Brushing teeth and tooth decay?

If a person does not brush their teeth, how long will it take for tooth decay to do permanent damage?





Today ended a 6 month test (it started off as a week, but I kept it going after seeing 0 results) of not using any form of dental-care products. The dentist I visited said I had a very mild case of gingivitis, but had an otherwise perfectly healthy mouth. I had no stinky breath (public opinion on that one), and no dental pain or malady at all.





I've never had a cavity, and have never taken especially careful care of my teeth. My diet consisted mainly of pasta/dairy/vegetables, with small servings of fruit, tea, and the occasional meal of meat. I eat almost no sugary candy-like foods and rarely drink soda.





So is it genetic? Dietary? Or perhaps tooth-care is simply just another market where people are told that they must buy many different products or else their teeth will fall out?





Sincere answers only, please. Non-constructive posts will be deleted.

Brushing teeth and tooth decay?
i think its because you don't drink soda, which is acidic on your enamel and you don't have sweets which does the same. My husband seriously hasn't brushed his teeth in over 3 years, he just rinses with listerine everyday and uses toothpicks regularly.. His dentist did say that his teeth would fall out in about 10 years if he didn't get his gingevitis taken care of, but he does eat alot of meat , spicy foods and about 1 liter bottle of soda every day for the past 5 years.
Reply:You might enjoy seeing your healthy, pink gums and white, clean teeth but little did you know that more than having twice a day routine oral hygiene regimen, there is a much overlooked component. You may be surprised to learn that healthy gums require saliva to remain healthy in between brushings. Saliva as the watery substance in the mouth that seems to collect as the scent of delicious treats reaches the nostrils, but it is much more powerful than just being useful for proper digestion. As a matter of fact, the spittle in the mouth may be mostly water, but in addition to that it also contains electrolytes and most importantly enzymes that are known to attack, fight, and destroy bacteria.





To achieve and maintain healthy gums and mouth, the necessity of saliva goes further than simply having antibacterial fighting properties. Since saliva is directly a part of the digestive process, it serves to break down food, and frequently minute food particles are lodged between teeth. Without the aid of saliva, these particles may remain in between the teeth and there have the opportunity to provide fodder for bacteria. With the saliva, however, these particles are being at least partially digested to such an extent as to permit dislodging from their dangerous locale; when the time for your next routine oral hygiene activities rolls around, these particles may already be gone.





Source: http://www.themouthdoctor.co.uk/gumdisea...