoramic x-ray of my mouth. When I did that, OMG I felt this horrible pressure around my head I cant even explain it. It felt like there was something there but there was not. Obvisouly it was the x-rays going straight into my freaking head! Wow, seriously I cant believe that is even legal. I could feel it the second she turned it on, and as soon as it was off. It was intense and I will never, EVER do it again. I have had a million of the "bite down on this" x-rays done of the sides of my mouth and never had that experience.   So, anyone have similar experiences with this?  I am sure it is really bad for you and probably causes tumors and all sorts of crap.  I actually had no idea what it was until I was standing in front of it and she was telling me where to rest my chin.  It really did give us a good look at my wisdom teeth but no way, never again.

[goldenwillow]

Sealants do usually contain BPA and yes they can leach.  I do not believe that it is a large amount but it is still there, usually at placement is the thought.  Every time you eat/drink something warm or hot can produce the leaching.  Same goes with amalgam.  The jury is still out on sealants... not enough research.  But really, the holistic DDS I worked for would not place them.  They can be chipped out for removal. 

As for your wisdom teeth....  it is possible that the ones that are "wedged" can possibly start to push towards the root of the other teeth and that is where pain comes from pushing the root... ouch!

Most DDS's do a pano xray to see how your bone structure looks, nerve location, sinus, etc.  In most cases it radiates less than having a full mouth series done (periapical and bite wings X 18).  In my experience working for traditional DDS's, they took them to use up the insurance benefit as well as the full mouth series.  It is a cool $100 bucks easily in their pockets.  Most insurance pays for each once every 5 years.  Also, when working for a traditional oral surgeon, panos are used to see what I described above.  FMX is used for decay, pano is used to see more structure. 

The holistic DDS I worked for would only take 4 BW and a pano.  However, our x ray technology was the least amount of radiation due to the equipment he decided on.  Super expensive but well worth it. 

I cannot comment on your pano experience but I know others that have felt the same. 

Good luck to you.

[1love4ever]

Thanks for the response!  I just dont know if I should go ahead and go get my wisdom teeth removed soon since I currently have dental insurance, or if I should wait and see if they will even end up causing me problems, because obviously I would really prefer not to have them removed at all!  Is there any other option?  I wish I had a holistic dentist in my area that I could go to instead, I just have such a hard time trusting the one I go to for anything...   When I was a kid they pulled 2 of my molars because they said that they should have come out by now and they wanted to help the new teeth come in.  Then when I was 13 they drilled out one of my molars and put in a white filling because they said there was a pit in it that was not a cavity but they didnt like the pit and said food would get caught there and give me a cavity so they drilled it out.  Would a holistic dentist have done the same thing?  Or were they just trying to make more money?  I have never had a cavity, I just went to them for yearly cleanings.

They have placed, removed, and replaced many amalgam fillings in my parents over the years which to me makes them automatically untrustworthy if they are willing to put that poison in someones mouth.

[Springshowers]

I think sealants wear off after about a year....

If I had insurance now but might not later I would think about getting wisdom teeth out now. Especially if you can see they won't have space to come in properly. I got mine out early before they caused pain/movement of other teeth. I am happy I did and it was a quick recovery (a few days of soft food).

[1love4ever]

My sealants have been on since I was about 13?  11?  I've had them chip 2 times and they fill the chipped spot back in, but they are certainly still there. 

Is any damage done to the teeth after removing a sealant, is the tooth weaker, etc?  Has anyone kept their wisdom teeth in and not had any problems?

[goldenwillow]

Originally Posted by 1love4ever 

My sealants have been on since I was about 13?  11?  I've had them chip 2 times and they fill the chipped spot back in, but they are certainly still there. 

Is any damage done to the teeth after removing a sealant, is the tooth weaker, etc?  Has anyone kept their wisdom teeth in and not had any problems?

When a sealant is placed, there is an etching agent used to "prep" the tooth.  I am not certain about if the tooth is weaker to the point of risk... just etched a bit. 

There is a small percent of the population that has enough bone/jaw to handle their wisdom teeth.  Over the past 100 or so years, our society has changed so much about our traditional ways of eating that it literally has changed the dentition and bone structure of peoples teeth.... meaning not eating what our ancestors ate.  Make sense? 

[1love4ever]

I didnt know about the etching, thanks!  Most certainly makes sense, I am really in to traditional foods, WAPF, etc, and have learned all about it the last 6 months or so, really has me wishing I would have followed a TF diet through my pregnancies :(   But, we will hopefully have 1 more baby, so that will be the one!  I wonder if me following a TF diet will have that much of a difference on my child so quickly, or if good nutrition must go for several generations to fix the damage?  Dont know....

