Sharon

Once again, useful advice popo. Can I assume that the over-the-counter stuff is safe and harmless if used as directed? And it won't cause uneven bleaching? I have some demineralisation damage (the damaged bits look very white) to my teeth from a bad Diet Coke habit I had for years and was looking at this to even the colour out.

popo

Aah, different story here. Bleaching (OTC or dentist's ) likely won't even out your spots to the degree of you being satisfied. Most people who want to even out white blotchiness like this go for veneers.

Sharon

Damn, not exactly what I wanted to hear since veneers are another price bracket altogether. Having said that, nobody really notices it about my teeth, most people have said I have a killer smile... I'm the only one who spots it when I look at my teeth from certain angles under bathroom lighting, so maybe it's not something I should be too worried about.

Once again, thanks!

Intense1

Hi popo, I wanted to send you an update on what you advised me to do a few months back about my mom (who has dementia, and whose dental records we could not find.) Very good outcome.

My niece has just become a licensed Dental Assistant, and in a most wonderful turn of events, she has procured a part-time/temp job situation in one of the most reputable dentists in our county, mostly because she did her internship with them and they liked her. There is a potential that she will go on board there when another DA leaves in May.

Anyway, I made an appointment with this dentist office, and they treated my mom like gold. Of course, my niece was there, and I could tell their office atmosphere is very genial and open. The dentist called me back after x-rays and an initial exam on my mom and explained that she had a filling missing, and it was a massive one at that (about half of her tooth!). He said he could do a crown, but that it was expensive, so the cost had to be weighed. He offered to put in a (ok, here's where I didn't get it all) sort of a temporary filling like thing that would stay in for quite a while. He was also talking to my niece at the time, and they were all "dentisty-talking" and so I relied on my niece for an interpretation. She explained that this "temp" filling like thing would be good for a good while, at least until my mom could save some money to get a crown if she wants. Maybe even up to two years.

The dentist was one of the partners, and the head partner even came by and examined my mom and her x-rays and introduced himself and was very nice. Everyone was just great. We scheduled a cleaning for here in about a week.

The great thing - they refused to charge my mom for the visit. They said that she was my niece's grandmother, so they would not charge her, even for the materials of the super wonderful goop they put in her tooth.

My mom still remembers this, even with her dementia. She mentions it at least once a day.

God bless good, kind dentists!

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Flyingcow

I recently had 4 of my teeth extracted last monday. 2 in top, 2 in bottom.

one tooth in the upper right had a very long root. he was pulling at it for atleast 5 minutes. this side also took the longest to stop bleeding.

everything has seemed to healup nicely except for the top teeth. the left side of my mouth has a significant bump where the toothth was pulled but there is no pain. im assuming that this is because he expanded my jawbone to extract it. well the top right tooth has a similar bump. but there is a small cut going up pretty high in my gum. he said the tooth had very long roots. at the top of the cut, there appears to be something like a canker sore and it feels like the bone is very close underneath.

will this go away? i read about the horrors of the jawbone growing through the gums, the infections, and complications this creates. will the jawbone eventually shrink back down? or will it get bigger like other bones do when they break. as for the sore at the top, i tried girgling some salt water. i dont know if it will help yet.

Paq

just a quick question...i'm almost in flyingcow's position, but anyway


i now have 3 crowns cemented into place...2 porcelain over noble metals and 1 gold in the very rear. my question: How long will these last, on average, assuming good care before i have to have them replaced.

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Chris

Prince

I have an upper molar (second from the back) that's cracked. It cracked during a normal meal, so clearly it wasn't a healthy one to begin with. From what I've felt with my tongue, there's a piece of it loose, yet attached. I won't get in to see a dentist for about two weeks, and have been careful not to chew on that side or mess with it much with my tongue, for this fear of mine that if the loose piece comes off, there'll be like root or something exposed and massive pain will ensue from there on. However, now there's an unpleasant and constant taste in my mouth, doesn't matter how much I brush or gargle Listerine, it remains. My uneducated guess is that there's an infection or something that that cracked, mostly loose piece of the tooth is nesting, and it's puss that I keep tasting... I guess I am wondering what I should do about it during these couple of weeks before I get to go in...

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popo

It's really hard to say what's going on based on this. I wouldn't be worried about long term "jawbone growing through the gums" etc. If you see a canker sore type of lesion I'd have it checked since it could be an infection... though I'm not sure how or why you're looking way back in there...

