will my daughter's teeth fall out?

[jayjay37]

DD, 17, never cleans her teeth and smokes. I have sleepless nights thinking about how her gums will rot and teeth crumble. If I tell her to clean them it makes her more determined not to. How can I make her understand that I am so right, and that she has years of pain and mind-numbing expense ahead of her?

When did she stop cleaning them as the damage might already be done?

Tbh I'd be tempted to tell her she stinks ( which she must do) & unless she's hygienic she can live somewhere else

nowhere near hard enough to threaten the out-on-the-streets option. But thanks - will consider halitosis suggestion

Does she have self-esteem issues generally? Better stress management skills might help, too, so she relies less on the smoking at least.

You could show her this

I'd go down the bad breath root too especially since she's a smoker.

However before her teeth fall out it's more likely that she'll get a tooth infection which in sereve circumstances could lead to blood poisoning.

Maybe start with some leaflets from the dentist and finding out why she doesn't feel it's important to brush her teeth though.

DS and DD have always been slapdash brushers and as teenagers probably hardly brushed at all. DS would live on pure sugar if he could. At 18 and 21 respectively DD has had one filling in a very old and worn down baby tooth but none in her adult teeth, DS has never had a filling in his life. Both are bribed forced to go to the dentist and hygienist annually so I can crow 'Told You So'; both come back with good reports.

If they have smelly breath or I can see fur on their teeth i tell them. Otherwise it's their funeral.

(do I win Bad Mum Of The Week award?)

I can't clean my teeth and smoke at the same time either ....

Could you sneak a dentist appointment into a nice day of mum and daughter clothes shopping and haircuts?

When was her last visit to the dentist?

Maybe a visit for a check up and cleaning, and a stern lecture about where she's headed with current 'routine' will motivate her - and stops you being the nagging 'bad guy'.

If you had to estimate, how long has it been that she has not been good about cleaning her teeth?

Try "I wish I'd looked after my teeth"!

Mmm - nobody will ever want to kiss her!

i'm with purple - i hardly ever brushed my teeth as a teenager, basically only when I had to go to the dentist.
and I used to scrape the fuzz off them rather than clean them.
Not because I didn't want to brush them, I just always forgot to.
(even now, I have to do them at specific time in my daily routine or i'll forget)

I've got bugger all fillings in my adult teeth and they're in excellent condition (I have never smoked, though)

Just book a dental appointment and leave the hard work to the dentist.
They'll soon tell her the score :o