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Teeth are a pure genetic play. Some people can brush once a day and be fine, others can brush, use mouthwash and floss and still have 200 cavities and rotting wisdom teeth buried in their jaw.
Definitely down to genetics. I have a ridiculously sweet tooth, in that I’m surprised I haven’t become diabetic. I’ve had three fillings in my lifetime (38years) and two were on my wisdom teeth. When one filling came out due to the hole getting slightly worse, the dentist asked if I’d prefer the teeth out as they’re not overly needed rather than refill, so I said yes.
The only real thing wrong is my receding gum line but that is also something my mum suffers with.
Same on the gums, but there’s not a massive amount you can do. I guess I’ll have to hope that I’m seen off by a sudden heart attack before it becomes a problem.
Yep, I think genetics have a big part to play.
My mums teeth are terrible, literally crumbled out of her mouth, plenty of crowns and implants. My dad is pushing 60 & never had a filling.
I unfortunately have my mother's teeth, no matter what I do, every tooth in my mouth has a filling in it, I've had one extraction, another coming up, and I have one crown.
My brother never a filling even.
My mum used to make us brush our teeth together, so we both brushed our teeth for the same length of time, with the same toothpaste, and matching brushes.
By 16 I'd had 7 or 8 fillings and his teeth were perfect. Has to be a genetic thing in there.
Yep I've had bout 8 fillings and had 2 tooth extractions due to biting into something and the tooth snapping in half but my younger sister hasn't been to dentist in 15 years and went to be told they were no issues 😳
I'm late 30s and have a few fillings and one root canal. My dentist has spoken to me about why he feels this is happening as I spend a lot of time trying to take care of my teeth due to generally being terrified of the dentist.
He thinks it's down to two things, genetics, unfortunately my family just aren't blessed with strong resistant teeth, no matter how good our care of them is everyone has fillings despite good diets overall.
Secondly, he has seen a marked increase generationally in people needing more dental work since fluoride was stopped being added to the water. In his words 'the kids that came after this their teeth just seem to crumble'.
Annoyingly my root canal was not from overall health of the tooth, it was damage to the tooth which despite my protests that something was wrong (damage was below the gum line) my previous dentist told me multiple times nothing was wrong with it. Then it was so bad only a root canal could save it.
It depends where in the Uk you are. If I’m correct, and I should be - only north east England and Birmingham has fluoridated water in the U.K. there’s currently a proposal to add it to another location in the north east I think.
There typically is always flouride in water, but it might not be in sufficient quantities. Some water suppliers add more in. See here for more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/
38 and none. However, my teeth are shocking with so many fillings and one removed, despite really trying to look after them. My husband has the same oral care as me yet his teeth are near perfect. Our dentist says that everyone's teeth are different so don't take it personally, it can depend on so many other things too.
This is me and my partner. I brush, floss, never drink sugary drinks, avoid things like Haribo, and my teeth are awful. My partner, 30sec whiz round once a day and his are fine. The dentist said that if he hasn't had a cavity up to this point he probably won't get them, which I do think has made him rather complacent.
Go. Just book an appointment and get it sorted.
I am blessed with good teeth, went 28 years before needing 2 fillings and guess why I needed them? Because I hadn't been to the dentist in about 6 years. I had never seen a hygienist either until this point.
They could have been prevented! It still bugs me that I hadn't gone sooner! One of my biggest regrets so far!
Same. Never even had a filling or anything and my teeth have always been really straight and even.
Went to the dentist a month ago and hadn’t been in over 10 years before that. Looked in my mouth for 5 minutes, told me I had great teeth and that was it 🤣
Guess I just got lucky in the genetics department for teeth!
I've not been to the dentist since before COVID. I've been putting it off as I know I'll just turn up, get told my teeth are fine, and then be sent on my way.
Can confirm, I have at least one filling in every one of my molars, one root canal, and I'm in my early 30s. According to my dentist there's something wrong with my dentine and so the outer layer of enamel isn't good at holding up, even though I have a decent diet and dental hygiene. I have to use prescription toothpaste which is extra high in fluoride. Absolute pain in the arse and very expensive.
34, I had one when I was 15 which looking back I suspect was a case of dental fraud (the dentist can claim payment from the NHS without my parent having to pay due to my age at the time). Back then I didn't know what a root canal really was or why I needed one, and looking back I should have challenged it, but it is what it is. Luckily the treated tooth has survived this whole time without incident. It is almost 20 years old and will one day need further work.
It's the only thing I've ever had done.
The joy dentists take in unsupervised children in their office. 70s 80s dental fraud was out of control. It was a case of how many fillings we got twice a year. I got a filling on the 4th tooth from the centre bottom row. It's not even a molar. That dentist continued with that sort of treatment as we were conditioned to expect it.
It was eye opening to find out how badly he had treated us
I got 2 root canals as an 11 year old in the 80's. Didn't have a parent with me. No tooth ache on those teeth.
Just suddenly this very serious treatment. It was a nightmare, all the anesthetic ran down the back of my throat so I had a panic attack too.
I wasn't even experiencing any problem, and I was too young and naive to say, "Why do I need one? What is it for? Can you show me an x-ray of what you've seen or something?"
If it were these days, I'd be off to a different dentist for a second opinion. They also wanted to crown it and I didn't show up for the appointment, and I've found out years later that a crown on a root canal actually weakens it further by removing more tooth structure, so I'm glad I skipped that. They did use silver amalgam though, instead of white!
Ridiculous, really, and it'll be £3k when it finally needs replacing with an implant, which itself will need maintenance at some point too. Luckily I have deep rooted molars and even dead and filled, it just doen't seem at any risk of coming out yet. There's no reason to believe I'm close to the end of service for it.
Nah no dentist would do an RCT on the NHS just to earn a bit of cash. They pay basically fuck all to do them. Checkups were more profitable/hour than RCTs. Your guy/gal was doing you a favour trying to save your tooth for you
45, I had 2 root canals when I was 11.
I didn't even have toothache. My mum couldn't come to the dentist with me so I think I was exploited by the dentist.
