So It’s All My Parents’ Fault! Genetics and Your Teeth
Why do I get so many cavities, but my siblings don’t? Why do I get so much tartar buildup on my teeth?…….
It all has soooo much to do with your genetics. Usually, people fall into one category or the other. So yes, it’s all your parents’ fault.
We’d bet that you’ve never even thought about cavities and tartar as two separate problems in your mouth…Doesn’t Everyone Just Get Both?
Not necessarily…
People who tend to build tartar quickly don’t tend to get cavities quite as much.
While people who are prone to cavities, don’t tend to build tartar.
As dental hygienists, we can take a quick look into a patient’s mouth and decide right away if we’ll be cleaning their teeth to look for tartar, or cleaning their teeth looking for cavities.
Of course, we’re be looking for both as we go along, but there is definitely a pattern that patients follow, and our focus deepens in one direction or the other while we are cleaning.
It’s mostly genetic and has to do with the makeup of your saliva.
It’s amazing how nature has it’s own built-in systems. Your saliva is not only there to start digestion for you. It’s also there to help you fight off the bacteria in your mouth.
Your saliva has minerals within it. Whatever soft, white, mushy, live bacteria you don’t brush and floss off of your teeth yourself, your saliva will shoot its minerals into it, killing what it can. Once the bacteria are dead, it’s now called tartar or calculus, and it is stuck to your tooth like a rock.
We call this rock-like tartar “barnacles” to create a better mental picture for our patients. It’s more helpful to have a visual of what is going on in our mouths. We are essentially their scuba divers, “picking the barnacles off of their boat.”
People who don’t have good saliva
…tend to get cavities more. Their saliva is not as good at killing the bacteria, so the bacteria STAYS alive. When it is alive, it is able to eat away at your teeth, causing cavities, or eat away at your gum and bone underneath, causing Gingivitis and Periodontitis.
It’s up to you to get the bacteria off with the floss and brush, then rinse with some mouthwash afterward. You HAVE to get the bacteria out of there, or you are doomed!
You see yourself 365 days a year. Your hygienist sees you 2-4 days at most. ;)
If you are prone to cavities, be sure that you have taken the time to find your honest dentist, or you can get taken advantage of in a heartbeat! It’s better to go to an honest dentist with NO dental insurance than it is to go to a dishonest dentist WITH dental insurance. Please believe us. Taking the time to find honesty is worth everything.
People who DO have good saliva
…get “barnacles” more quickly. It’s very important that these patients stay regular with their dental cleanings to keep the “barnacles” of tartar off.
If left on your teeth, the “barnacles” will serve as a house to hold MORE live bacteria, and the cycle will worsen. With this situation, you are more prone to developing Periodontitis.
If this sounds like you, it means your type of bacteria is the type that likes to eat at your gums and bone underneath. Instead of eating at your teeth, causing cavities, it chooses your gum and bone. Your bone is what holds your teeth in your head, so it’s extremely important to protect it.
So, please don’t think you are immune to the dentist, just because you don’t get cavities.
Floss regularly, brush well, use mouthwash, and get your cleanings done regularly too! If you do this, you will have VERY LITTLE problems with your teeth, EVER! That is of course, if you’ve been sure to find your honest dentist. Can I do anything else to help my genetic, dental fate?
Sure can! Eat well and do that homework.
Guess what eating well means? You’ll be SOOOO surprised.
Less junk…lean meats…more fruits and vegetables.
It’s the story of our lives, and it works across the board. No fad diets. Just feed your body the nutrients that it needs, and your whole body will be in sync.
There tends to be a correlation between high protein diets and tartar buildup, though.
When everyone was on the Atkins diet years ago, their mouths were a disaster! Atkins is very similar to Keto, so please pay attention to how your mouth responds to how you are eating. Your mouth is a very good indicator of your overall body health.
Are you bleeding when you brush or floss? That’s BAD.
Are your gums red and puffy, or tight and pink? Red and puffy is BAD.
The protein shakes and bars that many people eat on the run, have also shown to increase tartar buildup. Our professional observation is that it tends to have something to do with the mineral content in the protein and its affect on your saliva. Choose the most natural protein bars possible. Rx Bars or Kind Bars (Buy on Amazon-affiliate links) are great. Or a hardboiled egg with some pink Himalayan sea salt is perfect!
True Success Story:
We watched this happen to a patient of ours, who was known to have EXTREME bleeding gums, LOTS of tartar, and the BAD BREATH that we dental professionals have become accustomed to.
He hadn’t had his teeth cleaned in 3 years, according to his chart. We just knew we were in for it.
It turns out that he had quadruple bypass heart surgery during that three-year period and was now on a strict vegan diet. Guess what? His teeth were immaculate! Even after 3 years of having missed his dental cleaning, his mouth was immaculate! He had very little tartar. His gums were healthy with no bleeding. He had zero cavities. And guess what else? He didn’t floss, and he brushed only ONCE a day.
What….does….that….say….?
Our diet matters!!!!
Studies have been done on different indigenous tribes around the world, who have no access to dental care. Tribes who eat a mostly vegetarian diet have better dental health. Those who eat more red meats etc., do not.
The best things to do for whichever genetic situation you have…
1. Find an honest dentist (don’t just pick a dentist according to your insurance list)
2. Floss your teeth regularly and correctly
3. Brush twice a day, thoroughly
4. Mouthwash according to your genetic type (anti-cavity or anti-gingivitis) (click link for recommended brands)
5. Get regular cleanings and checkups
6. Care about your mouth and the health of your body!
We hope this info helped narrow things down for you!
Please leave any questions or comments below, and we’ll do our best to help! Though it would be best if we did, we’ll never claim to know it all, all of the time. Nobody knows it all! We do claim honesty, though, and we sincerely want to help as many people as we can! Our patients have maintained beautifully, following our conservative recommendations :)
So, thanks so much for reading and letting us spill our SODA! Remember to take the time to find your HONEST DENTIST, and be sure to browse around our links and follow us on social media for answers to more of your exciting dental questions, like:
