Why are my teeth so shit?

[BackToTheOIdHouse]

Just want a moan, really.

I go to the dentist religiously every six months for a checkup/scale & polish if needed, I use interdental brushes daily and brush two or three times a day, I don't eat or drink sugary stuff or smoke. Yet still my gums are receding/often bleed, I have episodes of pain and I always seem to need loads of fillings.

To top it all off, last night a back tooth chipped (around a filling, which so far has stayed in place thankfully). I was only at the dentist in July, and I can't afford to go again so I'm stuck with it until after Christmas probably. So worried it's going to suddenly start killing me or the filling will fall out too. Also I must have swallowed the bit that came off, so hopefully that won't cause any problems on its 'journey'.

I have trigeminal neuralgia, and dental work sets it off just to make it even more joyous.

What am I doing wrong? Is it genetic? I seem to remember my mum having shit teeth but she was terrified of the dentist so never went, so I always thought that was the reason why.

Why can't I be a shark with their regenerating teeth?!

@gamerchick I get that done annually and it's vile isn't it. So painful and fingernails down blackboard-y. Ick. It's hard to know whether it helps it not - my gums might have been even worse without it, I suppose.

@PicsInRed that's interesting given I take NSAIDS for my arthritis and have a Mirena coil. Too late to do anything about the damage already done and can't really stop taking the NSAIDS but the Mirena can probably go.

@MacavityTheDentistsCat thank you, I'll Google! I'm quite willing to pay four quid every couple of weeks if it can put off the dentist in the future.

@Jammiebammie apart from NSAIDS (naproxen) I take cocodamol most days. I also have steroid injections 3 or 4 times a year. Over the last 10 years I've taken loads of different drugs including sulfazalazine (sp?), methotrexate (oral and injections) and plaquanil. I'm currently on a break as they were making my hair fall out and my gums bleed even more than they already do - I'm just managing the pain for now rather than treating the disease, hence pain meds. I also take tegretol for the TN. It's not really surprising that there will be a knock on effect with all that lot rattling around I suppose!

Stupid genetics. Why couldn't I have inherited my father's height and ability to eat anything and not put on weight, rather than my mum's crap teeth and stumpiness?!

We've covered it can be genetic.

Also, old fashioned antibiotics (don't take that personally, I'm 30 and am effected by it) such as liquid medication has been proven to be linked to weakened enamel and gum disease in later life.

My dentist showed me how to brush down into my gums instead of just over the top.

What toothpaste are you using?

I switched to SLS free (all sensodyne) and it made a massive massive difference.

Alternatively, are you using Colgate total care? If not, try it. It has triclosan and high ppm fluoride levels.

Oh also! Brushing up and down not side to side?

Sorry, I know I'm making you appear thick but this is kinda my obsession.

I'm desperately trying to keep my oral hygiene up to standard so I can have gingoplasty in a few months so I'm kinda obsessed.

one amazing dental care tip is to get an interspace brush such as this for the gumline:

www.amazon.co.uk/WISDOM-5028763005457-Wisdom-InterSpace-Toothbrush/dp/B001CLWFWW?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

it's not the same as Tepe / interdental. I use it around the gumline every time I brush, and it really cleans the crap off that the brush won't get. Amazing for dental health. Use it in addition to interdental tepes.

One of the oral irrigators also good - around the gumline and between teeth - I have a cordless and use it everytime I am in the shower.

Also buy a big bag of Xylitol (sweetener that's proven excellent for oral health), and swill half a teaspoon or so around the mouth for a minute or two after brushing each time. It kills bacteria amazingly.

I second the oil pulling with coconut if you can. I often rub virgin coconut oil onto my teeth and gums before bedtime, it controls bad bacteria and contains useful nutrients for the gums etc.

Get a metal tongue scraper and use it after brushing too every time.

Massage along the gums inside and out with the sonic toothbrush - it gets the circulation going and is good for them.