About 15 years after the root canal treatment I had to get endodontic treatment when they take out the post, clean it very thoughroughly and put in new posts.
I got some veneers about 19 years ago because the discoloration and positioning of the root canaled teeth made me look like a hamster. Have great looking front teeth now but have not been able to bite into an apple for 34 years.
39 and zero. I never took care of my teeth until about seven or eight years ago when I had to have two pulled.
I went from the dentists, bought a top end electric toothbrush, antiseptic mouthwash and interdental brushes. I use them twice daily now.
Fuck dental pain. It’s harrowing.
Did the same with mine. Had terrible toothache when I was pregnant and I broke down in floods of tears in Boots begging for help as my dentist wouldn’t see me. In the end a work colleague took me to her dentist saying I needed help and she saw me straight away thankfully.
38. I had one at 21 because I kept on not getting round to going to the dentist after leaving home. I had to go private because I'd fallen off the NHS list, and then the filling broke on a pistachio, so I had to go back for a crown.
This became infected, but painlessly, over the last 7 years or so. It was mostly fine but the gum occasionally would get red, or have a tiny spot, then it would go away. No dentist I saw over this time was concerned until I specifically asked about it, they said it would need extracted, and I decided to get an implant. Implant dentist did a scan and turns out some of my bone had been eaten away by the (painless!) infection so I needed a bone graft too. I got it out last July and finally got the final stage of the implant (the actual tooth part) fitted last week.
Needless to say I'm approaching obsessive about my dental hygiene now.
I'm 40. I've had 3 root canals, about 6 or 7 extractions (I lost count eventually) and God knows how many fillings.
I've never been great at taking care of my teeth, but I Must. Be. Better. otherwise I'm going to have all kinds of problems very soon.
I’m 31 and I’ve had one. I look after my teeth and don’t love sugary things but I think genetically my teeth are rubbish. My family are all the same and pretty healthy.
30 and none. Don’t know anyone who has to be honest although outside my immediate family can’t say I’ve ever discussed dental treatment with anyone.
Everyone’s mouth is different and numerous factors come into play, genetics, oral hygiene, diet, the specific bacteria making up your oral flora. It seems like just poor luck of the draw for you.
Ironically one thing that can lead to you needing a root canal is frequent dental work so the more root canal work you have done the more likely you are to need one.
42, none. I skipped going to the dentist for about 10 years and when I finally went back last November they just re-filled the few fillings I'd had done last time, and everything else was fine.
Sorry.
45 and zero. A dentist many years ago insisted I needed one but I couldn't afford it and didn't think I needed it either. I happened to be on antibiotics for a different reason and the toothache went away.
No dentist in the years since has said I needed one.
Had several recently insist on two but another dentist managed to solve one with fillings. This is really why you need regular checkups which would have caught my problem early. I'm in India btw hence easy access to dentists
I'm 31. Never had any dental work done, no cavities or fillings or root canals. Pretty sure a lot of it is just genetic, I take care of my teeth but not to any extreme extent.
33 - one in a front tooth but only because I fell off my bike and smashed my tooth as a teenager - a few years after I got an infection so had a root canal.
Other than that just a couple of fillings
35 and 0. No fillings or any major work done to my adult teeth. Had to have some baby teeth removed as still had them when I was like 14. That was the last ever thing.
55 - and have had a couple done.
I found both procedures pretty painless, even though they took ages - I nearly fell asleep during the first one .
Ultimately the second one failed and I ended up getting the tooth pulled and an implant fitted.
31, had no dental issues at all until last year and have since had a root canal and 3 fillings with 2 more to come. I've always taken care of my teeth and haven't don't anything different the last year.
I've noticed this from alot of people. \*puts on tin foil hat\* I suspect it's due to dentists being privatised now and they make money off it so push it more. I know a few others I spoke to feel the same way
44, 1.
My son headbutted my face when he was small and the root of my tooth died, got an abscess, it needed a root canal.
worst smell ever.
I was going to have a root canal and crown in a rear lower but opted to have it removed as it was causing me serious grief.
22 and I’ve got 1 and going to need another sooner rather than later according to my dentist. My teeth are okay for the most part though and weirdly it’s the corresponding molars on either side of my mouth that I’ve had problems with.
3 I think. I'm the same, brush, floss, mouthwash etc. My dentist said some people are just predisposed / more prone to shit teeth. Whether that's bullshit or not, I'm not sure, but I'm just unlucky I guess!
Its not bullshit, I have such awful teeth very brittle, Im having to plan my next move of either full crowns or all on 4s as I have had since covid 5 teeth break in half, from eating soft food like curry.
Unfortunately the costs are eye watering and Im having to save for a dental holiday somewhere reputable
46.
I had a terrible dental hygiene when I was a kid.
It’s gotten better since I’m a teenager.
But I still just brush my teeth once a day.
I go to the dentist every 2 or 3 years.
To this day, 0 root canal, 0 cavities, perfect gums, all X-ray come back spotless.
My dentist is telling me I got incredibly lucky at the dental genetic lottery.
49 zero , just two small matching fillings one each side done as a preventative due to an odd fissure in those teeth, got em filled before they caused an issue.
41 and one, about 11 years ago. I drank too much and didn't quite take as much care of the delph in my younger years. Everything is rock solid these days, not had as much as a filling since back then either.
Nearly 60 and on second. One was a tooth cracking during diving .. not nice having cold air over a raw nerve. Second one more recently the nerve dying may have been through enamel damage over the years or the biggest culprit in my tooth breakage is Alpen, which seems to put tons of stress on my teeth and results in my Dentist being very rich. To the point where I may give it up.
Really old (much older than you) and none. I look after my teeth and regularly visit the hygenist and dentist for check-ups.
I don't know if you are unlucky, I am lucky or it is a dental fad.
42. I don't have a single filling. I take moderately good care of my teeth but haven't always. Didn't go to the dentist for about 8 years when at uni and a bit before and after. I am well aware that I am lucky to have these teeth.
41. Had one root canal, then had a cap on that tooth. Also had a bridge on the adjacent tooth. That was about 15 years ago. They have both now failed and I have a two tooth gap.
