People with great teeth- share your routines!

[GoldenCagedBird]

Just finished the last of some relatively simple dental work today (abroad) after years of abuse- going to bed without brushing after nights out, a few extended bouts of depression as a young adult where personal hygiene wasn’t great and also lots of red wine/Diet Coke.

I had 5 large cavities, two that initially needed crowning, but were fixed with a filling. So 5 fillings in total!

I really want to look after my teeth and be a great role model for DD. I would like to improve the colour too- mine are a normal shade, no overt yellowing, but a creamy white. My clinic abroad offers laser and strip whitening- what’s the difference?

could you share your brushes, mouthwashes, toothpaste you use? Do you brush 3 times a day?

I really want to get this right and have lovely teeth. I’m only 29 and was gutted that they were in such a poor state. A small mercy is some of my old cheap composites have been swapped out for porcelain, so inside the mouth is looking much better.

Oh and toothpaste from Lidl

I was just coming on to say I think a lot has to do with genetics. Although @Bluevelvetsofa this might not make you feel any better - apologies in advance!

Nearing 50, didn't see a dentist for 15 years between 30 and 45. I don't have any fillings.

Brother 52, just had his first filling.

My son's teeth are perfectly straight and no fillings (mid 20s).

And no... There was never any routine involved. Probably more neglect for us older two.

I floss now as it annoys me feeling something there. I brush normally. Nothing special.

I'm 43 with one filling and no teeth missing except the wisdom tooth that had to be removed as it wasn't growing as it should.

I think that good teeth must be in your genes as much as how you look after them because I must admit there are times that I haven't cleaned mine as thoroughly as I should and I have a shit diet with lots of sugary foods and crisps. I brush my teeth every night before bed.

I think good teeth are genetically determined. But also it's to do with birth order. Anecdotally I have better teeth than my younger sister. My older child has better teeth than his yiu g siblings g. I've noticed this elsewhere in the family.

Some areas of my gums were a 4 on the gum disease scale, even using interdental brushes in the way the dentist showed me.
Then I got a water pic. Last visit to the dentist the worst result was a 2.

I'm 40 - no fillings or any dental issues. I use a Philips sonicare electric brush morning and evening. I use either sensodyne toothpaste or regenerate sensitive toothpaste. A couple of times a week I use listerine mouthwash and a couple of other times I use a waterpik flosser. I had braces as a teenager so my teeth are relatively straight (though I never wore retainers so they're not perfect).

More importantly though I don't drink fizzy drinks or tea or coffee, I don't eat sweets (though my cake and chocolate habit knows no bounds) and I don't smoke. I drink water all day except a smoothie in the morning and herbal tea in the evening, I only occasionally drink alcohol (white wine or spritzers). I cook from scratch most of the time so don't eat large amounts of added sugar. I suspect that this is what contributes to my teeth health more.

I'm 52 and only had 2 small fillings that were in wisdom teeth that have since been removed. My parents were very strict about teeth brushing and sweets were restricted. I brush twice a day and use interdental brushes. Dentist once a year and hygienist twice a year. I don't eat much sugar or refined carbs either.

Maybe I should add something for consolation- my husband's parents have terrible teeth due to lack of proper hygiene. His dad believes his teeth are damaged due to drinking water, because there's scale in it LOL (he chooses fanta and coca-cola, because you know, they're better choice for teeth than water). My husband's teeth are normal. He needs a filling once in 3-4 years, but he brushes properly and this is enough for him to keep them healthy.

Clean with an electric tooth brush, morning and night
No fizzy drinks (carbonic acid)
Very few sweets or desserts
Floss as necessary
Gargle with mouth wash about once a week.

How many fillings some people have depends on their age and whether they saw dentists in the early 70s during the "drill 'em and fill 'em" years.

My hygienist says you should use interdental brushes three times a day. That's quite a tough ask for anyone who has to leave the house for work.

Yes not smoking makes a huge difference to the state of your oral health.

My dentist advised me against an electric toothbrush. As above - nearly 50, no fillings, but she said that I'm brushing to hard and must only use a soft brush.

I was guilty of brushing hard as otherwise, I didn't feel fully 'cleaned'. Brushing with a soft brush feels like using a baby brush.

I still go with genetics.

I was also a child of the 70s. No drilling and filling.

Oh this is interesting- I'm the eldest and no fillings, and I don't floss particularly often. Put it down to drinking loads of milk as a child and teenager!

Suburbs, you're too young for drilling and filling- it was if you were an older child/teen/young adult in the early 70s.

I have turned mine around by using an electric toothbrush and really thoroughly cleaning them. Floss and interdental brushes every time I clean my teeth. If I eat something and it feels sugary or I can feel anything in between my teeth, I brush and do the flossing/interdentals as soon as I can. Twice yearly check ups and an annual X-ray also so any issues are picked up asap. Consistency is key!

In my experience

50% is genetics and overall health
30% is hygiene
20% is how good your dentist is.

I have AWFUL teeth.

I had very generic but continuous childhood illnesses, treated with antibiotics (full sugar in the 90s sooooo) and my dentist, hygienist and Invisalign woman all named the antibiotics I've had regularly as an adult too without me mentioning it. They also all commented on the fact I must have been under an ENT consultant because they could tell by the staining, enamel erosion and gum health.

My eldest has poor teeth, not as bad as mine because she's never been ill, but like my father's - poor enamel, too many and generally unusually shaped.

For hygiene my dentist advises

brush before breakfast, chew gum after.

Brush half an hour after lunch.

Then again half an hour after evening meal/last food of the day.

Chew gum, sugar free, after everything you eat.

A cube a cheese is good after acidic food.

Never use mouthwash.

I've stuck to her advice and for the first time ever, I've not needed a filling at a check up.

I have pretty decent teeth. 3 fillings that were done when I was a teen. Now 40
Only been back to the dentist when those old fillings gave me trouble (2 of them needed replacing after nearly 20 years).
I dont have a particular routine... I brush every day, with an electric toothbrush and whatever paste I have handy. Only floss whenever I feel I have something in between my teeth. Never used mouthwash.

Regarding sibling differences, I too have much better teeth than my younger brother!

I brush in the morning with electric toothbrush and fluoride paste, don't rinse

In the evening I brush with a paste with hydroxyapatite because I read somewhere it was good
Interdental brushes with curasept gel
Tung brush with tung paste am and pm

Flossing I'm bad at and probably do it twice a week and I wear a mouth guard as I clench my teeth in my sleep

I do everything right, brushing, flossing, interdentals, hate sweet food and manly drink water or black coffee. But I still have a mouthful of fillings. My dentist doesn’t believe me.

No fillings. Age 45.
Brush twice a day with a regular toothbrush and shoot me but I use a fluoride free toothpaste and have done for years. Also tongue scrape every couple of days (always first thing in a morning) and use interdental brushes at bedtime.

I believe good teeth is partly genetics and partly overall health and diet. Not so much oral hygiene. Your teeth need good mineralization which is hard to obtain on a diet that’s less than optimal. Sugar obviously is also a killer for teeth but I’m pretty sure that’s common knowledge!