Finally as someone else mentioned supplement with Vit D + K (the K is essential to help absorption of the D), Vit C (great for gums) and I think B vits seem to help me too (not sure why).

Finally all this seems like a palaver but if you do it in the shower or bath it's not like taking special time out of your day to do it so it's easier to remember...!

NB you spit the Xylitol out after swishing!!! If you have a google you will see some of the studies done on it.

Is your bite normal? I have a malocclusion which unfortunately was not found to be severe enough for braces as a teenager so was never fixed (if I could go back and fight for them I absolutely would). As a result of this my teeth dont chew in the normal way, they dont meet at the points they should and bacteria gets trapped easier. My brother never brushed his teeth and has drank sugary drinks his whole life and is only requiring dental work in his 30s. I'm militant about oral hygiene and never drink fizzy juice, eat healthily etc. and have required fillings/root canal/extractions every 6 months since childhood. This contributed to a phobia and I lost a few teeth after not visiting a dentist for a few years.

I'm 27 and for the first time in my life didnt require further treatment after my check up. I've never been so smug leaving the place.

Any chance you might be low on B12/iron?

Tegretol (evil stuff imo) can give you dry mouth. Saliva is vital to manage the ph of your mouth so a lack of it is not helpful.
I feel your pain-literally- with the TN and dental treatment dilemma.

Even sugar free fizzy drinks are bad for your teeth. Even fizzy water. They are acidic.

Apparently, the oldest child in the family is much more likely to have problem teeth. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this at all, though it is true for me and DH.

@Kelsoooo yes to up and down! I have to be careful though because of gum recession and take care not to overbrush. Toothpaste-wise I use Corsodyl and/or Colgate, and Corsodyl gel when my gums are really playing up. I also use Corsodyl mouthwash daily.

@magicmallow some excellent tips, thank you! I really am willing to try anything at this point. The interspace brush sounds really good.

@Jent13c bite is normal but a few of my lower teeth have got a bit wonky over the years, so my teeth don't 'meet' as well as they used to. I wonder if this has made things worse? Congratulations on not needing further treatment - it's only ever happened to me once and it's a fantastic feeling!

@BogglesGoggles my last bloods taken a few months ago were fine (I was tested for lupus but my GP gave me a 'full MOT' at the same time).

@DrMadelineMaxwell dry mouth is the absolute worst side effect of the tegretol. In fact it's the only one that really bothers me. I'm genuinely sorry that you know the pain of TN, it's the most vicious agonising thing I've ever experienced (worse than childbirth, dental abscesses and RA flares)

@Bookridden I'm the eldest of three and both my brothers have perfect teeth! I wonder why that should be?!

I'm the eldest too!

Steroids can suppress your immune system, as can methotrexate so that might be a factor.

Dry mouth is definitely a problem, your saliva 'buffers' any acids in your mouth so if you haven't got any you're far more prone to decay. You can get saliva replacement gels and lozenges. Often people with dry mouths drink more-make sure it's plain water

You should ask your dentist for a prescription of high fluoride toothpaste, and after brushing/flossing (for 2 minutes) don't rinse it off at bedtime so it's acting overnight when your mouth gets even drier. (And use in the morning too).

Unfortunately, once you have fillings it's harder to prevent holes than when your teeth are sound.

Also, try not to use corsodyl every day, if you're brushing well it doesn't add any 'extra' and rinses the fluoride off!
Unfortunately, gum problems can be genetic. It doesn't seem fair!

My teeth were fine until I had morning sickness and immediately after throwing up I brushed my teeth.

I only found out later that after you have vomited you should allow half an hour before cleaning your teeth to allow the saliva in your mouth to neutralise stomach acid that was in the vomit.

By rushing them immediately after I was effectively brushing the acid into my teeth causing irreparable erosion.

The erosion wasn’t apparent until some years later and too late to do anything about.

My teeth are highly sensitive and I try to drink soft drinks through a straw to avoid as much contact with my teeth as possible.