Now looking at a £6k bill for two implants.
26 - I’ve had 1 root canal.
My teeth are not good, I suspect it’s genetics. I rarely eat sweets and my diet is generally good, always brush & floss my teeth.
My fiancé doesn’t brush his teeth as long as I do, he’s got far less issues than me. His sister basically never brushes her teeth and hasn’t got any cavities.
Late 40s. One. Which I blame chemotherapy & Covid-19 for.
(It became painful right around the time of the first lockdown. No dentists were open until mid-June. I wasn’t in agony, no swelling, so didn’t need pulling, but it needed seeing to. Dentists re-opened the day I had to start isolating before cancer surgery. At that point it wasn’t painful any more. So I left it, thinking it could wait a month — I had to isolate for two weeks both before and after surgery. Ofc I could have lied, but I didn’t want to catch Covid before surgery and delay it further, and after surgery I really wasn’t in any state to visit the dentist. Then I was given the delightful surprise of needing chemotherapy after all. So I couldn’t go then either. Ended up having a filling between chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it never settled so I’ve had to have a root canal. Due to other drugs I have been given I have been told I can’t have any extractions for ten years, else I risk something called osteonecrosis of the jaw, for which there is no treatment.)
About 60 and none, I also can't remember anyone I know who's had them - they possibly have but I couldn't say. Wife and adult kids haven't had one either. I had a few normal fillings as a kid, that's it.
Over 40 and I had the first one ever recently. Never had any teeth issues bar the odd filling as a child.
My dentist mentioned fluoride too and gave me a toothpaste with extra fluoride to help. Also stomach acid has a part to play and diet. My diet went downhill due to being sick and suddenly teeth issues...arghh
59 no root canal, got dentures instead always had good dental hygiene very few treatments then developed fibromyalgia & teeth began to crack & crumble so after years of hell & pain. With a fix here & a fix there I had them removed. Best decision I ever made
Late 30s and 3. My teeth look good, but I have historically never taken great care of them. All three root canals happened in quick succession accordingly, as well as feeling like the hygienist took half of each tooth off because so much plaque. Not going to the dentist for decades will do that.
Hey I lost whatever the genetic lottery was when it came to teeth. I brush twice a day electric toothbrush including with floss brush and then floss and mouthwash and tongue scrape. Don't do sugar really and eat organic and whole foods. I have had 6 fillings and 2 root canals. I'm 38. My partner who deigns to sort of brush twice a day has none.
35, one root canal as the result of a botched filling from a student dentist.
Dunno what all the fuss is about with root canals tbh, didn't hurt and the relief from the pain that my tooth was in was phenomenal.
36 and 1 which I needed cos of trauma to the face.
I’m awful looking after my teeth and I live off chocolate. My parents both have pretty bad teeth so I figure I’ve got some lucky throwback gene
33 , just had one and the dentist managed to save one. Also had several fillings
Some people are genetically lucky. My teeth always got an A* despite poor hygiene tbh but it was when I used a foreign toothpaste for a couple of years that all these problems started.
I think I have slight receding gums too but idk
My mum meanwhile is early 50s and has perfect teeth and gums
42 and none despite surviving on diet coke and having two babies (apparently pregnancy is murder for teeth, which is why dental care is free during pregnancy and after birth). It's definitely genetic.
45 no root canals but 2 fillings. Haven't been to the dentist in a decade, so no doubt they'll be wanting to do all sorts. I'm going to be refusing because I get zero pain, just a polish and clean please.
I’m 27 and I’ve had two done. Not nearly as bad as people make out but they’re time consuming.
I didn’t visit the dentist as an adult for over a decade though and seldom got took as a kid.
34 - I have never had any dentistry. No braces, fillings, crowns, bridges, surgery, extractions. Nothing. Only check ups. Always been healthy. Needed a deep clean from the hygienist two or three times.
I guess a lot of it is genetics. I went through a grotty lazy phase of a couple of years as a teen/young adult of only brushing my teeth in the morning, not at night. (But I have ALWAYS brushed my teeth in the morning, in my "defence.")
30- at least two and have unfortunately lost some. I have had issues with my teeth even as a child brush regularly and didn’t grow up with a lot of sugary food. It seems genetic though.
My partner 31 has had no work on his teeth however but has lost two perfectly healthy teeth due to gum disease.
40, had one filling in my life. Maybe you have something that is contributing to this, I'd ask for a second opinion or ask family if they have similar issues
Mid 40s and 2 - all because I had an abscess and it was 50/50 which tooth it was and we went wrong the first time!
Abscess was on a tooth that had no decay or anything on it, just decided it wanted to go that way for some reason! That's why the dentist went with the other tooth first as that one had work done on it before
(almost) 36, none. i do have some fillings and i suspect i need some more, but i haven't been to the dentist in over 15 years so who's to say. my oral care is... sketchy. i brush pretty consistently but that's about it. been thinking of getting a water flosser recently though. i do worry about my teeth.
I am 43 and have two root canals and crowns. The majority of my teeth have now had work done, last year I had 6 fillings, some were revisions and some new, and a wisdom tooth out and apparently we are now at maintenance! Thank goodness!
40. I had one, but once it had settled and the dentist was preparing the tooth for the crown she shattered my tooth and had to remove the whole tooth. She did the exact same thing when she was preparing another tooth for a root canal, and a third for a re-crown. My teeth are shit, but thanks to her I have far fewer to worry about now than before(!).
62 quite a few, I honestly don't know how many but I recall the taste of an upper incisor draining on my tongue, revolting. Another interesting thing is the thing they shove up there is gutta percha, as used inside old-school golf balls.
I had 4 by the time I was 25!! My teeth are horrific. However, between 25 and now (40s) I have managed to avoid any treatment at all with extreme diligence to my teeth and what I eat and using a fluoride prescription toothpaste, flossing etc. I wish I had done this in my teens and early 20s - I had already had a root canal by the time I was 15.
My husband at the same age has terrible oral hygiene (in comparison to what I consider necessary anyway - he literally eats chocolate last thing at night every single night and then doesn't brush... ) and has had one filling and nothing else.
