Brother's teeth in bad shape.

[Killian]

Hi. My brother is about 26 years old, he has never been eager to pick up a toothbrush. That's an understatement. He has very poorly kept up with his dental hygiene. Over the years of neglecting his teeth, he barely brushed or flossed at all.

His teeth have become very yellow, obviously. I wouldn't feel so bad for him enough to come post here except something has disturbed me about his teeth even more than usual. Some parts of his teeth are turning black. Large spots that trail almost all the way to his gums (or possibly even onto his gums).

I'm very worried about him and have tried to convince to take better care of his teeth. He hasn't really been too worried about his teeth until these black spots have showed up. Now he is embarassed and just wants to get them fixed, yet I don't know if that's a possibility anymore. He has put himself in a rough position. Recently quit his job that supplied benefits, he cannot even go see a dentist to see how serious this is.

Can someone please help me out and tell me what this could be and how serious of a condition this is and if there is any possibility of halting this decay or whatever it is and what kind of treatment there could be out there for him?

[Angel6809]

Just out of interest, do you know if your brother has ever been a methamphetamine user?  Remember I have no idea what his situation is so PLEASE don't think that I'm suggesting that he's ever used it, because that's not what I'm doing.   It's just that you asked in your post what the problem could be and I do know that this is a common cause as to why a young adult's teeth have black spots on them, due to methamphetamine usage.  In the early stages, the teeth are flecked with black spots of decay and this soon progresses to where the teeth turn totally black and rot all the way down to the gum line, which is very similar to what you described.  Again, I'm not suggesting at all that this is the case with him, I'm just saying this has now become a common cause of teeth turning black in a young adult.  

Whatever the cause in your brother's case, he needs to get it sorted by a dentist.   Decay will not stop unless a dentist cleans it out completely and treats the teeth.   A dentist will be able to establish the extent of the decay with x-rays and propose the best course of treatment for the teeth.   It's a bummer he's just lost his benefits but quite often dentists can sort out a payment plan to make it easier on the patient.   Good luck with everything.

[lynn117]

staining is the biggest cause of dark spots but  it sounds like your brother hasnt seen a dentist for a long time so his problem could be very serious and not just staining. if the problem is decay there is no way to fix or halt the progress except by going to the dentist and spending a lot of money. if they are left alone and not treated he will probably end up with severe pain and infection. he is embarrassed now well wait until all he has left is stumps. check around for public clinics that will base payment on income if money is an issue. it has to be checked out now. he is very young and if he doesnt do something now he will regret it for the rest of his life. please encourage him to seek help right now!

[Killian]

Thanks guys for the help. My brother doesn't use Meth. He's against drugs and alcohol. So that's not the cause. I know the cause, it's neglecting his dental hygiene. He drinks litres of pop a day, smokes and rarely brushes. Don't worry, no offense ;]

I'll definetly look into getting him some payment plans and hopefully he can work something out. He says he doesn't feel any pain right now. But I'm afraid it's going to get much much worse in the next coming months. If he gets a bad gum disease, I know it's very serious. The problem is, if he sees a dentist, it's going to cost LOTS of money because he hasn't seen one in so long.

Thanks again for the help.

[Angel6809]

Ohhhhhh nooooo he's a soda drinker !   That's a sure-fire way to rot them.  Tell him Meths is far better for him :-)   Ok that's a joke by the way!  

However he may be surprised that it may not cost as much as he fears it will be.   If the teeth aren't in pain at the moment, THAT'S the time to go, not wait until he does feel pain.   If he feels pain, it's usually twice the price at the dentist because decay has found its way to the nerve.   Maybe all he needs at the moment is to have the decay cleaned out properly and then fillings placed.    Tell him that would be WAY cheaper than waiting for pain to strike and having to have heaps of root canals.