Yes, gargle with warm salt water but I'd have it checked.

The all gold one should last longer since there's no porcelain to fracture but either should last an average of ~7-12 years. The gold could last way longer.

I wouldn't wait a couple of weeks. If it fractures more you could be looking at an extraction and replacement vs. a possibly more simple fix. Unfortunately there's nothing you can do that will get rid of the infection on your own. Salt water rinses to keep it under control a tiny bit but it won't do much.

Why wait a couple weeks?

qweds

hey popo,

i asked you a question a good while ago and then went in to get checked out for a cavity. Well I went to the wrong dentist. Then after getting a a whole bite wing Xray for peace corps my new dentist did a whole ton of work replacing bad old fillings and such.

Then three days ago I started getting a toothache on my lower left 1st molar (not the twelve year one). I had some work done on that tooth about 2 months ago, but now my insurance through COBRA is over and all these medical expenses just keep delaying when I can leave for Peace Corps.

Is there anything I can do to judge how serious this thing is?

It's not a heat/cold sensitivity, but if I bite anything harder that a soft pineapple I'm in incredible pain.

It also get worse through the day, it seems fine in the morning, but now at 1pm i want to hit it with a hockey skate. It's only slightly tender if I push it side to side with my fingers, but hurts a ton if i bite down on it. I've also flossed thoroughly around the tooth.

thanks for any help, and if this doesn't go away by Wednesday I'm probably just going to go to a dentist as it's affecting my ability to work. Oh and I can't take any painkillers b/c I'm on dicluflocan (or something like that) for, get this, arthritis in my foot (I'm 23).

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popo

Sorry it took a while... I've had a rough couple weeks culminating with my dad passing away after a battle with cancer. Not a fun time.

Anyways, it's tough to say what the problem is but it sounds like the tooth might be fractured/cracked. Depending on how bad it is it might be fixed with a white filling or a crown. If deep, it could require a root canal or even extraction. Get it checked again.

Sharon

popo, very sorry to hear about your dad. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say I am grateful for your generosity in helping us out with this thread, but I'm glad you took the time out to focus on more important priorities. I wish you and your family well in coping with your bereavement.

MM8048

I have been having a hard time with my temp bridge. The Dentist Asst put one in on Mar 28th. It really wasn'y very good to start. Anyway it came out 3 weeks later I glued it back. Then it came out again I went back and the Asst out back in place. By this time the plastice temp was broken on the backside. 2 days later it breaks again (I should be saying comes out), this time it cracked at the front tooth. Part stayed on the ft tooth the rest came out. This is a 3 crown bridge starting at the right ft tooth. So I go back the asst used the same broken up temp and some material so you won't see the crack and sends me on my way. The temp breaks at the ft tooth later that night and the rest comes out. I have been very careful not to eat anything too hard. So I go back this morning and request they make a new one. The Asst does so, the gives me the mirror. This is the worse one yet. The ft tooth is very crooked, and the the next two teeth are quite a bit shorter than they should be. I told the Asst I was unhappy and it did not look good. The Dentist came in, and basically said these temps are cost them a lot of money and are timely to do. They do not have a problem with other people. (back at work I spoke to 2 other people who had their temps come off by the same dentist). She proceeded to buzz down the temp a bit. When she was done the ft tooth was somewhat straighter but much narrower. And all teeth are noticeably crooked. She said there was nothing more she could do, I would have to wait until the real bridge came in (about 10 more days). I was so angry when I left there. I originally went because I swallowed a post & crown and wanted her to replace it but she said it would be better to do a bridege because of decay. Then after she does her grinding she says we have a problem, the 3rd tooth of the bridge is wobbly, I felt it and it was not. This would have costed me $1,500.00 out of pocket. On the next visit I told them I did not want the 6 tooth bridge, I was going to go with the 3 tooth. This is when I thought her attitude changed. Would you agree that it is hard to make a temp fit right when soemone has a small or closed bite. Also is it normal for the Asst to make the temps. I know my bottom teeth would hit the top, but that did not affect the legnth, I don't see why the temp has to be shorter & crooked looking. People at work definetly noticed. I appreciate any answers. Thanks. MM

popo

Without knowing all the details it's impossible for me to give a real opinion. But I would definitely have a sit down with the doc and explain your frustration. If you don't like the reaction, I would get a 2nd opinion. If you want the expert opinion, look for a good prosthodontist. Something doesn't sound kosher here.

Thank you Sharon.