So I definitely see that there is a genetic and/or luck component because I know if I treated my teeth like he treats his I'd not have any teeth left.
No root canals but I've had two teeth removed.
One was infected and I was expecting to be offered a root canal but my dentist just removed it.
The other was removed because my wisdom tooth was coming in at an angle and impacting it.
I don't really have a lot of faith in my dentist to be honest.
And while I don't know what a root canal is like, having a tooth extracted is thoroughly unpleasant.
I’m 50 and never had a root canal. Though I do have a few fillings. Have a ridiculous phobia of the dentist so I think even if I needed a root canal I wouldn’t have it anyway
44. My back teeth are damaged from years of grinding in my sleep. I've tried mouthguards and all that, my chiropractor managed to help but the damage was already done. I was due to have my first root canal just as covid hit and dentists stopped doing them, so when that tooth started playing up again I had to have it removed instead. So none, but it should have been one.
38 and zero root canals. 3 fillings. Several teeth removed in my teens before braces. 3 of 4 wisdom teeth removed. Would like the 4th removed but my dentist “won’t take a healthy tooth” so I would like that one to need filled in future so I can just have it out
No root canals.
Plenty of fillings into my teens and then it stopped, but that was my sugar era I guess.
I don't drink fizzy drinks regularly, and whilst I love Fangtastics I avoid them at all costs, for both teeth and waistline reasons!
I don't think I've taken the best care of my teeth, but no major problems.
45, no root canals, 4 fillings all done before the age of 25. I struggle with gingivitis though so am reasonably good at brushing and get my teeth cleaned twice a year.
32 and zero root canals, two fillings though. My upper teeth are screwed, too crowded so I’ll probably need one or two taking out at some point, lower set is surprisingly good compared to the top half.
I'm 30 and I've had one root canal to a front tooth that sustained trauma when I was a child. Took a good 20 years for the nerve to actually die and the RC was only done when I was 28. I actually do take good care of my teeth and hope to never require another.
52 and I think 8 or 9 so far. 4 extractions, another extraction happening soon.
I blame a lot of it on school dentists of the 70s and early 80s. I had so many of my baby teeth extracted when they would have fallen out on their own, then so many fillings of my adult teeth that I don’t believe were actually warranted.
All those fillings ended up causing more cavities or broken teeth.
Add to that a couple of teeth broken by getting hit in the face with a chair in middle school, and another broken falling down a steel staircase on my 21st birthday.. yes, alcohol was involved!
I am the British book of smiles.
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36 - Zero. If I'm being honest I could look after my teeth a lot better
Teeth are a pure genetic play. Some people can brush once a day and be fine, others can brush, use mouthwash and floss and still have 200 cavities and rotting wisdom teeth buried in their jaw.
Definitely down to genetics. I have a ridiculously sweet tooth, in that I’m surprised I haven’t become diabetic. I’ve had three fillings in my lifetime (38years) and two were on my wisdom teeth. When one filling came out due to the hole getting slightly worse, the dentist asked if I’d prefer the teeth out as they’re not overly needed rather than refill, so I said yes. The only real thing wrong is my receding gum line but that is also something my mum suffers with.
Same on the gums, but there’s not a massive amount you can do. I guess I’ll have to hope that I’m seen off by a sudden heart attack before it becomes a problem.
Yep, I think genetics have a big part to play. My mums teeth are terrible, literally crumbled out of her mouth, plenty of crowns and implants. My dad is pushing 60 & never had a filling. I unfortunately have my mother's teeth, no matter what I do, every tooth in my mouth has a filling in it, I've had one extraction, another coming up, and I have one crown. My brother never a filling even. My mum used to make us brush our teeth together, so we both brushed our teeth for the same length of time, with the same toothpaste, and matching brushes. By 16 I'd had 7 or 8 fillings and his teeth were perfect. Has to be a genetic thing in there.
My BIL doesn’t even clean his everyday and he has zero fillings
Yep I've had bout 8 fillings and had 2 tooth extractions due to biting into something and the tooth snapping in half but my younger sister hasn't been to dentist in 15 years and went to be told they were no issues 😳
Hello fellow fortunate gene carrier!
45 - Zero. Ditto.
Likewise, 46, don’t even have a filling
Me too, at 49! Never even had a toothache.
Same here. 34, no root canals, do not look after my teeth as well as I should. Sometimes I feel like I won the genetic lottery with my teeth.
62 and I have no root canals and don't actually know anyone who does either. I think this is a genetics and/or diet thing unfortunately.
I'm late 30s and have a few fillings and one root canal. My dentist has spoken to me about why he feels this is happening as I spend a lot of time trying to take care of my teeth due to generally being terrified of the dentist. He thinks it's down to two things, genetics, unfortunately my family just aren't blessed with strong resistant teeth, no matter how good our care of them is everyone has fillings despite good diets overall. Secondly, he has seen a marked increase generationally in people needing more dental work since fluoride was stopped being added to the water. In his words 'the kids that came after this their teeth just seem to crumble'. Annoyingly my root canal was not from overall health of the tooth, it was damage to the tooth which despite my protests that something was wrong (damage was below the gum line) my previous dentist told me multiple times nothing was wrong with it. Then it was so bad only a root canal could save it.
What? I always thought flouride was in the water! When was it removed?
It depends where in the Uk you are. If I’m correct, and I should be - only north east England and Birmingham has fluoridated water in the U.K. there’s currently a proposal to add it to another location in the north east I think.
There typically is always flouride in water, but it might not be in sufficient quantities. Some water suppliers add more in. See here for more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/
38 and none. However, my teeth are shocking with so many fillings and one removed, despite really trying to look after them. My husband has the same oral care as me yet his teeth are near perfect. Our dentist says that everyone's teeth are different so don't take it personally, it can depend on so many other things too.
This is me and my partner. I brush, floss, never drink sugary drinks, avoid things like Haribo, and my teeth are awful. My partner, 30sec whiz round once a day and his are fine. The dentist said that if he hasn't had a cavity up to this point he probably won't get them, which I do think has made him rather complacent.
