erosion on teeth at gumline

  Apparently my teeth have a row of erosion all along the top (after my not having seen a dentist in 18 years). I  thought it was receded gums but he says the actual tooth-material has eroded: horrifying! He thinks I need to have them filled in by bonding. (I also have 4 fillings missing; going to replace them.) He did one bonding and also put a cap over a tooth that he said needs a root canal which I didn't want to face (so far, it's still okay; this-all was about two months ago; I don't eat much and no sugar). (No insurance presently.)
   My question is this: is bonding the way to go? The tooth that he did bond looked terrible: I had him go back and grind the material down some.. It took over a month for my gum to heal above where he did the work, and my tongue keeps trying to remove the bonding as though it were food stuck in there because I've been used to keeping all the assorted holes and crevices free of food. I do intend to have it fixed when, uh, "my ship comes in", but I just want to know: is it true I really don't need gum surgery? (He probably knows what he's talking about; he's a respected family dentist; still, I was not totally comfortable with him.) (I know you can't answer w/o seeing x-rays; but does it sound like it could use gum surgery? -- When you look at it from the side, there is a row of erosion, I guess, all along the teeth, especially on top.) Is there another way to treat this? Is it urgent to treat? I know the fillings are urgent -- especially the one that's worn down to the nerve (now topped w/ a "pulp cap" or whatever it was called), the other that almost is, and the awful cracked one on top. But I've been getting along SO far...
   So to summarize, my question is about the erosion on the top of my teeth and whether treating it with this plastic bonding stuff is the best way to go and what alternatives might there be? -- Thanks much for your time and attention.

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

The most important issue with the erosion is to find out what the cause of the erosion is and to prevent further problems.  Once that issue is addressed, I would recommend bonding on the eroded areas to prevent them from deepening, requiring more root canals on your teeth.  The bonding may need to be polished some more to smooth them out.  If the erosion is very severe, a crown (or cap) may need to be placed.

[upanddown333]

Wow, thanks for answering my question so quickly and well! I agree about finding out the cause, but my dentist (actually my mom's dentist) did not seem very interested in discussing the cause, though he suspected overcleaning. I think it was neglect combined with extreme flossing with the intention of letting them heal and then eating instead and falling asleep without cleaning them until morning and repeating that over and over. Also  not being able to see a dentist for about 20 years. It's my difficult life that causes this lack of care and I'm trying to improve it and use more self-discipline no matter what my circumstances are.
   Thanks again for your answer, I appreciate it so much.