Hey guys.....

Newbie here has a question about my teeth.

Sad to say, I haven't been to the dentist in like 10 years. Yeah, I know, it's disgusting and terrible but what do you do when you live almost check to check and have no insurance.

I have never had any problems with my teeth. However, about 4 months ago I am eating a nut, and I could feel pain from my molar and I was like what was that?

So I'm checking my molar out and I notice I have a tiny hole at the end of my top right molar, right next to my canine(I believe that's the name). Anyways, no biggie, it only ever hurt when I ate hard food because I think it would get stuck in there, so I just learned to chew everything on my left side.

So after a few weeks of avoiding it I am going to the dentist for the first time. Figure I need a root canal done or they pull my molar, something to that affect. Tonight I'm checking it out in the mirror, and I notice that in the gap between the side my molar is on, and the canine(?), I notice my gum area is real dark. Like where I would floss. So I thought it was food or something disgusting and I started flossing there, it's irritating but it doesn't like hurt or anything. Nothing.

It's like a small segment of the edge of my gum is dark or something! Is that just the area's way of dealing with all the irritability of food going through the hole into my molar everytime I eat? Or does that mean I have some internal problems underneath the tooth going on? I'm going to the dentist in a couple weeks, but this is starting to drive me crazy with curiousity.

Anyone have any idea?

Also, how do you know if a tooth has swelling, or is infected? I don't even know really what to look for as fas as an infection goes.....