I would like to start off by saying I haven't been to the dentist in YEARS! Possibly 4 or 5. I hate the dentist and growing up, I never had any "monthly check ups" or any treatment whatsoever. When I was about 15 or 16, I started to get severe toothaches and was forced to go to the dentist to get rid of the pain. They started a root canal on me, the first thing they did was take out the damaged nerve in my tooth that was causing the pain. After they did that, I never went back. I didn't want them to finish the root canal. I figured, the pain is gone, why go back, right?

Well, right now my teeth are still not in the greatest shape, they're yellow and I have bad breathe - one of my biggest insecurites about myself. I have decided as soon as I start working again, I'm going back to the dentist as soon as I can afford it and getting treatment. I know I must have gum disease since my breath smells bad. My main problems are these: I have one of those "Jewel" teeth. If you haven't figured it out, I have an upper tooth that is up in my gums, higher than all my other teeth, like the singer Jewel has. Has anyone had this and how do they get rid of that? Also, I have two sharp bottom teeth, just like a dog would have (except not THAT extreme)! anyone have that, or know how I can fix that?!

Now, onto tips, I know I have no room giving out advice on caring for your teeth (lol). Buy a dental care package, which should include a battery operated ("powerhandle") toothbrush (this fights plaque much better) that can have attachements such as a gum stimulator, tapered interdental brush, and a tongue scraper (the tongue scraper should be an absolute MUST! just brushing doesn't cut it. You'll see once you scrape your tongue, there is a buncha junk that is still there even after you brush your tongue, yuck!) I don't know where you get these systems, I got mine (the Power Proxi Oral Hygiene System) off the TV. Let me tell you, it is worth the money, for a lifetime of tooth care. This works wonders, especially if you already have nice teeth (I don't, but it does work great until I can get back to a dentist)

ok I wrote a novel here, I hope nobody quit reading before the end, lol~

thanks,
Allison

I'm not going to try and diagnose your problem over the internet but I will give you some free advice. First: GO SEE A DENTIST! I know that you "hate" going, you're definitely not alone in that feeling believe me! Everyday I hear "don't take this personally doc but I hate the dentist"... I see a lot of military spouses and other dependents, many of whom haven't seen a dentist in years. When I compare them to our "regular" patients, I see a huge difference in their overall dental health. The fact of the matter is that regular dental visits can help PREVENT many of the problems I see. Now, here is my advice to you... Go see a dentist as soon as finacially possible for you. Have that tooth where the root canal's been started looked at, that's a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. Your "Jewel" tooth sounds like an ectopic canine to me. This happens when for whatever reason the canine (eye tooth) fails to push out into line with the rest of your teeth. The only sure cure is orthodontics. This could take 2-3 years... or you could have it extracted. From your description of your "dog teeth" it sounds like you may have some orthodontic issues. Good Luck and Take Care!
PS: I'm glad you like your electric tooth brush and that you're concerned about your oral hygiene but please remember that it dosen't take the place of flossing!