Hi, All!

It seems that there has been a history with blood relatives in my family of having bad teeth. Me included. I've tried to take care of mine with regular maintenance and proper diet. Not perfect in those regards, though...

Some people just seem to have perfect teeth without doing much to maintain them!

Are the teeth of some people just naturally stronger than the teeth of other people?

Thanks!

Yes. My family was blessed with good teeth, and my husband's family members expected to have (and then didn't care for their teeth) dentures by the time they were 30. One of my sons has perfect teeth with a beautiful dental arch; the other son has had problems since his first teeth erupted. I'm glad I didn't have a third child.

Hi, Wondergirl!

I've had lousy teeth since I was a child! One of them was so decayed that it even split right in two!

As of now, I don't think that there's a single tooth in my mouth that doesn't have some kind of filling that is there or has been in it. I write "has", because after a number of decades, those silver-looking fillings tend to fall out!

Thanks!

Newborns do not have the bacteria in their mouths that cause tooth decay. If this bacteria is never introduced to the child he/she will have minimal risk to decay. If a mom has decay or a mouth full of fillings the bacteria can be transferred to her child. The transfer happens when baby is being fed, mom puts the spoon with the food to her mouth to test temperature or taste and then puts the spoon in baby's mouth. I've also seen moms pick a dropped soother off the floor, put in mom's mouth (I suppose she thinks that cleans it) and then pop it in baby's mouth. The bacteria can also be transferred when kissing baby on the lips.

When you think about this you can see how decay can seem like it is hereditary.

Decay isn't hereditary, but the "quality" of the teeth is. My son with lifelong problems has very thin enamel, for instance, a poorly curved dental arch, and crowded teeth that had to be pulled and repositioned with braces and space maintainers. He had sealants because of deep crevices in his molars and went for regular checkups and cleanings (and has avoided sugars and especially carbonated drinks), but still has struggled with cavities.

There are some amazing stories and studies about Vitamin D lately and how it can improve dental health.

Definitely size of arches, crowding and size of teeth are hereditary. Enamel is a hard thin transparent layer of calcified substance that envelops and protects the dentin (the main portion of the tooth structure) of the crown of the tooth. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body made up entirely of calcium salts.

Teeth with ”nooks and crannies” will trap more food than those with smoother surfaces and lead to more decay. Teeth that have just erupted such as those of children and young adults have enamel that is not yet very strong and are thus highly susceptible to acid attack --> decay.

Studies have link mother with cavities can pass it to their newborn.

My father has teeth which are naturally very smooth, so seem to be resistant to plaque and cavities. He is now 70 and has no fillings at all. Believe it, it wasn't because of rigorous dental hygiene when he was young!