MM8048

Thank you for your response to my question. There really aren't too many more details. After searching on the internet it appears that an asst can be the one to make the temp bridge and install it. Maybe I am uneducated on this subject, but I do not see why the teeth on a temp have to be crooked and shorter. The denist said because of my bite. But the teeth being longer have no bearing on that, when I bite down my lower teeth hit the very top of the ft teeth. And being crooked as no advantage. I was very upset by what she said. She stressed how much this cost her to do a temp, and then repair it 3x's and finally repl it. I'm sorry but I don't see how that is my problem. But as I said maybe I am just not educated in this area. After the final bridge is in, I will make a call to our provider and give them the details. I wouldn't want to do it now because who knows how I would be treated after that.

Again thank you so much for your time.

popo

The provider doesn't care. What I meant about details is that I don't know both sides of the story. I believe what you're saying is accurate but sometimes there are confounding variables. Again, I'm not saying that you're fibbing, or exaggerating. I DO think that it doesn't sound right and that you should seek another opinion. I don't think you've been treated properly from the sound of things.

Rdhed28

Hey popo I hope you can help me out. I went to a new dentist and said I needed a lot of work...which I knew. Questions:
1) my insurance covers porcelain fused to metal crowns but they are charging me an extra $350 per crown for a "procelain upgrade". It's not empress and I already thought my insurance was coving a porcelain crown. so what could this be?
2) I have a cavity between two molars and they are charging me for 2 onlay metallic-three surfaces and 2 Cerec upgrades. The onlays are $105 which I expected but I need 2? And what is this upgrade again for $350 per tooth?
3) Do I need to pay the extra money to be sent to an oral surgeon to extract a tooth that had a crown and then broke...and now needs to be pulled?
Thanks for the help!

popo

For the first 2 questions I really don't know about insurances. I have zero experience with these types of issues. For the 3rd question, there's no way for me to know without seeing you and knowing the comfort level of your GP when it comes to extractions.

This might sound rough but.... you say that you knew you'd need a lot of work. Typically that comes from someone who hasn't been to a dentist in a long time. It sounds like you're now getting on the horse again... and good for you. Now consider all the money/time you saved by not going before and get the proper treatment now. Trust your dentist and listen to him. If you're seeing one you don't trust off the bat, find another one. Don't just go to the lowest price. Like I've said before, if you need a low cost dentist you can get great work done at a discounted rate at a local dental school. If the case is big, ask for the Graduate Prosthodontics dept.

qweds

Thanks a lot popo. Very sorry to hear about your loss. I'll see if I can hit my parents up for some dentist money this weekend. After the dropped 5k on orthos i'm sure they won't want to see it pissed away over something like this... let's hope

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tim(mah)

CookieCutter

I've been told I need braces to correct my bite (I have no canines to guide my bite and the only real contact between my upper and lower teeth is between my back molars), what I don't understand is how braces could possibly fix this?? Its understandable that crooked teeth can be corrected with braces, but mine aren't crooked!

Also, because of my bite I am developing TMJ, every morning my jaw is sore and clicks out of place in such a way that I can't open my mouth. So, I started wearing a night guard two nights ago and it has worked wonders for the TMJ...however this morning I woke up and one of my front teeth hurt, almost like the night guard was trying to move it, like braces would move a crooked tooth. Is it possible for a night guard to cause teeth to move over time?

I know these are more ortho related questions, but any help would be appreciated!

Sharon

I'll add another completely pedestrian question - I just got an electric toothbrush. How long should I be brushing with it for? It seems a LOT more efficient than a manual one.

LoganSnake

I woke up yesterday with a numb pain in my 14th tooth on the top left. The pain would let go if I didn't put any pressure on it, but would come back once I would bite down on it or chew on that side. I went to the dentist without an appointment and they took a look at me as an emergency case. X-rays were taken and the dentist said that my filling is very close to the nerve. On top of it all, my nerve appears to be dying and that's what's causing the pain. She prescribed me Amoxicillin and Ibuprofen with a note that if the pain does not let go in a couple of days, to make an appointment for a root canal.

I really don't want to get a root canal. Is there anything else I can do?

Also, what is the procedure like for the root canal? A quick answer would be appreciated since the pain is still present.

