To think genes control how many fillings you need?

[redrubyat]

Bit of a weird one and name changed in case it is judged, but will say the reason I didn't always brush my teeth regularly/twice a day was due to depression.

Throughout my life since my teen years (now early 30s) I've had periods of not brushing my teeth or going months and only brushing once.

Never in my life have I needed a filling and I've had check ups at the dentist recently.

I know people who have had many and have always consistently brushed twice a day? Is it surely just genetics?

I think so. I had really awful dental hygiene when I was younger and also had an eating disorder that meant I was sometimes making myself vomit. My teeth are somehow in really good condition and I’ve never needed a filling, though I do need one of my wisdom teeth out. Genetics is the only reason I can think of because I really should need a whole mouth full of fillings.

I namechanged for another thread recently but am a regular also not wishing to be judged. I have never had a filling in my life (47 years). I have had one tooth removed, an impacted wisdom tooth around 20 years ago. On average i brush my teeth once a day, but very well. I always buy a 'firm' toothbrush and really scrub. My dentist says I have 'film star' teeth. It is purely genetics!

It is a combination of
: Enamel strength & tooth anatomy ( genetic + environmental)
: saliva composition (mostly genetic)
: diet (environmental)
: brushing/ flossing (environmental)
: type of bacteria ( environmental)

I am the opposite - always brush twice a day, don't smoke, eat an average amount of sugar. Several fillings and two root canals 😞

I clearly got the bad tooth genes!

Do you eat much sugar? Ime this makes more of a difference than how often you brush.

I'm a carbs fiend, never met one I didn't like. Bit chubby but perfect teeth!

My dentist told me it is majority genetic and if you look after your teeth and have good genes, you're quids in. I'm 55 and had my first filling this year - and that was because of impact damage to the tooth in the first place.

My parents both lived through WW2 and had a lengthy period of very poor nutrition and dental health care (this is minimising what happened) and both ended up with very minimal interventions nevertheless. Genes are powerful.

TwinsUK at St Thomas's London (Tim Spector's lot) are researching the genetic elements of teeth at the moment.

The main cause of tooth loss is gum disease. Your teeth can be perfect, but you can still lose them.

I have a good diet with minimal sugar and have always looked after my teeth, but have had a lifetime of being told off by dentists and a mouthful of fillings. Unfortunately the one dc who hates sweets and brushes twice a day has obviously inherited this, but the other one who mainlines sugar and has to be coerced into using a toothbrush has never had a single problem and always gets praised. It’s fucking depressing.

Like most things it’s a bit of both I guess. My last 6 teeth came through with natural holes in - effectively porous. My dentist were always going to get fillings whatever I did.
But I can’t blame that on the filling I have in the side of my tooth in the exact spot I used to hold sweets in my mouth - that one’s definitely down to me.

I didn’t go to the dentist for over 10 years and still no fillings. Don’t recommend this though!

Yes I think so. One of my DD has strong straight teeth and had her first filling at 28, they've never caused her any trouble. Same as my teeth.
Other DD has her fathers teeth and must go every 6 months without fail and do everything she's told to. Has to go private, couldn't find NHS to take her on. Hoping her being super strict with her teeth now might save her from abscesses and implants (or gaps) later on but we can't be certain.

My whole family have really bad teeth, multiple removals and fillings. My mom has barely 20 teeth left in her head. Whereas I have all 32 teeth, no fillings, no nothing, ever.
Maybe I just got really really lucky?

Never thought about genetics really. My teeth aren’t great. I never brushed them properly as a child and definitely not twice a day. I had loads of fillings. As an adult I’m paranoid about my teeth, I brush and floss the religiously twice a day and have taught my kids to do the same. They’re teenagers now and have no fillings. My eldest is autistic and is on his twenties. I’ve always brushed his teeth as he can’t. He had to have one out a couple of years ago under anaesthetic and I was really upset that he was losing a tooth at only 21 years old but the dentist was like oh most kids have lost at least one tooth much younger !

I have excellent dental hygiene, have always looked after my teeth. When I have check ups the dentist is always really impressed as I have no plaque or tartar build up. I’m fastidious with cleaning, floss and watch my diet. I am, however, plagued with problems and have many fillings and a crown 🤷🏼‍♀️. I had overcrowding as a child and still do now as they didn’t remove enough teeth. Interestingly, I have 2 teeth that overlap in a very particular way and it turns out my daughter also has, same teeth and same angle.

My father is in his 90s, he still has all his own teeth and not one filling.
He visits the dentist every six months for a check up.
All his life, after every single thing he's eaten or drunk, he's immediately swilled his mouth out with cold water and spat it out.
Me and my siblings have always done the same and our ages range from 55 to 65, we all have our own teeth with no fillings.
My mother on the other hand, also in her 90s, has never done this and despite brushing twice daily, she's had full dentures since her mid fifties.
Our dentists are in agreement that the immediate swilling out has preserved our teeth because we're immediately swilling away any sugars and detritus.
My mother always ensured that our diet had plenty of calcium for healthy teeth and bones when we were growing up, which is obviously beneficial too.
That said, I do think that genetics, diet and good oral hygiene play an important part too.

Could come back to bite you when you are older. It did for me. Always look after your teeth. It is very expensive when they start to go.

My mothers Keats had weak teeth and my dads were normal. Both smoked and didn’t really take good care of their teeth. My dad died in his 50’s but had fillings and a few toothaches. My mums teeth were a mess. She had fillings, gaps and abscesses and now gad a partial denture . I have weak teeth and needed braces when I was younger, my teeth are not white and I have some fillings. My brother has perfect white, straight teeth with nothing ever needed (he can roll his tongue and I can’t so it seems we got different genes).

Agree. I'm terrible at looking after my teeth as an adult but was great as a child. Yet I had quite a few fillings in my 20s. I had braces which ruined the enamel on my teeth which must have been shit to start with. I also had 2 teeth not grow properly which is apparently genetic, all from my mums side.

On the plus side I only have 2 wisdom teeth and they've caused no problems at all, one of them is just happy sitting down in my jaw doing nothing. I inherited this from my dad who has no wisdom teeth, not even in X-rays of his jaw. Neither did his mum. My sister has none either.

My children appear to have inherited my husbands teeth thankfully, no small weird ones and no fillings so far. Eldest is 16 and neurodiverse. Shit at brushing!