to wonder how tooth decay isn't much more common

[Pixi47]

So many people I see/lived with never floss and spend about a minute quick brushing their teeth. So many of my mates say they never floss either.I meticulously brush my teeth[at least 3 minutes each time] twice a day with electric brush and floss as well as rinsing an hour after brushing. What's your routine?

Flossing is more about preventing gum disease, which tends to catch up with people in their fifties.

I have had severe anxiety which meant I was unable to brush my teeth every day. That was for two and a half years. I haven’t needed any fillings, but I do now have gum disease and bone loss.

It's very common. I've looked after heaps of very young children having multiple teeth removed due to decay. And dental abscesses. To the point where I think severe decay in young children should be a safeguarding issue. No 3 or 4 year old should be needing extractions at that age.

It is common. It’s the most common disease in the world . Its is the most common disease in children in the U.K. It’s second only to periodontal disease ( gum disease ) in adults. In the U.K. It’s so commons it’s has a world wide branch of medicine called dentistry dedicated to treating it ( as well as gum disease) . There is pretty much at least one dental practice in every town in UK.
It’s caused by sugar predominantly rather than poor oral hygiene.
I think it’s on the rise again in children in UK but it’s been a while since I looked at the statistics.
Fluoride in toothpaste has helped control it for many. Fluoride in the water less so as the optimum of 1 part per million is not nation wide.

I suspect it’s how you eat sweets as well. If you are constantly grazing on sweets, for example making a whole packet last a day, constantly going back, taking one out etc. That would be worse that scoffing the lot in 30 seconds.

My dentist also said genetics play a part in it as well.

@Toddlerteaplease.
It is a red flag / safe guarding issue and should be acted upon by dental professionals . I’ve never known it to be escalated though.

I know what you mean OP, I know people who eat rubbish and reluctantly brush once a day (usually), and their teeth are fine, and people who eat perfectly and have a perfect dental hygiene routine, whose teeth are a mess. I think it's down to genetics, and childhood events such as infections and antibiotics being given.

I do it all electric toothbrush, floss, interdental and sometimes mouthwash. Diet is good and not high sugar Unfortunately I think some of it’s down to genetics and great teeth don’t rub in my family. I still get sore gums Easily. My teeth aren’t perfect either.
My partner has white teeth and barely any issues and just brushes twice a a day.

Dentists like to pretend it's all down to behaviour but some will admit genetics and luck play a part.

There's a number of factors - for example some mouths have teeth laid out in a way that bits get caught more easily.

I was brought up with lax dental regimes, am now very strict with the children and much much better myself.

Today's young have much better orthodontics, which then also helps with long term hygiene. Overcrowded teeth are a nightmare to clean.

That's me. Normal toothbrush, twice a day, certainly not 2 minutes, no mouthwash, only floss when I feel like it, forget to go to the dentist half the time, eat sweets during the day.I have very strong teeth. My DH does everything right and regularly needs work done.

It's either genetics or having had very clean teeth during childhood or other things I'm not doing I guess. I read somewhere that having bad teeth as a child fucks up the adult teeth coming in later. I do know many people who don't care about childrens teeth as much to keep them well so it might be that. Not sure if there's truth in it but doesn't hurt to be more strict about teeth hygiene with children. Oh and my dentist also said that soft drinks are terrible for teeth and I only drink tapwater and very occasionally tea, so that might also be an extra factor? Tapwater isn't fluorided where I live but it won't give decay either. Or it's just luck, I don't know.

@TheGinGenie

My dentist told me it's down to your saliva. If you don't have fillings by 25, you're likely to not need any until you're "old" (I don't know how old - I didn't ask)

I've never had anything wrong with my teeth, fillings etc and I just brush, rarely floss, eat loads of sugar etc.

I couldn't give a crap what anyone else does, unless I'm planning to kiss them!

I hope that's true. My daughters are in their early 20s and neither of them have ever had a filling.

I'm in my late 50s and unfortunately I have a lot of fillings and some crowns. On the bright side, at least my gums are healthy.

It is common? Very common.

Tooth decay isnt genetics, its is simply oral hygeine and frequency of sugar. Can be partly due to teeth positioning as well. But in the abscense of sugar and plaque you do not get tooth decay. Any dentist who says its pot luck is potentially blind

Gum disease has a genetic component, some people will get away with poor oral hygeine but again with good oral hygeine it is entirely preventable. Gum disease doesnt normally present till your 40s. By which point the damage is done

I think it’s genetics I have very good dental hygiene and still have fillings and suffer from plaque build up. My sons who clearly have their dad’s genetics with regards to teeth hardly brush their teeth often only once a day if at all and never floss. They have no fillings and have never suffered from gum disease.

@Beldon

Think you need to get a hobby that doesn’t include monitoring friends brushing habits and timing them. Bet you are a riot at parties

Hahahaha

My dear old mum, 92, still has most of her teeth. Only ever brushed once a day, and never flossed in her life. She put's it down to good diet when young (Italian), and the fact they had regular vitamin injections.

She has lived on Coke for the last ten years, and is now having issues with crumbling teeth, but at 92, what do you expect.

I still have four baby teeth going strong. Never floss.

Do you have any fillings as thinking of sticking to no sugar to try to prevent fillings.

Bigchocfrenzy do you have any fillings as thinking of cutting out sugar?

@BigChocFrenzy

I'm 64, healthy teeth & gums, don't floss but I never snack either and I drink lots of water

Not sure it's genetic, but if so from my mum's side - my dad had full dentures in his late 40s as did his brother

Hi Bigchocfrenzy, do you have any fillings out of interest?

Genetics and Fluoride in the water and in toothpaste. It’s a game changer.

Fluoride and widespread use of chewing gum with xylitol. Both very protective.

Decay is massively common.

It’s a really serious problem In some areas

There is also an element of the luck of the draw involved. Some decay is caused by bacteria. Babies are not born with the bacteria Streptococcus mutans in their mouth and only get it if their parents have it and have a habit of cleaning dummies by putting them in their own mouths or letting babies put their fingers in parents mouths then their own. Once you are old enough to start kissing then you risk it every time you kiss someone. I think that's where my decay started. I had perfectly healthy teeth until adulthood then my first couple of boyfriends had fillings. I brush regularly etc, don't eat sweets very often, drink water with flouride and chew gum with xylitol yet almost all of my molars have fillings.

I have a lot of fillings but most of them are from when I was a lot younger. I have wondered if this is because I grew up in a soft water area and now live in a hard water area

I brush my teeth for less than a minute, but about 4 times a day. I hate the feeling of food coating my teeth so I brush it off.

I had my first filling at 32 and my second at 34. No more.

And my babies were born when I was 30, 32 and 35.