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Does anyone have good resources on non-behavioral factors that affect health of teeth? Growing up, I never brushed and did pretty much everything a dentist adv

Does anyone have good resources on non-behavioral factors that affect health of teeth? Growing up, I never brushed and did pretty much everything a dentist advises against. I never have had a cavity. With seemingly no consequences, it was extremely hard for me to find any motivation to change my behavior. I've often wondered whether there was something genetic, and today I wonder if maybe I won some microbiome lottery. I finally started taking care of myself due to (a) gum disease, (b) breath, and (c) yellowing of teeth, but I'm nowhere near as fastidious as some people I know who regularly get cavities and have to get all sorts of work done.

delecti 10y ago
Out of curiosity, do you happen to have tonsil stones and/or a strong propensity to develop tartar? Because all of that applies to me, and I've also been told that my saliva has a higher than average mineral content. I can't help but wonder if they're all related.
jklehm 10y ago
You likely have a stronger immune response to the bacteria that cause cavities than most people do.
therein 10y ago
Were you a natural birth or c-section?
- therein 10y ago
  To the person who downvoted this: natural birth is associated with transmission of bacterial flora from the vaginal canal, acting as a seed for a different composition of gut and mouth flora.
nether 10y ago
One of my dentists said yeah, there are genetic factors. Some people just have naturally lower levels of bacteria in their mouth.
antognini 10y ago
There's fundamentally one cause of enamel decay: acidity. Typically these acids are produced by bacteria in a person's mouth as a waste product. Over time these acids wear down the tooth and create cavities. But enamel can also be worn away by acidic foods and drinks like wine, coffee, and soda. Different diets can change the flora of bacteria in a person's mouth, just as it changes the flora in a person's gut. The bacteria that produce a lot of acids generally consume simple carbohydrates, so diets rich in simple carbohydrates are correlated with the presence of cavities. Brushing and flossing prevents the simple carbohydrates from staying in the mouth for too long, which slows bacterial growth. A diet low in simple carbohydrates also inhibits bacterial growth. (It might be more accurate to say that the bacteria don't produce acids when consuming things other than simple carbohydrates --- I'm not sure.) Mouth flora tends to be similar between members of a family. Parents pass their own flora on to their children, and over time the flora of spouses tends to become similar as well. It's possible that your diet was conducive to good tooth health, or it's possible that you lucked out with your mouth flora, or both. (I got a cavity a few years ago and ended up reading a bunch about tooth health. But I'm not a dentist, so there may be some inaccuracies or oversimplifications in my comment.) Edit: I forgot to mention that some people naturally have more acidic saliva than others, which is also correlated with cavities. As far as I know, that's purely genetic.
8note 10y ago
depending on your mouth, you end up with your teeth covered in plaque, which protects them from cavities, but also gets you gingivitis and eventually your teeth will fall out your water might also have fluoride; when Calgary stopped fluoridating its water, i got a bunch of cavities.
deleted 10y ago
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delecti 10y ago

Out of curiosity, do you happen to have tonsil stones and/or a strong propensity to develop tartar? Because all of that applies to me, and I've also been told that my saliva has a higher than average mineral content. I can't help but wonder if they're all related.

jklehm 10y ago

You likely have a stronger immune response to the bacteria that cause cavities than most people do.

therein 10y ago

Were you a natural birth or c-section?

therein 10y ago
To the person who downvoted this: natural birth is associated with transmission of bacterial flora from the vaginal canal, acting as a seed for a different composition of gut and mouth flora.

nether 10y ago

One of my dentists said yeah, there are genetic factors. Some people just have naturally lower levels of bacteria in their mouth.

antognini 10y ago

There's fundamentally one cause of enamel decay: acidity. Typically these acids are produced by bacteria in a person's mouth as a waste product. Over time these acids wear down the tooth and create cavities. But enamel can also be worn away by acidic foods and drinks like wine, coffee, and soda. Different diets can change the flora of bacteria in a person's mouth, just as it changes the flora in a person's gut. The bacteria that produce a lot of acids generally consume simple carbohydrates, so diets rich in simple carbohydrates are correlated with the presence of cavities. Brushing and flossing prevents the simple carbohydrates from staying in the mouth for too long, which slows bacterial growth. A diet low in simple carbohydrates also inhibits bacterial growth. (It might be more accurate to say that the bacteria don't produce acids when consuming things other than simple carbohydrates --- I'm not sure.) Mouth flora tends to be similar between members of a family. Parents pass their own flora on to their children, and over time the flora of spouses tends to become similar as well. It's possible that your diet was conducive to good tooth health, or it's possible that you lucked out with your mouth flora, or both. (I got a cavity a few years ago and ended up reading a bunch about tooth health. But I'm not a dentist, so there may be some inaccuracies or oversimplifications in my comment.) Edit: I forgot to mention that some people naturally have more acidic saliva than others, which is also correlated with cavities. As far as I know, that's purely genetic.

8note 10y ago

depending on your mouth, you end up with your teeth covered in plaque, which protects them from cavities, but also gets you gingivitis and eventually your teeth will fall out your water might also have fluoride; when Calgary stopped fluoridating its water, i got a bunch of cavities.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]