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Scully317

Hi Logan,
I'm not a dentist, but have been a Registered Dental Asst. for 23 years and have worked for and endodontist (root canal specialist) for 18 years. I can tell you that if your nerve in #14 is dead/dying, you have two choices: either extraction or a root canal. The antibiotic may make the pain/pressure sensitivity go away temporarily. This is because a dead nerve causes an infection inside the tooth, in the nerve space. The infection is calmed down by the antibiotic. However until a root canal is performed the infection will return eventually. I can say that root canals have gotten a bad rap in the past. Nowadays, as long as your dentist can get you numb, you should not have any pain during the procedure. Since my experience is with specialists, a general dentist experience may be a little different, I would hope not, but maybe. It takes about 1-2 hours to do, depending on the number of canals (usually 3-4 canals on #14), and the anatomy of the roots. The dentist will drill a very small hole into the biting surface of the tooth, and file the insides of the canals until all nerve tissue has been removed. Once the canals are cleaned and shaped, he will fill the canals with a material called gutta percha, which is a type of rubber that is heated and packed into the canals with a sealer(glue). It's important to fill all the nooks and crannies of the canals to prevent reinfection. He will most likely take x-rays at certain points during the procedure to make sure he has filed/filled the canals properly. The tooth may be painful to biting for about a week or so after, just from the work done on the tooth. Kind of like a bruised area. After the root canal, you will need a post/core buildup and a crown to restore the tooth. We do at least 5 root canals a day in our office, and I talk to hundreds of patients about this every year. I myself have had 10 root canals over the years. The experience should not be a painful one if your infection is under control. Good Luck.

popo

Yeah, a guard can move your teeth slightly. If you feel that it's happening, your dentist can adjust it very easily and quickly to relieve the area that's putting pressure on the tooth. Braces don't just move teeth sideways (horizontally), they also move teeth vertically (up and down). So, move some teeth up, some down and soon your bite will be better.

Still 2 minutes, I think there's even a timer on most models.

It sounds like you may have a cracked tooth and/or a diseased pulp (nerve). One doesn't necessarily come with the other but without seeing the xray I can't say much about that. If needed, a root canal basically goes like this: teeth have a blood supply with a nerve. If it gets infected or inflamed beyond a certain point, it can't heal on its own. It needs a root canal treatment. What this means is that the root canal system (blood vessels & nerve) are removed and the canal is sterilized and then packed & sealed with an inert material. It's not complicated, just very technique-sensitive.

Here's a tip: If it's really #14 that's getting done, ask your dentist how many canals he found and make sure the answer is 4, not 3. Personally, I would have it done by someone who limits his practice to root canals. This can be a general dentist or an endodontist (a root canal specialist).

Scully317

So true. My boss says upper 1st molars ALWAYS have 4 canals. We do a lot of retreatments on teeth that only had 3 canals done. I think I misspoke yesterday, we usually say 3 or 4 canals to patients on the phone before they have a consult on a molar because it's not always the tooth they think it is. So generalizing you know.

CookieCutter

ug, tell me how to pop my jaw back into place! My nightguard didn't work for some reason, and I haven't been able to fully open my mouth since 4 am this morning.

I can't really go to the dentist right now because I have no health insurance and no $$. Please help!

Plan9

I have a cracked (hairline) molar and was told that I need a crown in the near future (6-12 months).

Should I wait or just get the thing done? Dentist didn't stress it immediately.

I can't stop eating smoked almonds... but can only do it with only one side of my mouth now.

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Zar

Here's a question.

I've always basically thought that my family's dentist was an asshole, as he just has that arrogant, cocky attitude going for him. That may bias my views.

Last time I visited the dentist, he tried to sell me a system to fight my supposed gum disease. He looked in my mouth, said I had "stage 3" gingivitis, and then had the hygienist show me a 10 minute video on this system called PerioProtect. I had originally thought this was just some system that he had found useful and effective in treating patients with gum disease. However, as I'm watching the video, I realize, holy shit, there's my dentist, subtitled "CEO of PerioProtect Inc." trying to sell me this system. It seemed to basically consist of plastic tooth molds, which you squirted some anti-gum disease gunk into and then left in place for 30 minutes a day.

Anyway, the fact that it was my dentist himself who had apparently come up with this system and had made a slick DVD to sell it and thereby line his pockets immediately put me off to the whole proposition. The funniest part was, though, that my dental hygienist (an extremely nice women, who is basically the entire reason my family goes to this dentist in the first place) said immediately afterward, "You don't really need this."