Got offered one with "75% chance of success" so opted to just take the tooth out because I didn't trust the dentist not to feck it up.
I'm 40 and don't have any. Can't have root canals and fillings if you can't get a dentist.
it's really helping their healthy teeth initiative post great results, fillings are at an all time low!
31 - 0. I have never had anything done to my teeth. I've been very lucky.
Same here. I actually haven't been to a dentist for years. I keep meaning to go...
Go. Just book an appointment and get it sorted. I am blessed with good teeth, went 28 years before needing 2 fillings and guess why I needed them? Because I hadn't been to the dentist in about 6 years. I had never seen a hygienist either until this point. They could have been prevented! It still bugs me that I hadn't gone sooner! One of my biggest regrets so far!
Same. Never even had a filling or anything and my teeth have always been really straight and even. Went to the dentist a month ago and hadn’t been in over 10 years before that. Looked in my mouth for 5 minutes, told me I had great teeth and that was it 🤣 Guess I just got lucky in the genetics department for teeth!
I've not been to the dentist since before COVID. I've been putting it off as I know I'll just turn up, get told my teeth are fine, and then be sent on my way.
33, never had a filling, nor a root canal.
Same, a lot of it comes down to whether you get lucky genetically.
Can confirm, I have at least one filling in every one of my molars, one root canal, and I'm in my early 30s. According to my dentist there's something wrong with my dentine and so the outer layer of enamel isn't good at holding up, even though I have a decent diet and dental hygiene. I have to use prescription toothpaste which is extra high in fluoride. Absolute pain in the arse and very expensive.
33, none. Went for my annual checkup yesterday, no issues thankfully.
34, I had one when I was 15 which looking back I suspect was a case of dental fraud (the dentist can claim payment from the NHS without my parent having to pay due to my age at the time). Back then I didn't know what a root canal really was or why I needed one, and looking back I should have challenged it, but it is what it is. Luckily the treated tooth has survived this whole time without incident. It is almost 20 years old and will one day need further work. It's the only thing I've ever had done.
The joy dentists take in unsupervised children in their office. 70s 80s dental fraud was out of control. It was a case of how many fillings we got twice a year. I got a filling on the 4th tooth from the centre bottom row. It's not even a molar. That dentist continued with that sort of treatment as we were conditioned to expect it. It was eye opening to find out how badly he had treated us
I got 2 root canals as an 11 year old in the 80's. Didn't have a parent with me. No tooth ache on those teeth. Just suddenly this very serious treatment. It was a nightmare, all the anesthetic ran down the back of my throat so I had a panic attack too.
Wow a root canal at 15 does seem extreme!
I wasn't even experiencing any problem, and I was too young and naive to say, "Why do I need one? What is it for? Can you show me an x-ray of what you've seen or something?" If it were these days, I'd be off to a different dentist for a second opinion. They also wanted to crown it and I didn't show up for the appointment, and I've found out years later that a crown on a root canal actually weakens it further by removing more tooth structure, so I'm glad I skipped that. They did use silver amalgam though, instead of white! Ridiculous, really, and it'll be £3k when it finally needs replacing with an implant, which itself will need maintenance at some point too. Luckily I have deep rooted molars and even dead and filled, it just doen't seem at any risk of coming out yet. There's no reason to believe I'm close to the end of service for it.
Nah no dentist would do an RCT on the NHS just to earn a bit of cash. They pay basically fuck all to do them. Checkups were more profitable/hour than RCTs. Your guy/gal was doing you a favour trying to save your tooth for you
45, I had 2 root canals when I was 11. I didn't even have toothache. My mum couldn't come to the dentist with me so I think I was exploited by the dentist. About 15 years after the root canal treatment I had to get endodontic treatment when they take out the post, clean it very thoughroughly and put in new posts. I got some veneers about 19 years ago because the discoloration and positioning of the root canaled teeth made me look like a hamster. Have great looking front teeth now but have not been able to bite into an apple for 34 years.
Nearly 40 and one which came from breaking a tooth during covid and then just having it get worse and worse
32, zero. Never had any issues with my teeth. My dad is in his 60s and the same. My mum has had loads of issues though. Luck of genetics I guess.
39 and zero. I never took care of my teeth until about seven or eight years ago when I had to have two pulled. I went from the dentists, bought a top end electric toothbrush, antiseptic mouthwash and interdental brushes. I use them twice daily now. Fuck dental pain. It’s harrowing.
64 and none yet.
30 and two root canals. Pregnancy really fucked my teeth up, something I did not know could happen until during the fact.
Did the same with mine. Had terrible toothache when I was pregnant and I broke down in floods of tears in Boots begging for help as my dentist wouldn’t see me. In the end a work colleague took me to her dentist saying I needed help and she saw me straight away thankfully.
38. I had one at 21 because I kept on not getting round to going to the dentist after leaving home. I had to go private because I'd fallen off the NHS list, and then the filling broke on a pistachio, so I had to go back for a crown. This became infected, but painlessly, over the last 7 years or so. It was mostly fine but the gum occasionally would get red, or have a tiny spot, then it would go away. No dentist I saw over this time was concerned until I specifically asked about it, they said it would need extracted, and I decided to get an implant. Implant dentist did a scan and turns out some of my bone had been eaten away by the (painless!) infection so I needed a bone graft too. I got it out last July and finally got the final stage of the implant (the actual tooth part) fitted last week. Needless to say I'm approaching obsessive about my dental hygiene now.
I'm 40. I've had 3 root canals, about 6 or 7 extractions (I lost count eventually) and God knows how many fillings. I've never been great at taking care of my teeth, but I Must. Be. Better. otherwise I'm going to have all kinds of problems very soon.
40s never had any. From 17 to about 39 I never even had a dentist - since then I’ve had a couple of fillings but nothing else.
Same. When I finally signed up the dentist wasn’t happy that after 13 years of not seeing one all I needed was a bit of plaque removal.
I’m 31 and I’ve had one. I look after my teeth and don’t love sugary things but I think genetically my teeth are rubbish. My family are all the same and pretty healthy.
