Yep. you're right. My fiance is a perfect model of tooth care (brushes he teeth three times a day, mouthwash twice a day, flosses frequently but on no set schedule) and he broke one of his teeth in a cheesburger a few weeks ago, and has had a ton of cavities over the years. Thankfully it was one of his wisdom teeth which he was going to get pulled anyways, but that did end up changing the date of the surgery. Meanwhile I brush my teeth once I day when I wake up in the morning. Floss when I think about it (once a month maybe?) and never use mouthwash. I've only ever had once cavity in my life, and it was in a baby tooth, which fell out when I was 8. I agree it must be genetic, because his mother also has bad teeth, and she's just as good at taking care of them as he is. My father, on the other hand has teeth that are minimally cared for, and are still very strong, as do all my fathers siblings, and his father. The diets of my immediate family, and my fiance's immediate family are similar enough for me to not consider it a diet thing.

...thanks for sharing your poor oral hygiene with us, boatkicker. (Other than being a bit grossed out by your brushing habits, I do have to agree with the main point of your post. My dad and his family all take excellent care of their teeth, but get lots of cavities; my mom and I have never had any.)

My diet is horrendously unhealthy and has been for at least half my life, yet I've never had a single cavity or any sort of tooth problem. Never been to a dentist for anything but a regular checkup. So I agree with your point that it might be genetic. That theory fits my life like a glove, at least.

Sorry I grossed you out. My brushing habits reflect what I was taught as a child. Perhaps they aren't all that great but they are the same as everyone else in my family. Honestly, at first I was offended but then I realized that my mouth habits were the same as most of the people I grew up with outside my family too. Maybe it's a regional thing to have poor oral hygiene. haha. Anyways, if bad teeth aren't hugely effected by it, than I guess it doesn't matter much anyways. My biggest concern would be my breath, but I chew gum a lot so that's not a factor anyways. I feel better now.

#27, does your fiancé happen to be OP's Bizarro twin?