I am not opposed to the idea that my gums are not in the best of shape, although I am only 23 years old. I've even been brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash more regularly since that visit. However, I was curious as to your opinion on this "PerioProtect" and as to whether you think my dentist was just trying to fleece me. BTW, his system would have cost me 1500 dollars "plus additional unforeseen costs" had I agreed to it. He even had me sign a document saying that I had been made aware that my teeth may fall out of my head at a moment's notice (an exaggeration, but not much of one) if I didn't agree to use his system, and had decided not to anyways. He also had me sign a document saying that I was aware that he was not, infact, a licensed periodontist, which cracked me up. I guess he figures most people are stupid and don't actually read this stuff.

Let me know your opinion, thanks.

popo

There's no way for me to do this on a website. See a dentist, go to a dental school or go to an ER and ask to be seen by an oral surgeon on call.

Trouble with these cracks is you never know how deep they are until it breaks completely. Lots of teeth have small cracks on them but again, you never know. It's a judgement call. My wife's got a molar with an old filling and a small crack in the tooth. She's getting an onlay (a partial crown) done.

I'd advise you to stick with your hygienist. PerioProtect is a crock IMHO.

Monsie

Four days ago I had my wisdom teeth removed by an oral surgeon. They seem to be healing alright except my left lower one much slower than my right lower one. My left lower one I believe may have had pericoronitis and my oral surgeon removed it anyway. Was this a good move? I was under the impression that it should have been treated with antibiotics before its removal. I am on penicilln now but am just a little worried. Is there anything I should do to insure it heals/kills the infection?

popo

Typically it is treated with antibiotics first but it's not an absolute. It should all heal fine on it's own now, 4 days later and on Pen. Things you should watch for are a bad taste in your mouth, growing redness or heat on your cheek, throbbing, etc. You should note a lot of improvement over the next few days. Rinsing with warm salt water is a good thing but do it gently, not like on a Listerine commercial.

Creizen

Hi, my teeth/gums are in not so great condition right now. My upper set of teeth are in good shape but as has been the history of my teeth, my lower are troublesome, my lower teeth have grown in an untidy way, so that I can't actually close my front teeth together properly. This actually I guess is to do with my jaw rather than teeth, because no matter how I look at it, even if they were replaced or anything, they still wouldn't meet my top set. Anyway because my teeth are untidy arranged and I'm not massively well behaved with keeping up with brushing properly every day(my own fault yes I am lazy) a lot of hard plaque has built up.

Usually I go to the dentist every 6 months, and they find it and remove it with a drill/pick thing and say everythings fine, never has any dentist helped me with the lower teeth arrangement, and so I never really took it as a problem, and I never bothered to ask until now. But now I've been in China for 9 months without seeing a dentist and I don't really trust chinese dentists, plus i have no healthcare here, so I'd have to pay for anything, not that its actually expensive but if they ever messed up, fees would mount.

So as its been so long, the hard plaque has started to build up again, I've recently been brushing a lot frequently to try to make up for lost time as it were, but I'm not so naive as to think that would work. There's no pain yet but I'm just wondering what I should do with this hard plaque buildup and no imminent travel back to the UK to see a trustworthy dentist. And whether my lower set can actually be tidied so they look ok and my jaw fixed or anything done about that. It's not terrible, but its just something that bothers me a little.

Xazy

I am wondering is act restoring mouthwash any better then listerine?

Luciian

or for that matter are any of the mouthwashes really better than others. Is it really worth it to buy name brand mouth wash rather than Target brand? ATM I am using crest prohealth, does it matter?

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popo

Tough situation. In reality, it's not the hard stuff that causes disease, it's the soft stuff that does it. Without cleaning, the soft stuff hardens over time. Kinda like when you cook & get a mess on your kitchen counter. If you clean it right away you just need a soft sponge or paper towel (i.e. toothbrush). If you let it build up you need to scrape it off the counter (i.e. dentist's scraper). So while it's the soft stuff (bacteria) that causes disease, the hard stuff makes it very difficult for you to get rid of the bacteria.

I have a buddy training over here from China and I know that they don't learn/teach proper hygiene over there so finding someone who can help you might be tough. He is planning on going back there when finished training and so I can't believe that he's the only one to do this. Is there a way to find US/Canadian/European or Australian-trained dentists? I know someone very good in Malaysia... do you ever travel there??

If not, the best you might be able to do is to keep things spotless (completely free of soft plaque) until your gums do not bleed at all on brushing & flossing. Do this until you get back to England and then change your habits so you don't lose your teeth! Good luck.

