Is it possible to keep your teeth clean till you're old?

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kruger4
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28 Dec 2010, 9:00 pm

What can be done to achieve this? Or will you lose them either way?



jmnixon95
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28 Dec 2010, 9:03 pm

Kind of like asking if you'll have perfect vision when you're 70, I think.
If you keep your teeth clean and healthy while you have them, you'll probably prolong their lasting... but you'll probably lose at least a few by the time you're an elderly person.



Apple_in_my_Eye
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28 Dec 2010, 9:48 pm

Brush, floss, use tooth-protecting mouthwash, see a dentist regularly.

I had one bad year where my self-care went to hell and the result was 6 fillings (the first ever, at age 40). So, all the above stuff really works and makes a big difference. There's no guarantee that you'll go to your grave with perfect teeth, but you can do a lot to make the difference between rotten teeth at age 50 vs. at age 75.



Pistonhead
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28 Dec 2010, 9:49 pm

Apparently yes, however I know for a fact when I'm old (if I live that long) I'll be missing some teeth.


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CockneyRebel
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28 Dec 2010, 11:41 pm

Brush and floss, drink plenty of milk and use Crest White Strips.


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Kaybee
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29 Dec 2010, 10:37 pm

CockneyRebel wrote:
Brush and floss, drink plenty of milk and use Crest White Strips.


Crest White Strips and similar products are not for oral health, they're for cosmetic purposes.

Anecdotally, I would say no. You can make them last as long as possible by brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash, but they decay gradually. My mother has for as long as I can remember taken nearly obsessive care of her teeth, brushing 3-5 times a day, flossing, and using mouthwash. She also drinks a lot of milk and eats a lot of dairy products. All the same, she had to get a couple cavities filled and even a root canal last year. It led me to wonder other factors are involved, rather than simply oral hygiene (if some people are just genetically predisposed to getting cavities, for example).

Of course, some foods and drinks are bad for your teeth. Everyone knows that soda is, but not everyone knows, for example, that orange juice is very bad for one's teeth (the acid erodes the enamel). Along the same line, acid reflux causes erosion as well (lucky me). I'm sure there are many other factors which contribute. All you can do, really, is avoid things which are bad for your teeth, practice good oral hygiene, and hope that is enough to keep them around for decades to come.


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kruger4
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30 Dec 2010, 10:41 am

Kaybee wrote:
CockneyRebel wrote:
Brush and floss, drink plenty of milk and use Crest White Strips.


Crest White Strips and similar products are not for oral health, they're for cosmetic purposes.

Anecdotally, I would say no. You can make them last as long as possible by brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash, but they decay gradually. My mother has for as long as I can remember taken nearly obsessive care of her teeth, brushing 3-5 times a day, flossing, and using mouthwash. She also drinks a lot of milk and eats a lot of dairy products. All the same, she had to get a couple cavities filled and even a root canal last year. It led me to wonder other factors are involved, rather than simply oral hygiene (if some people are just genetically predisposed to getting cavities, for example).

Of course, some foods and drinks are bad for your teeth. Everyone knows that soda is, but not everyone knows, for example, that orange juice is very bad for one's teeth (the acid erodes the enamel). Along the same line, acid reflux causes erosion as well (lucky me). I'm sure there are many other factors which contribute. All you can do, really, is avoid things which are bad for your teeth, practice good oral hygiene, and hope that is enough to keep them around for decades to come.


If she was brushing so much a day maybe she overdid it? To much of anything is never good.



Laz
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30 Dec 2010, 11:19 am

Far too many factors to determine long term oral health.
Your diet
Strength of your enamal
Genetic predisposition
Growth abnormalities
Damage caused by Orthodontistry (they are a pseudo-science who maime children!)
Wear and tear from over bite or under bite.
Poor or damaging brushing technique

The list can go on for quite a bit...

However, poor oral hygeine has a direct link to cardio vascular disease and high cholesterol due to Plaque entering the bloodstream through absorption by the gums.

Basically get old find out and let us know



the_curmudge
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30 Dec 2010, 1:25 pm

I kept my teeth intact to the age of 55. I brushed after every meal and rarely ate/drank anything sugary. I never visited the dentist and kept my misaligned "wisdom" teeth.

Many years ago I cracked a tooth chewing ice and it eventually deteriorated to the extent it needed to be removed. More recently I broke a tooth through excessive tooth-grinding and it, too, has been removed. I've arranged for implants because I just don't like the idea of being toothless even though the spaces don't show.

My experience suggests that with even moderate care for the teeth you can keep them a long time, but, then, few members of my family have experienced significant problems in this area.



Lace-Bane
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30 Dec 2010, 1:45 pm

I believe a lot about tooth duration has to do with genetics.

I've got awful genes for teeth. If I don't take care of them constantly they start to erode very quickly. I neglected to take care of them properly for about 3 months and almost had to get a root canal (However that's spelled), because one of my teeth started getting a deep pit in the front of the enamel that almost went straight into the tooth. I got it fixed but now I've got some irritating filling thing I can feel with my tongue :(.

That was just the worst one... almost half my teeth had to be fixed in some way with a filling. When I say neglect to take care of them I mean I probably just brushed them once or twice a day and mouth washed for a second brushing if I didn't brush twice just cuz I was lazy :roll:

My mother has awful teeth. Her teeth are extremely soft so they just break and pit like nobody's business. My father's teeth aren't that great either although not nearly as bad. His just stain and he had previous problems with teeth as a young adult.

Pretty much though I have to take care of mine just so I don't start losing teeth in a few months :roll:. However I have very straight tooth alignment... so it isn't all bad. Mostly I just hate my teeth because they aren't very white, but a light yellowish color that I hate :x. No matter what I do I can't change the color and whitening sounds painful because I have sensitive teeth :|


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Chickenbird
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30 Dec 2010, 8:41 pm

kruger4 wrote:
What can be done to achieve this? Or will you lose them either way?


I agree with the flossing and brushing. Also, they are now saying that sugar rots your teeth from inside your body, rather than from getting it on your teeth. I do believe this. So don't eat sugar :)



Beauty_pact
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30 Dec 2010, 10:33 pm

Perfectly possible if you plan on never reaching forty. :)

...Although I guess below forty isn't all that "old".



Moog
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31 Dec 2010, 9:24 am

Chickenbird wrote:
kruger4 wrote:
What can be done to achieve this? Or will you lose them either way?


I agree with the flossing and brushing. Also, they are now saying that sugar rots your teeth from inside your body, rather than from getting it on your teeth. I do believe this. So don't eat sugar :)


Teeth are built from the inside. A good diet is the best way to look after your teeth, and that's not because of what comes into contact with your teeth. Lots of greens and good fats for me, nice one.


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