A lot of it is genetics. I think some of mine is drinking spring water from the well on our land before I left. My sisters and I had great teeth until we moved away. My mother had horrible teeth and finally found a dentist who would pull them and give her dentures. She was so happy to finally be able to eat salt water taffy again.

I was rereading a Peter Wimsey novel and read a description of a woman that went, "like most countrywomen of her age, she was missing all her front teeth." The woman in question was young enough to have children aged about 8 and 10 - certainly not over 40. In 1930s England. We've come a long way.

Suzi, I live in Charlottesville VA. Nice little university town. Good hospitals, good schools (I hear), gorgeous mountains.

Kids will have graduated by the time we do this, so schools aren't as big a concern finally. Mountains are cool. I've liked VA when I've visited. But I really love Colorado.

My dental hygienist said that she loves working on people my age, because we grew up with fluoridated water and our teeth are really easy to clean. She can tell when someone's moved to the area from somewhere that didn't have fluoride. (I've never had a cavity in any of my adult teeth.)

I know of so many people in the previous generation who all had to have all their teeth pulled and replaced with dentures before they were even 40. Makes me wonder what was going on. My mom had all her teeth pulled before she was 30, yet my sister and I both have great teeth, and all of us grew up on the same farm, drinking the same well water. While my best friend, whose dental practices are surely no worse than mine, has teeth that are basically falling apart. I think it's a combination of genetics, brushing/flossing/dental care (including fluoride in the water), and nutrition in childhood. And genetics usually wins, doesn't it?

My teeth aren't falling apart, but at 57 I've got 4 crowns and have had one molar other than my wisdom teeth pulled (which I've still got two of - only the top wisdom teeth were pulled.) I think that's fairly decent all things considered. I know my father, who is 91, has most of his own teeth, maybe one implant, and a few crowns, so I hope to continue this way for the future.

I have good, naturally straight teeth. But I have a problem with clenching my jam at night with causes cracks and damage. I do have a bite plane, but I don't sleep well with it in. I woke up the other night with the bite plane in my hand, and my hand sticking out from under the covers. It took a few more minutes to wake up enough to figure out I needed to get to the bathroom and put it in it's case.

clenching my jaw at night which causes cracks and damage

That's why I have crowns. My teeth have fillings, then they crack, then I eat popcorn and there goes part of a tooth. I have one tooth my dentist is pushing me to crown because it's cracked and the filling is getting a little loose. I really should tell him at my next cleaning to schedule the crown.

My grinding was apparently why my gums were so inflamed. I'm still crap about sleeping with my night guard, though.