Originally Posted by goldenwillow 
When a sealant is placed, there is an etching agent used to "prep" the tooth.  I am not certain about if the tooth is weaker to the point of risk... just etched a bit. 

There is a small percent of the population that has enough bone/jaw to handle their wisdom teeth.  Over the past 100 or so years, our society has changed so much about our traditional ways of eating that it literally has changed the dentition and bone structure of peoples teeth.... meaning not eating what our ancestors ate.  Make sense? 

[goldenwillow]

Originally Posted by 1love4ever 

I didnt know about the etching, thanks!  Most certainly makes sense, I am really in to traditional foods, WAPF, etc, and have learned all about it the last 6 months or so, really has me wishing I would have followed a TF diet through my pregnancies :(   But, we will hopefully have 1 more baby, so that will be the one!  I wonder if me following a TF diet will have that much of a difference on my child so quickly, or if good nutrition must go for several generations to fix the damage?  Dont know....

In my experience....  I started a TF/WAPF diet in my 3rd month of pregnancy.   It most certainly made a difference, for myself and my child.  I had been GF for 6 years prior (celiac diagnosed) and I truly believe that was a benefit as well. 

My child is wicked smart, our birth was short and free of complications. 

[1love4ever]

Thats awesome!  I  believe gluten free is the way to go as well:)  Although, just like with the whole TF diet, I didnt learn about this until about 6 months ago.  Thankfully I have never been vegetarian or vegan so I did eat meat while pregnant, but no organ meats, ferments, FCLO, properly prepared grains, etc :(    I did start drinking raw milk while pregnant with DS though!!  I started it at month 4 but didnt drink a lot because it was hard to come by....  Anyway, I hope that since I'm nursing him (he's almost 6 months) and am now feeding DD and myself obviously, this diet, things will go better for them at least than they did for myself growing up.  My mom told me I was a sickly baby and neither of them have been sickly at all, so thats a start:)

One thing that I have thought about is: since I am now following a TF diet, I hear birth is supposed to be quick and easy.  Well, my midwife has a 2 hour drive to get to my home, so I am afraid of her missing the birth!!  hahaha.  My 2nd birth was pretty quick and easy actually, it was 10hr labor but I hear each labor is usually shorter, + my diet, equals, 2 hour labor?  I hope not, I actually enjoyed my 28hr labor with my first:)   My only concern with unassisted birth is that both of my babies have gotten stuck at the shoulders and needed help out (they are 9 pounders!), otherwise I'd welcome an unassisted birth if that was not a concern.  I'm guessing that my pelvic opening should have been larger but due to my poor diet growing up and/or my mothers diet as I was developing, it did not form as well as it should have.  Just a guess, I seem to grow nice healthy babies, just need help getting them all the way out.  Sorry I guess I'm totally off the subject of the original post huh!

So, out of curiosity, If you had sealants, would you get them removed prior to TTC?  I just wish I knew if they still leached BPA, or if thats just at placement.  Can you get your blood tested for BPA?

[goldenwillow]

We are off subject for sure... but this is your thread  :).  I am sure there is a way to test for BPA, maybe the Clifford test?  Not sure about blood.  It tests for what you are reactive to.  I personally would be more worried about what water I was drinking... fluoride, metals, etc.  Just get them out if they are bugging your thoughts. 

I wasn't perfect on the WAPF diet, about 75%.  I do not believe folks should follow 1 diet 100%... just my thought.  We did follow grass fed beef, butter, bone broths, CLO, good pre natals, fermented foods, sprouted grains and nuts.  All organic veggies, a lot from our garden, no soy unless organic and fermented.  I drank the eggnog (raw milk/eggs and nutmeg) every day.  My Husband would make it when we woke in the AM and then would freeze it a bit to be in a slushy form....  tasted better for me, texture wise.  I had no morning sickness either.  I feel that was the GF lifestyle I had already been doing was huge in that regards.  My labor was a total of 7 hours, 30 mins pushing.  Fantastic I hear for a 1st kiddo. 
 

It doesn't work for all, but it really did for us.  We have since slacked a bit on the diet... we are finding that we are less dependent on meats and dairy, etc.  Juice a lot now.  Just following our bodies current needs. 

If I was to get pregnant again, which I am not wanting too, I would definitely go back to the same as I did with my first pregnancy for sure.