well i'm 27 years old and i've had rootcanals and many fillings in my day. i'm pretty used the pain and anxiety of it all. my mature approach just happens to be pretending i'm stabbing my dentist with a small drill.

-I've had bottom wisdom teeth pulled
-root canal
-braces
-retainers
-mostly all teeth have cavaties
-had a cavaty in one tooth so bad they had to pull the tooth out
-have a corwn
-had jaw surgery
-etc. etc. etc.

reminder: i'm only 16


that is crazy. my teeth are like that too i've had so many things done to my mouth it's a dang gold mine! these things happened to me when i was younger too. 5 things from your list i've gone through, and my dentist says i need braces because my bite is off. i also need a bridge because i'm missing a tooth. people like us have more dental problems than a hockey player. i totally empathize.

Sombra, in response to having dental work done in Mexico:

Nah...people here do it all the time...in Juaritos. It's so close and less than half the cost than if you went to a US dentist. But, of course, the trade off is you may come accross a bad one, so you gotta know who the good ones are. I had my braces done in Juarez and they did a pretty good job, I think. And my buddy, I trust him and the work was good, I felt. I'd recommend him without thinking twice.

Freds

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All I know is I know nothing - Socrates

I never brushed my teeth, I do it sparingly now, like once a day. But I use to do it once a MONTH! My teeth just never got dirty and my breath never smelt, so I felt fine. But yea, thank god for insurance =) The Surgery alone cost $10,000.00

wow. well i actually brushed my teeth all the time. my teeth are just prone to cavities i don't know why.

You need to drink more milk, Sombra..

Just kidding..it doesn't depend entirely on calcium intake...some people are more prone than other.

Freds

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All I know is I know nothing - Socrates

that very well could be it. i hate milk. always have. and i'm not really into dairy products in general. hmmm

I LOVE milk! I think that's the way with most people..either you love milk or you hate it..I haven't heard of much indifference towards milk.

How about you? Do you love milk or hate it? Or indifferent?

Fred

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All I know is I know nothing - Socrates

Is anyone whose going to a dentist on a regular basis getting some education or what? Everything can cause decay, breads, juices, EVERYTHING! The problem is that people dont think because its not sugar like Mt dew, it cant hurt, but it does. ANY FOOD that sits on your teeth for any length time starts to eat away at your enamel. Over time and lack of brushing and flossing will cause the tooth to deteriorate, hence cavities. And when it gets bad enough, it eats through the tooth to the nerve, then OUCH!!! Pain like hell, then root canal.

Brushing TWICE a day and flossing can help decrease the process of decay. Some of you guys who are younger should think about getting sealants. Its a thin layer of material the dentist places on your tooth, to help keep out those bugs that cause decay. Its relatively inexpensive, and can help prevent pain down the road.

Goodluck to you guys! KEEP YOUR TEETH! ITs the only set you get! And false teeth suck! You NEVER want to go through that bs!

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everything happens for a reason...

Actually, there's a co-worker I have that claims his dentist asked him not to brush his teeth so damn much. It seems that he was actually doing more harm, also scraping away at the enamel due to excessive brushing.

I guess every case is different.

Personally, I brush like four or five times a day and floss about three times a day. See, I keep some dental higene stuff at my desk so when I eat at work (a couple of times a day) I immediately floss and brush. It's also a great way to just get up out of your chair and stretch your legs a little bit.

Freddie

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All I know is I know nothing - Socrates

his dentist doesn't want him to brush his teeth so he can make some money off of him.

I'm feeling better! The stitches have dissolved and I'm beginning to eat normally again. Thank god. I remember I had gone to this one dentist, (before that appointment it had been like a year to 2 since I had last gone) and according to her my gums were a bit red, so she asked if I was asian. Now, I'm not a big fan of indulging people with info like that, but I figured she was going somewhere intelligent with it, so she says that most asians are "more prone to gum disease" and all this other bullshit. I was so ready to slap her. I've never heard more bullshit in my life, like me bein' asian had anything to do shit. Granted I haven't been back to that dentist since.

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Heil Frasbee

Nomas, youre friend was probably using a hard bristled brush and was causing abrasion. Alot of people brush too hard. What we tell our patients is to use a soft bristle brush. Actually, the Braun's 3-D, the one that spins. Alot of people brush from side to side, when you should use circular motions when near the gumline, the bristles get up into your gums. Also, alot of people who do brush their teeth regularly, can get periodontal disease because theyre not brushing properly up into their gums or flossing. (sorry I do this EVERYDAY of my life). I teach people how to correctly brush.

And its a known fact now, that periodontal disease is directly related to heart problems. Just thought Id throw that tid bit in...

We had a kid who came in the other day, 12 yrs old. This kids teeth were rotting out, his mother obviously doesnt think anything of hygiene herself(all 6 front teeth were gone cause they rotted out she said.) We ALMOST turned her in for child neglect. This makes me sick. Theres no reason for this kind of thing.

Had a person who came in a few years asking about her wisdom teeth..."If you remove them wont they make me dumber?" OMG lady, what are you thinking! NO! Some people are too much!

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everything happens for a reason...

I think by this point getting any dumber isn't at all something they should be worrying about.

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Heil Frasbee