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

For some reason when I was in fifth grade I stopped brushing my teeth. Then I got five cavities at same time. So I went back to brushing and since then I've had a few cavities in the last ten years but with bi-yearly dentist visits they were all small and easy to fix.

Eta: I haven't always taken the best care of my teeth the last ten years. Like not brushing my teeth on weekends when I was depressed.

In 1930s England. We've come a long way.

Oh yeah. Both of my grandfathers had dentures as far back as I can remember, so no older than 60. But neither of my grandmothers ever did.

I'm pretty sure a woman who worked at my old nail salon got dentures in her 20s or 30s, but my assumption there was that it was cheaper than fixing multiple bad teeth.

Yeah, depression over the years has definitely taken a toll on my tooth care.

I have gone to the dentist twice a year and flossed for most of my life. My teeth started falling apart in my teens. I have nine inlays and onlays (formerly 11) and have had to have three teeth pulled. I have the world's most expensive implant, since that tooth had a root canal, was broken during surgery and had two crowns that failed.

I inherited my mother's teeth. I lose at the genetic lottery.

My parents both still have mostly their own teeth in their 70s, so I expect to, also. I probably have an extra edge from fluoridated water - they started adding fluoride in between when my mom was pregnant with my older brother and me and I have had noticeably less trouble with my teeth all my life than he has. Other than the crookedness, but that seems like a separate issue to me.

My father had partial dentures (upper, I think) as far back as I can remember, so before he turned 30. He was born during the '30s. I have all of my own teeth (except wisdom teeth) in my 50s.

My mother is 93 and has all of her teeth except 1, and ZERO cavities. When she was a child she had a cavity and it was less expensive to pull than to fill so it was pulled. Genetics. Alas, I got my father's teeth.

We blamed it on her grandmother that raised her on dairy in everything, but I expect it was more long term genetics.

My grandmother had all her teeth pulled as a child. The dentist said it had looked as if someone had just tossed a handful of teeth into her mouth, as they were all over the place.

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.

Maybe it was the effect of lots of high fevers? Apparently having those from malaria as a child seriously weakened my dad's teeth, to the point that he had his last pulled and dentures made in his early 20s.

My teeth are too tightly packed for flossing to be anything but an ordeal, so I'm relying on regular cleanings, avoiding sugary foods and beverages, and drinking lots of water to rinse my mouth out. (Also hoping that last lets me avoid kidney stones.)