No, Listerine is actually the most proven. In reality I'm not sure of the need for a mouthrinse if you brush & floss well. In those more susceptible to disease there are advantages to using an antibacterial rinse like Listerine or Chlorhexidine (Peridex). Personally I use Crest ProHealth because I prefer the taste and lack of alcohol burn. But brushing & flossing is WAY more important.

Xazy

Thank you for the reply!

mryhrtsong

Hello!

My dentist has a good reputation in our area, but I am a new patient, due to a change in insurance. I had to have my lower right first molar crowned, and I was reluctant to get one, because of the experiences of some of my friends and family. When the dentist recommended it, he said that he didn't feel I need a root canal, and that put me a little more at ease. During the first appointment, he said there was a lot more decay under the old filling than he had thought, and he had to put some material inside the tooth to reinforce it before the impression was taken. When they sent me home with the temp crown, it remained painful all the way to my second appointment.

My permanent crown was cemented in place on June 19th. It wasn't fun. The dentist has assistants who fit the crown and do all the adjusting, and she popped it on and off several times before the bite was right. It was very painful, and she told him that the mesial area of my tooth was very sensitive. I was instructed to baby that tooth, so the nerve would settle down, giving the tooth a chance to heal itself, and I did. When I went back on July 2nd to have 2 fillings replaced, it had only been feeling calm for a few days, but I felt encouraged that it was healing. Unfortunately, the teeth I needed worked on were the first and second molars right above the crown. When the assistants (who put the amalgam in place and shaped them) were finishing the adjustments on the filling, I couldn't tell if the bite was right because I was having galvanic shock between the newly crowned tooth and the one above it.

Fast forwarding to today: I have finished the Medrol dose pack he prescribed July 2nd to lightly supress my immune system and allow the tooth to settle. I only noticed the shock for the first day, as eating eggs seemed to help, but my crowned tooth still seems very upset by all this, and perhaps more so today than a couple days ago. I have noticed that my bite doesn't seem right, and it seems like it's the filling in the second molar, so it might not be directly over the crown. I have an appointment to get it adjusted next week.

The questions I have are: 1) Could the galvanic shock have interrupted the healing of that tooth under the crown, and can galvanic shock promote abscess? and 2) How long can it take for a tooth to settle down and heal under a crown? Liquids and even air hurt right now. Thanks for your time.

popo

1) No, it can't cause an abscess.

2) It shouldn't take longer than a week or 2 but if the bite isn't right it should be adjusted instead of waiting for things to settle.

Siege

This isn't an issue, I just want to thank popo for continually checking these threads after all this time.

You rock pal!

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This part just makes my posts easier to find

mryhrtsong

Thanks for your response. I've been back to see him and got the high spots in the filling above the crown taken down, but I've realized that some of the pain I'm having from the crowned tooth is associated with sweet things like fruit juice and grapes. The discomfort when I eat or drink things like that seems to linger for quite a while. I've left a message at his office for an appointment. Perhaps I can get in early next week and see what that's all about. Maybe I bit down too hard and too much of the cement squished out for it to seal well. Anyway, I wanted to tell you I really appreciate your answering my question. Have a great day!

YaWhateva

I had to get a tooth pulled (lower left molar second to last) because I chipped it while skateboarding and didn't go to the dentist and for some reason it got an abscess. So when I went to the dentist, I got the tooth behind it filled because there was a cavity. Now that tooth that I got filled seems like there is something wrong with it, it doesn't hurt at all but I have a funny taste in my mouth and I know it's coming from that tooth. It's not affecting my breath because I do not have bad breath but it's just a funny taste in my mouth. I don't have insurance so I am worried about that. Also my wisdom teeth are coming in, could that have an effect on my tooth's health? I feel I am going to be looking at a huge bill if I go to get this fixed because for some reason I feel that I might need a root canal and getting my wisdom teeth taken out is going to cost a fortune.

I have had trouble with my teeth my entire life (I'm only 22 now) and I take excellent care of my teeth. I brush 3-4 times a day for 3 minutes, I floss everyday, I don't eat candy, drink cokes, or coffee and I eat a bunch of fruit. My mom had problems with her teeth her entire life as well and she took care of them. Are there any hereditary diseases or something that gives teeth poor health for no real reason? It really irritates me because I take such good care of my teeth and a friend of mine has never once had a cavity and has perfect teeth, even though he eats tons of candy, and all he drinks is cokes and he says he like brushes his teeth once a day and sometimes even less.

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