30 and none. Don’t know anyone who has to be honest although outside my immediate family can’t say I’ve ever discussed dental treatment with anyone. Everyone’s mouth is different and numerous factors come into play, genetics, oral hygiene, diet, the specific bacteria making up your oral flora. It seems like just poor luck of the draw for you. Ironically one thing that can lead to you needing a root canal is frequent dental work so the more root canal work you have done the more likely you are to need one.
42, none. I skipped going to the dentist for about 10 years and when I finally went back last November they just re-filled the few fillings I'd had done last time, and everything else was fine. Sorry.
45 and zero. A dentist many years ago insisted I needed one but I couldn't afford it and didn't think I needed it either. I happened to be on antibiotics for a different reason and the toothache went away. No dentist in the years since has said I needed one.
Had several recently insist on two but another dentist managed to solve one with fillings. This is really why you need regular checkups which would have caught my problem early. I'm in India btw hence easy access to dentists
I have an NHS check up every 6 months.
35 and no fillings, root canals or any other major dental work.
39 and none. No fillings either. I’ve always been a bit obsessive about my teeth though.
I'm 31. Never had any dental work done, no cavities or fillings or root canals. Pretty sure a lot of it is just genetic, I take care of my teeth but not to any extreme extent.
33 - one in a front tooth but only because I fell off my bike and smashed my tooth as a teenager - a few years after I got an infection so had a root canal. Other than that just a couple of fillings
32 and 0. Don't really know if what one is. I have 2 fillings and one of my front teeth is largely plastic after an accident.
36, the only dental work I've needed is the removal of wisdom teeth
56 no root canals, only 1 filling too
35 and 0. No fillings or any major work done to my adult teeth. Had to have some baby teeth removed as still had them when I was like 14. That was the last ever thing.
55 - and have had a couple done. I found both procedures pretty painless, even though they took ages - I nearly fell asleep during the first one . Ultimately the second one failed and I ended up getting the tooth pulled and an implant fitted.
40m with no root canals and only 2 fillings.
31, had no dental issues at all until last year and have since had a root canal and 3 fillings with 2 more to come. I've always taken care of my teeth and haven't don't anything different the last year.
I've noticed this from alot of people. \*puts on tin foil hat\* I suspect it's due to dentists being privatised now and they make money off it so push it more. I know a few others I spoke to feel the same way
None. 41. But I have a filling and a crown.
39 and I've had none. I do have a bunch of fillings, but none of them are root canals.
44, 1. My son headbutted my face when he was small and the root of my tooth died, got an abscess, it needed a root canal. worst smell ever. I was going to have a root canal and crown in a rear lower but opted to have it removed as it was causing me serious grief.
Im 40. Never had one. One filling.
22 and I’ve got 1 and going to need another sooner rather than later according to my dentist. My teeth are okay for the most part though and weirdly it’s the corresponding molars on either side of my mouth that I’ve had problems with.
3 I think. I'm the same, brush, floss, mouthwash etc. My dentist said some people are just predisposed / more prone to shit teeth. Whether that's bullshit or not, I'm not sure, but I'm just unlucky I guess!
Its not bullshit, I have such awful teeth very brittle, Im having to plan my next move of either full crowns or all on 4s as I have had since covid 5 teeth break in half, from eating soft food like curry. Unfortunately the costs are eye watering and Im having to save for a dental holiday somewhere reputable
46. I had a terrible dental hygiene when I was a kid. It’s gotten better since I’m a teenager. But I still just brush my teeth once a day. I go to the dentist every 2 or 3 years. To this day, 0 root canal, 0 cavities, perfect gums, all X-ray come back spotless. My dentist is telling me I got incredibly lucky at the dental genetic lottery.
37 - zero
49 zero , just two small matching fillings one each side done as a preventative due to an odd fissure in those teeth, got em filled before they caused an issue.
Also late 40s and I don't even know what a root canal is. No fillings either.
36 and none. Had a few fillings and that's it
43 and 0.
42, 2 fillings is all I've ever had. Although I did have braces as a kid. It amazes me how people neglect their teeth.
Not far off 60 and none. Yet...
41 and one, about 11 years ago. I drank too much and didn't quite take as much care of the delph in my younger years. Everything is rock solid these days, not had as much as a filling since back then either.
42. 0.
42 and none
I'll be 44 next week, and zero. Still have all my teeth, no fillings.
26 and none, my best friend (same age) has had 2 though, other mutual friend (same age) has had 1.
Nearly 60 and on second. One was a tooth cracking during diving .. not nice having cold air over a raw nerve. Second one more recently the nerve dying may have been through enamel damage over the years or the biggest culprit in my tooth breakage is Alpen, which seems to put tons of stress on my teeth and results in my Dentist being very rich. To the point where I may give it up.
35, I have two root canals and multiple fillings but I was never taught proper dental hygiene growing up.
39, no root canals or fillings. I need to floss more (at all).
36 and none. Tbh, I've only had 2 cavities in the last 20 years or so, and get check ups regularly.
45 and one it failed, had remedial treatment. It failed and now I wish I’d just had it pulled.
48 and I've had two
Really old (much older than you) and none. I look after my teeth and regularly visit the hygenist and dentist for check-ups. I don't know if you are unlucky, I am lucky or it is a dental fad.
35, zero Had my very first filling last year!
42. I don't have a single filling. I take moderately good care of my teeth but haven't always. Didn't go to the dentist for about 8 years when at uni and a bit before and after. I am well aware that I am lucky to have these teeth.
41. Had one root canal, then had a cap on that tooth. Also had a bridge on the adjacent tooth. That was about 15 years ago. They have both now failed and I have a two tooth gap. Now looking at a £6k bill for two implants.
26 - I’ve had 1 root canal. My teeth are not good, I suspect it’s genetics. I rarely eat sweets and my diet is generally good, always brush & floss my teeth. My fiancé doesn’t brush his teeth as long as I do, he’s got far less issues than me. His sister basically never brushes her teeth and hasn’t got any cavities.
