Hereditary tooth decay?!


Question: My mother has something wrong with her teeth. They just get worse and worse. I have a few minor issues which I will get taken care as soon as my dental benefits kick in. My question is, is there some sort of tooth-decay-gene that is hereditary?


Answers: My mother has something wrong with her teeth. They just get worse and worse. I have a few minor issues which I will get taken care as soon as my dental benefits kick in. My question is, is there some sort of tooth-decay-gene that is hereditary?

I just looked up Elhers-Danlos and the only thing that I can find with this disease and teeth, is that it affects the periodontium (surrounding tooth structures, bone, tissue, PDL, ect...) So, I'm not sure if I believe the person above.

I am going to school for dental hygiene right now and so far my instructors said that tooth decay is not genetic. The reason for family members all having "bad"teeth, is that they all share the same bacteria from kissing, ect... When a child is born they only have natural flora in their mouth and their parents are the ones who transfer their decaying bacteria to the baby. This is why in dental offices you may see the notice about not cleaning off the nuk your child just dropped on the floor with your mouth. Make sense?

Also, another factor is the morals your parents instilled in you about your own oral hygiene. If they have good oral hygiene chances are so will you, if they didn't care much about their teeth, a lot of the time the children will not either.

Yes, it's called Elhers-Danlos. I'm sure there is more disorders.

Most of the major hereditary conditions leading to tooth decay are manifest during childhood. Does you mother practice good oral hygiene and does she avoid excessive sugar?


I'm not aware of tooth decay being a predominant feature in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (with numerous sub-types) I could be wrong.





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