Sooo Root Canals

[Silenka]

I use whichever toothpaste that happens to be in my house, before it was the blue colgate kind with the breath strip bits in it (forget what it was called), now it's one of those gimmicky crest 3d white pastes that almost guaranteed doesn't do shit for whiteness (bf bought it). Tastes bad too D:
Mouthwash is normal cool mint Listerene.

I know, I tend to eat slowly and therefore snack over time rather than all at once, I forgot that was so bad for teeth - that's probably a big part of my problem =/ Somehow I can't really help being a slow eater though, I've tried to eat quicker and I just can't D: I dunno about the flouride in tap water here - where I used to live near Cleveland, we actually had great water filtration and I had no problem drinking the tap water there. I haven't investigated it here in Columbus, but I use a brita filter pitcher which might filter out some stuff (dunno if it would filter flouride though). I tend not to drink water as much as I should though.

I actually have hypersaliva production I'm pretty sure XD It's definitely not low at least.

[Hyan]

Flossing: At LEAST once every other day. You could be the worlds best brusher, but if you're not flossing then you are going to get gingivitis, which will turn into periodontitis, which means nasty rotten breath and your teeth WILL fall out after losing alveolar bone because you've been lazy.

Found this out the hard way. At least my teeth haven't fallen off lol, but the dentist said my gingivitis was pretty horrible due to all the dental calculus, and my whole mouth was bleeding like crazy while she removed all of it. Now I've been using floss and damn do they make my gums sore, it's almost painful. On the other hand it's a great incentive since it's obvious how shitty condition my gums are in general.

It was kind of deceptive since my teeth look alright otherwise and there is no bleeding nor soreness while brushing. The infection was hiding under the calculus. Also haven't had any cavities so far.

[Kandykanez]

Found this out the hard way. At least my teeth haven't fallen off lol, but the dentist said my gingivitis was pretty horrible due to all the dental calculus, and my whole mouth was bleeding like crazy while she removed all of it. Now I've been using floss and damn do they make my gums sore, it's almost painful. On the other hand it's a great incentive since it's obvious how shitty condition my gums are in general.

It was kind of deceptive since my teeth look alright otherwise and there is no bleeding nor soreness while brushing. The infection was hiding under the calculus. Also haven't had any cavities so far.

Yeah it sucks for awhile when you initially have a cleaning and start to floss. But if it's any consolation, the more you floss the less you'll bleed. Once your gums are back in health, they should never bleed or hurt when you floss which is a very satisfying accomplishment.
Use colgate total, it's the best toothpaste for reducing inflammation and bleeding.

[Galkaeater]

flossing is my one weakness, like hyan i have never had a problem with cavitys just calculas getting out of hand luckly no infection yet.

[cdgreg]

Those are called stimudents, and they're pretty good for certain people. We recommend them when patients have larger gaps between their teeth, because they're just easier to use than floss and they're pretty effective. You don't have to pay as much attention to what you're doing, and it's not as technique heavy. They're also pretty cheap, I think you can get a pack of 50 or 100 in any pharmacy for $3ish dollars. The fact that they recommended them to you in the first place shows that they're concerned about your individual needs, as opposed to telling you the same old shit like any other patient.

They recommended them to my wife too, so it may just be their blanket recommendation along with flossing and whatnot.

Seeing discussion of rinses here's what I do rinse wise, tell me if I'm doing it right:
pre-rinse with regular green listerine
brush
post-rinse with act restoring mouthwash

[Kandykanez]

Nothing wrong with that sequence, maybe a bit overkill on double rinsing unless you're particularly concerned about gingivitis.

@Galkaeater - MAN UP! If regular flossing is a pain, try using a floss holder, or floss stick. They're much easier to work with. You could also invest in an irrigator/waterpick, they usually run $20-$40 and are also pretty easy to use. It's basically a pressurewasher for your gums and makes a big fun mess of things when you first try to use it. lol

[Rabidelly]

I feel lucky then about the status of my oral health. I only brush my teeth once a day (electric toothbrush), I ONLY floss before I have a dentist appointment, and I pretty much never use mouthwash. My dentist always says how my teeth look absolutely great.

Maybe an odd question, but how thorough are all of you when brushing your teeth? I may only brush once, but I'm damned thorough about it and get all surfaces and my gums as well. I hate feeling any rough surfaces on my teeth after I'm done.

[MarkM.]

I'm hoping that Uncle Brill will gather the chilren up for another rousing story, this one about his root canal...

[Roranora]

Man, you don't know how hard it is to quit smoking. Yes I do. It's as hard as it is to start flossing.

[Yuri-G]

Nothing wrong with that sequence, maybe a bit overkill on double rinsing unless you're particularly concerned about gingivitis.

@Galkaeater - MAN UP! If regular flossing is a pain, try using a floss holder, or floss stick. They're much easier to work with. You could also invest in an irrigator/waterpick, they usually run $20-$40 and are also pretty easy to use. It's basically a pressurewasher for your gums and makes a big fun mess of things when you first try to use it. lol

my dentist pimps that shit like it's going out of style. they are all about the shower flosser. I haven't gotten one yet... but I should. gums be bleedin, yo

edit: only bleeding when I go to the dentist and get them scraped. but still.

[Kandykanez]

I feel lucky then about the status of my oral health. I only brush my teeth once a day (electric toothbrush), I ONLY floss before I have a dentist appointment, and I pretty much never use mouthwash. My dentist always says how my teeth look absolutely great.

Maybe an odd question, but how thorough are all of you when brushing your teeth? I may only brush once, but I'm damned thorough about it and get all surfaces and my gums as well. I hate feeling any rough surfaces on my teeth after I'm done.