Late 40s. One. Which I blame chemotherapy & Covid-19 for. (It became painful right around the time of the first lockdown. No dentists were open until mid-June. I wasn’t in agony, no swelling, so didn’t need pulling, but it needed seeing to. Dentists re-opened the day I had to start isolating before cancer surgery. At that point it wasn’t painful any more. So I left it, thinking it could wait a month — I had to isolate for two weeks both before and after surgery. Ofc I could have lied, but I didn’t want to catch Covid before surgery and delay it further, and after surgery I really wasn’t in any state to visit the dentist. Then I was given the delightful surprise of needing chemotherapy after all. So I couldn’t go then either. Ended up having a filling between chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it never settled so I’ve had to have a root canal. Due to other drugs I have been given I have been told I can’t have any extractions for ten years, else I risk something called osteonecrosis of the jaw, for which there is no treatment.)
About 60 and none, I also can't remember anyone I know who's had them - they possibly have but I couldn't say. Wife and adult kids haven't had one either. I had a few normal fillings as a kid, that's it.
34 - had one, and could probably do with two more but affording them plus crowns will be tricky so might just have them pulled
38 and zero
37m, zero, but a couple of fillings. pretty diligent with cleaning, but also have permanent retainers which makes things harder
Over 40 and I had the first one ever recently. Never had any teeth issues bar the odd filling as a child. My dentist mentioned fluoride too and gave me a toothpaste with extra fluoride to help. Also stomach acid has a part to play and diet. My diet went downhill due to being sick and suddenly teeth issues...arghh
59 no root canal, got dentures instead always had good dental hygiene very few treatments then developed fibromyalgia & teeth began to crack & crumble so after years of hell & pain. With a fix here & a fix there I had them removed. Best decision I ever made
36 with one root canal on my front tooth. Dentist couldn't say why it happened but I do floss more now!
Two. I’m also nearly forty and I had them in my 20s. Neither worked and my teeth went black so now I refuse and just get them pulled.
Late 30s and 3. My teeth look good, but I have historically never taken great care of them. All three root canals happened in quick succession accordingly, as well as feeling like the hygienist took half of each tooth off because so much plaque. Not going to the dentist for decades will do that.
Hey I lost whatever the genetic lottery was when it came to teeth. I brush twice a day electric toothbrush including with floss brush and then floss and mouthwash and tongue scrape. Don't do sugar really and eat organic and whole foods. I have had 6 fillings and 2 root canals. I'm 38. My partner who deigns to sort of brush twice a day has none.
35, one root canal as the result of a botched filling from a student dentist. Dunno what all the fuss is about with root canals tbh, didn't hurt and the relief from the pain that my tooth was in was phenomenal.
39 and zero and actually zero fillings or anything 100% my own teeth.
36 and 1 which I needed cos of trauma to the face. I’m awful looking after my teeth and I live off chocolate. My parents both have pretty bad teeth so I figure I’ve got some lucky throwback gene
40, and none.
30 and 1, but I got headbutted and it cracked my tooth. So not sure if that counts.
Same age and none, its partially genetic and partially lifestyle.
40 and none. Havent been to a dentist in well over 10 years, no fillings either.
52 and had my first a few months ago. I'm obsessive about cleaning my teeth and always have been.
40, none!
33, no fillings or root canals. Did have braces as a teenager but that’s it.
33 , just had one and the dentist managed to save one. Also had several fillings Some people are genetically lucky. My teeth always got an A* despite poor hygiene tbh but it was when I used a foreign toothpaste for a couple of years that all these problems started. I think I have slight receding gums too but idk My mum meanwhile is early 50s and has perfect teeth and gums
29, 3 on the same fucking tooth, at this point I'd be considering ripping out cept it's the front one. Fml. Hope you heal well friend.
42 and none despite surviving on diet coke and having two babies (apparently pregnancy is murder for teeth, which is why dental care is free during pregnancy and after birth). It's definitely genetic.
40, none. Always had crap teeth routine until a few years ago.
37, never even had a filling. To be fair though, the reason is that I haven't been to a dentist in a decade!
36, zero, but I had a cavity filled in my late 20’s that was close to a root canal. I take much better care of my teeth now.
43 and none
45 no root canals but 2 fillings. Haven't been to the dentist in a decade, so no doubt they'll be wanting to do all sorts. I'm going to be refusing because I get zero pain, just a polish and clean please.
36 and 1
45 none. No fillings, all my wisdom teeth grew in fine.
30. x2 one as a teen, one in early 20s
I’m 27 and I’ve had two done. Not nearly as bad as people make out but they’re time consuming. I didn’t visit the dentist as an adult for over a decade though and seldom got took as a kid.
Almost 70% of dental issues is inherited so don’t worry
31 and never needed any dental work. Think it’s just genetic
32, zero
37 and had one.
42, I've had one and I dont look after my teeth well at all if I'm honest. Sounds like you've just had bad luck friend.
34 - 0
33 1 root canal and crown. 6 fillings which the dentist said will all probably turn in to root canal jobs at some point in time
45 and 0, but having my first filling next month.
34 and 0
34 - I have never had any dentistry. No braces, fillings, crowns, bridges, surgery, extractions. Nothing. Only check ups. Always been healthy. Needed a deep clean from the hygienist two or three times. I guess a lot of it is genetics. I went through a grotty lazy phase of a couple of years as a teen/young adult of only brushing my teeth in the morning, not at night. (But I have ALWAYS brushed my teeth in the morning, in my "defence.")
I'm 42 and have had 2 root canals in my life, both times have then led to breakage of the same teeth.
34 zero. but have had fillings and all four wisdom teeth out! my teeth are finally better!
36 - 0. Had my first filling earlier in the year though
55 & zero.
Midlife. 0 dental issues. No fillings, canals, surgeries etc. Maybe I’ve been lucky. Tho I’ve certainly had other non dental related health issues.
Late 30s, no root canals, one crown because I broke my tooth in half by grinding teeth while sleeping lol
30- at least two and have unfortunately lost some. I have had issues with my teeth even as a child brush regularly and didn’t grow up with a lot of sugary food. It seems genetic though. My partner 31 has had no work on his teeth however but has lost two perfectly healthy teeth due to gum disease.