As an aside my son who is the eldest has great teeth. My daughter however was born with hyper plastic teeth and whilst she had loads of problems as a child she now has good adult teeth.

I’m the eldest and have shit teeth, but so does my sister and both my parents! I’m 38 and have had to have two extractions, oh actually 3 including a dodgy wisdom tooth, and loads of fillings. We are all the same. I hope my kids got their dads teeth...

You should ask your dentist for a prescription of high fluoride toothpaste, and after brushing/flossing (for 2 minutes) don't rinse it off at bedtime so it's acting overnight when your mouth gets even drier. (And use in the morning too).

I get it on prescription (Duraphat) due to suffering from a dry mouth. Saliva replacements do nothing for me, I've tried everything. I've was tested for Sjogren's and thankfully it was negative. Dentist advised never to rinse after brushing, especially with the Duraphat.

There's a lot of bs on this thread

Do you have gum disease or gum recession?

Recession is normal and not disease, recession happens as we age. It can be worsened by position of teeth + harmful brushing habits but it is not a major problem as such apart fromeorsening sensitivity

Gum disease is inflammation of your gums + periodontium. So thats bleeding, red, swollen gums etc. Gum disease is caused by bacteria and smoking normally, there's a genetic component but mostly poor oral hygiene.

Fillings are needed when there's decay, or if you fracture your teeth normally. If you are on medication that causes dry mouth you will be much more prone to decay. If you have a dry mouth I agree that high fluoride toothpaste is a good idea. I would also say oral B electric over sonicare. You could get some disclosing tablets and check how you brush, make sure you aren't missing areas etc. If you have seen dental students they are normally really good at talking you through oral hygiene, if not I would either ask your dentist to help or a hygienist.

It's unlikely to be genetic tbh. Much much more likely to be dry mouth combined with diet.

Dry mouth is a massive massive cause of dental decay, someone with dry mouth will have to be a lot more careful than someone without dry mouth to prevent fillings. E.g. a few cans of diet coke a week could cause issues when they wouldn't in someone with 'normal' saliva flow.

Also just watch your sugar, maybe do a diet diary and make sure there's no hidden exposures to sugar. Remember sugar includes anything with sugar in and keep it to mealtimes. It's amazing how many people say their diet is no sugar and you can find the hidden sugar cause!

Try oil pulling. It can transform your oral health and is definitely worth trying.

www.healthline.com/nutrition/oil-pulling-coconut-oil#section3

My teeth are terrible and have been since my teens. If you saw me smile you would think I had white straight teeth but inside it's a different story! There's 3 missing, 2 with half missing, 1 with a big hole in the side of it. I have no pain ever but used to suffer chronic toothache in my teens. Maybe they're all dead My family always have lovely straight smiles but need fillings every visit to the dentist. I'm 34 so god knows what state they'll be in in 20 years..

Forgot to add.. my DP and his family haven't had one filling between them, but needed a lot of orthodontic work to get them straight.. braces etc. But no damage at all. And they aren't frequent brushers! Genetics plays a huge part.

It’s genetic unfortunately as well as other risk factors such as diabetes, smoking etc which exacerbate it.

One theory is the bacteria that are in the mouth when your teeth come through usually come from your mum (sucking dummy’s and placing in baby’s mouth or sharing food etc cause transfer of bacteria from mum to baby). The types of these bacteria transferred will make you more or less prone to decay or gum disease.

It’s not inevitable that you will get gum disease or recession. Recession only happens after your gums have been inflamed and the inflammation resolves.

My gran is 87 and has most all her teeth bar one or two with no recession nor bone loss. My Nan and grandad are in their late 70s and are the same. I am one of 3 siblings and have never had a filling nor any dental treatment in my life and neither have my 2 sisters. One sister went through a period of depression and oral hygiene was not amazing and it still did no lasting damage. Not one of us have ever needed a scale, brace or dental treatment (and our diets are horrific for sugar). We are all on 2 year recalls and still do go for xrays etc but never need treatment