I got braces in Feb. 2007. I’ve always had really bad oral hygiene–I just really hate brushing my teeth for some reason. So it was no suprise when my orthodontist announced to me last spring that my teeth had decalcified–those ugly white spots had showed up on the tops of my front teeth. I was mortified, hated them, and still do.
Then I was getting my braces tightened yesterday, and my ortho came over to fuss at me about the white spots, "you have those white spots." "I KNOW. I’ve had them a really long time now." "Aren’t you using your toothpaste?" "Yeah. crest prohealth." He looked confused, "We never gave you the special toothpaste? The MI paste?" "NO." And he gave me a tube of the MI PASTE stuff. Supposedly, it can help reverse white spots. I don’t know if I believe it. HAS ANYONE USED IT AND HAD WHITE SPOTS GO AWAY?
ALSO, DO I USE IT IN PLACE OF REGULAR TOOTHPASTE?

I got my wisdom teeth removed technically now 5 days ago….i’ve been doing extremely well with the treatments (mouth wash, healing steroids, daily oral hygiene, light smoking, etc.) and feel mostly confident. The thing is that lately, I’ve been getting food stuck in the empty areas, and the pieces I cannot remove I’m afraid to leave there….Although this debris has not breached the blood clot or gotten into the affected area, I still worry…..just like it’s a cavity or something…Also, I’m even more paranoid. They said by the 4th and 5th day it would swell the worst, but I’m still afraid that it’s from all this stuff going on. I simply cannot remove the food within the socket, and rinsing too much reportedly interrupts the clotting process. Is this something that I should worry about? Also, I have waited just about 3-4 days to smoke again and have been doing so lightly. I know many of you say I should quit, but what is honestly the best way to go about this without risking a dry socket or infection? I apologize for this lengthy question

I’m a 19 year old gay male. Ever since I was little I have had weak teeth and was prone to enamel loss as well as cavities. I still have all my really teeth but I have a larger amount of fillings than most people and they are the silver kind.

I was just wondering how important stuff like that is to others. I brush twice a day and always have I just have the weak teeth, so I don’t have awful oral hygiene. I hear you can have your silver fillings replace with white ones but how long can the white ones last??

Are they a smart investment. I don’t think I would get all my fillings re-done but just some so I don’t look so bad. I have also begun to lose some enamel behind one of my front teeth and I was wondering what to do about it?

I use Pro-Namel Whitening tooth paste and have a soft tooth brush as well I also use ACT mouth wash. Any Advice… Please???

I’ve never had the best oral hygiene, but I’ve only ever gotten 2 cavities. I recently started wearing rubber bands for my braces, and I noticed that my right upper front tooth is a tiny bit loose. Now, by that I mean that if I didn’t have my rubber band on, I probably wouldn’t notice it even if I played with it. The rubber band pulls back on the tooth. Is this a problem that will go away on its own? Or will I need serious dental attention? If I stop wearing the bands, will it go back to normal? I would appreciate if someone with a dental background answered this.

I went to the dentist today and he said I have a few cavities that were detected early and is only affecting the enamel/surface of the fissures (inner part of the fold of the back teeth) at the moment. He was in a bad mood when I went to go visit him, and he didn’t want to talk to his customers, so I was afraid to ask him. I know that taking care of oral hygiene is crucial, but what exactly can I do to reverse them? What kind of mouthwash works best from your experience in preventing further tooth decay/cavity and instead help remineralize it? Since the surface is sensitive, do I brush my teeth hard (although not aggresively) or softly? I’m afraid if I brush hard, it might do more damage, but if I brush lightly/softly, my teeth won’t be cleaned effectively as it should, making room for more bacteria to grow and take the cavities that I have to further stages. Are there certain ways/motions to brush your teeth (especially the back teeth that are use for chewing) in a more effective manner? Please help me. 10 points goes to best, thorough answers. Thanks in advance.
donnaish- I’m really sorry to be asking more questions on top of your already very very helpful and thorough answer, but I was wondering how frequently brushing one’s teeth (how many times a day) is best. Is brushing the tongue while you’re brushing your teeth a good idea or is that bad? Also, is it best to brush the teeth first thing upon waking up or after you’ve had your breakfast? I’m really sorry for bothering you with my many questions. And thank you so much for the time you’ve already spent for me.