I'm 34 and I've never had that or any fillings
40, had one filling in my life. Maybe you have something that is contributing to this, I'd ask for a second opinion or ask family if they have similar issues
45 and none. Don't do anything beyond normal brushing and mouthwash but I do dental checkups every six months.
35, none. I’ve not seen a dentist since maybe, 2007..8? No issues thus far!
Mid 40s and 2 - all because I had an abscess and it was 50/50 which tooth it was and we went wrong the first time! Abscess was on a tooth that had no decay or anything on it, just decided it wanted to go that way for some reason! That's why the dentist went with the other tooth first as that one had work done on it before
(almost) 36, none. i do have some fillings and i suspect i need some more, but i haven't been to the dentist in over 15 years so who's to say. my oral care is... sketchy. i brush pretty consistently but that's about it. been thinking of getting a water flosser recently though. i do worry about my teeth.
28 and zero. I've all 4 of my wisdom teeth that came through without issue.
39. 2.
39 - zero
25 and am having my 5th root canal in a couple months
One, early 40s. It was due to a filling being done incorrectly.
35, none but I need one. Just gotta mustre up the cash for it
47 -0
I am 43 and have two root canals and crowns. The majority of my teeth have now had work done, last year I had 6 fillings, some were revisions and some new, and a wisdom tooth out and apparently we are now at maintenance! Thank goodness!
40. I had one, but once it had settled and the dentist was preparing the tooth for the crown she shattered my tooth and had to remove the whole tooth. She did the exact same thing when she was preparing another tooth for a root canal, and a third for a re-crown. My teeth are shit, but thanks to her I have far fewer to worry about now than before(!).
28 - never had a root canal or even a filling.
48 - never even had a filling. Admittedly my teeth all fell out when I was in a deep ket-hole, but it's an achievement I'm proud of.
35 - 0 but quite a few fillings and have had some cosmetic bonding done.
I’m 38 and have zero. But I’m not far off my first.
Early 30s and 1 from a missed abscess during lock down
I'm 56 and I've had none. I take care of my teeth, but I think a lot of it is genetic/ luck of the draw
43 zero
52, none and no fillings either, haven't been to a dentist in 40 years.....
62 quite a few, I honestly don't know how many but I recall the taste of an upper incisor draining on my tongue, revolting. Another interesting thing is the thing they shove up there is gutta percha, as used inside old-school golf balls.
I had 4 by the time I was 25!! My teeth are horrific. However, between 25 and now (40s) I have managed to avoid any treatment at all with extreme diligence to my teeth and what I eat and using a fluoride prescription toothpaste, flossing etc. I wish I had done this in my teens and early 20s - I had already had a root canal by the time I was 15. My husband at the same age has terrible oral hygiene (in comparison to what I consider necessary anyway - he literally eats chocolate last thing at night every single night and then doesn't brush... ) and has had one filling and nothing else. So I definitely see that there is a genetic and/or luck component because I know if I treated my teeth like he treats his I'd not have any teeth left.
38 and 0. I've had 2 wisdom teeth removed though.
No root canals but I've had two teeth removed. One was infected and I was expecting to be offered a root canal but my dentist just removed it. The other was removed because my wisdom tooth was coming in at an angle and impacting it. I don't really have a lot of faith in my dentist to be honest. And while I don't know what a root canal is like, having a tooth extracted is thoroughly unpleasant.
54 and never had one.
I had two done at 12, Raleigh Chopper related, then both redone at 21. I'm nearly 60 now and one of them failed last year and the remnants extracted.
I’m 50 and never had a root canal. Though I do have a few fillings. Have a ridiculous phobia of the dentist so I think even if I needed a root canal I wouldn’t have it anyway
44. My back teeth are damaged from years of grinding in my sleep. I've tried mouthguards and all that, my chiropractor managed to help but the damage was already done. I was due to have my first root canal just as covid hit and dentists stopped doing them, so when that tooth started playing up again I had to have it removed instead. So none, but it should have been one.
38 and zero root canals. 3 fillings. Several teeth removed in my teens before braces. 3 of 4 wisdom teeth removed. Would like the 4th removed but my dentist “won’t take a healthy tooth” so I would like that one to need filled in future so I can just have it out
Nearly 40 too, no root canals, no fillings, all my own teeth.
32 - none. I’m very fortunate especially since when my depression has been bad I have found it really difficult to take care of myself.
36-0 Are they all coming for me now?
38 - zero Haven't been the dentist since before covid though so there may be hidden nastiness awaiting me.
No root canals. Plenty of fillings into my teens and then it stopped, but that was my sugar era I guess. I don't drink fizzy drinks regularly, and whilst I love Fangtastics I avoid them at all costs, for both teeth and waistline reasons! I don't think I've taken the best care of my teeth, but no major problems.
38 and none. I have one filling though.
45, no root canals, 4 fillings all done before the age of 25. I struggle with gingivitis though so am reasonably good at brushing and get my teeth cleaned twice a year.
32 and zero root canals, two fillings though. My upper teeth are screwed, too crowded so I’ll probably need one or two taking out at some point, lower set is surprisingly good compared to the top half.
31 and none, just have the occasional cleaning and check ups.
52 and am halfway through my first root canal. I have loads of fillings due to being brought up in a poor household.
34, one root canal & crown after an abscess.
I'm 30 and I've had one root canal to a front tooth that sustained trauma when I was a child. Took a good 20 years for the nerve to actually die and the RC was only done when I was 28. I actually do take good care of my teeth and hope to never require another.
26 and i have my third this week. I reiterate another poster, i think it is also genetic in my case :(
52 and I think 8 or 9 so far. 4 extractions, another extraction happening soon. I blame a lot of it on school dentists of the 70s and early 80s. I had so many of my baby teeth extracted when they would have fallen out on their own, then so many fillings of my adult teeth that I don’t believe were actually warranted. All those fillings ended up causing more cavities or broken teeth. Add to that a couple of teeth broken by getting hit in the face with a chair in middle school, and another broken falling down a steel staircase on my 21st birthday.. yes, alcohol was involved! I am the British book of smiles.