Is there such thing as a person being immune to tooth decay?

I am 22 yrs. old and have never had a cavity. I hadn't been to the dentist in 2 yrs after my child was born because it seemed like I never had the time. I just went last month and they said I barely had any tartar on my teeth and no tooth decay. Sometimes I fall asleep and don't brush my teeth (happens rarely) and drink sugar soda (which I know is horrible on your teeth). I barely floss and use mouth wash as much as possible. My teeth are almost white, not perfect. Just curious!

Is there such thing as a person being immune to tooth decay?
I'm a dentist.





No, there's no such thing as a person being immune to decay. There are, however, people who are far less susceptible to it than others.





Development of tooth decay depends on bacteria, teeth that can be colonized by bacteria, and the environment (food, saliva etc.). Even a non-susceptible person could tweek the environment to promote decay.
Reply:Gosh, you are so lucky! My brother has the same kind of teeth, perfect, white, and never had any problems. Whereas me, I need two stinkin' root canals cause my fillings fell out. And I brush my teeth all the time. He barely brushes his. It is entirely possible I think.
Reply:Decay is not a simple process. There are many factors involved. Bacteria that cause decay need to be present in your mouth, you need to have a diet with an increased amount of fermentable carbohydrates in it (like sugar). You don't say how often you drink soda and that you do brush fairly regularly. You should just be careful that your gums are in good condition as well. Gum disease can also cause tooth loss and I would suggest you start flossing regularly. You are only young and have good teeth and I assume you want them to be like that for the rest of your life, so be thankful you have not had any problems and keep up the good work.
Reply:If germs are not cross-contaminated to your children by the age of 36 months, the chances that they develop the cariogenic flora are essentially zero. But it is easy to contaminate by kissing, or putting germs on the baby bottle. But if you could prevent this contact for the forst 3 years, your child will not get decay.