To be quite honest, it's not the dentist you want making statements about how your teeth appear. Dentists, especially oldschool ones, have a tendency to ONLY look at your teeth with one thing on their mind, drill and fill. No matter how well you brush and rinse, it doesn't reach interproximally (between) your teeth, especially the premolars/molars. I can't even tell you how many patients I have that come into the office with fabulous teeth, only to find that when I examine their gums I find heavy interproximal calculus, recession, deep pockets, etc. First thing I tell them is: "Well your teeth are quite nice! BUT YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE THEM."
That usually works. :D

my dentist pimps that shit like it's going out of style. they are all about the shower flosser. I haven't gotten one yet... but I should. gums be bleedin, yo

edit: only bleeding when I go to the dentist and get them scraped. but still.

Are you flossing normally? If your gums bleed in the slightest when you floss, gingivitis. If they need to scale you to the point that you're bleeding on every visit, you're building up calculus between appointments. You don't just recover from the damage that it does, it's cumulative. Alveolar bone doesn't grow back once it's been resorbed by your body. Think Gary Busey teeth.

[Silenka]

I have some gingivitis I can't seem to shake. Oddly, I only got it back after I went to the dentist for a cleaning (before that, it was fine). Although it does spring up once in a while and lasts a week or two, a vigorous regimen of brushing/flossing usually makes it go away again. This time though, I've been brushing, flossing and mouthwashing and it won't go away. I don't even know how gingivitis works, really. It seems to be completely random for me. D: Kinda annoying though.

[archibaldcrane]

Tooth brush - $3, Tooth paste - $4, never spending this money and getting stuck with the cost of a root canal - $1,000+ and a nasty ass fucking mouth.

Seriously, even brushing once a day cuts your rate of cavities and decay to almost nil, what the fuck is wrong with you people? Enjoy a future with dentures

I brush my teeth twice a day like clockwork, but falling on my bike and chipping one upper tooth, damaging a lower one to the point where a year later it started to die off...required a root canal.

It doesn't always have to do with hygiene. Don't be a retarded asshole.

@OP - root canal really wasn't bad.

[Kandykanez]

I have some gingivitis I can't seem to shake. Oddly, I only got it back after I went to the dentist for a cleaning (before that, it was fine). Although it does spring up once in a while and lasts a week or two, a vigorous regimen of brushing/flossing usually makes it go away again. This time though, I've been brushing, flossing and mouthwashing and it won't go away. I don't even know how gingivitis works, really. It seems to be completely random for me. D: Kinda annoying though.

In a nutshell, you need to have biofilm and/or calculus present under your gumline. When it's there for a certain amount of time your body triggers and immune response increasing blood flow to the area and causing inflammation. Healthy gums have a depth of 1-2mm, while 3-4mm is considered gingivitis, which is completely reversible. Once you hit the 5-6mm mark, that's stage 1 periodontitis and you've permanently lost some bone support. Some people are more prone to gingivitis, and certain medications can exacerbate the effects. (Are you on birth control pills? That's one culprit.) Increased hormones, etc. etc.
If you just can't seem to stop bleeding, switch to colgate total paste and listerine antiseptic to zero in on reducing that.

[Pirian]

I brush my teeth twice a day like clockwork, but falling on my bike and chipping one upper tooth, damaging a lower one to the point where a year later it started to die off...required a root canal.

It doesn't always have to do with hygiene. Don't be a retarded asshole.

@OP - root canal really wasn't bad.

Anecdotal personal stories over population statistics ftw

Don't be a retarded asshole.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Yuri-G]

In a nutshell, you need to have biofilm and/or calculus present under your gumline. When it's there for a certain amount of time your body triggers and immune response increasing blood flow to the area and causing inflammation. Healthy gums have a depth of 1-2mm, while 3-4mm is considered gingivitis, which is completely reversible. Once you hit the 5-6mm mark, that's stage 1 periodontitis and you've permanently lost some bone support. Some people are more prone to gingivitis, and certain medications can exacerbate the effects. (Are you on birth control pills? That's one culprit.) Increased hormones, etc. etc.
If you just can't seem to stop bleeding, switch to colgate total paste and listerine antiseptic to zero in on reducing that.

I never went beyond 4... good to know, shit's scary. mostly 2's and 3's, with some 1's and some 4's.

[Silenka]

Thanks for that, now I know why my dentist was giving me measurements and stuff. I was just like "okay...". Apparently when I went for my cleaning, I only had 1 tooth that was just barely over 3. Last night when I flossed I didn't bleed so I guess it's gone there for now. I'll pick up that Total paste when we run out of the current stuff.

[Talus]

Not all root canals are the result of poor hygiene. Cavities are the result of a combination of bad dental genetics and bad hygiene.

[Edit: I'm not a dentist. But I could play one on TV.]

[Kandykanez]

Not all root canals are the result of poor hygiene. Cavities are the result of a combination of bad dental genetics and bad hygiene.

[Edit: I'm not a dentist. But I could play one on TV.]

Bad genetics causing caries is one of the biggest dental myths out there. It's the kind of shit that dentists who are too lazy to explain in detail will say to patients who are too dumb to question them. Complete and total BS.

Major factors affecting caries in order of highest to lowest (off the top of my head) influence:
Fluoridated water exposure
Oral hygiene habits
Water consumption
Diet - sugary foods, acidic involvement
Eating frequency
Salivary flow and pH
Socioeconomic influence - lower income populations are considerably more prone to caries due to frequency of dental checkups and eating habits.

There are more things that fall under these categories (and some that I can't think of at the moment). Ask if you're interested, I'll try and explain it as best I can.

[Silenka]

So there's no such thing as a person who has weaker tooth enamel than normal? One of my dentists kind of told me that I have that...