It is no exaggeration to state that some individuals feel cursed by the teeth they were born with. Their experience of having to have lots of fillings, whilst others they know are not bothered by such things makes them question the hand they were dealt by their genealogy. So is tooth decay a result of hereditary factors or dietary behaviour? This question hangs like the Sword of Damocles above the head of these human beings, emphasising the fragility of fortune with one’s teeth in this lifetime.
“To “cry poor mouth” is an expression used to habitually complain about a lack of money. A literal poor mouth, however, represents one of the most widespread global diseases: tooth decay. Cavities resulting from poor oral health can drive everything from emotional issues to low self-esteem and health concerns.”
– The Conversation
Are Dental Caries The Result Of Nature or Nurture?
Yes, we live in an age of the celebrated Hollywood smile, the result of a cunningly devised dental marketing plan. Dentists have raised the bar of social acceptability when it comes to our appearance. Potential employers and members of the opposite sex expect to see gleaming white teeth on regular display when vetting applications and dates. This challenges those of us born with mouths ravished by cavities and yellow tinted teeth. Who or what decides those that are endowered with strong, white and wonderfully free of decay teeth? Is it nature or nurture?
Why Do Some More Than Others Suffer Dental Caries?
The truth of the matter is that it is a combination of both these overarching elements. Yes, some people are more susceptible to tooth decay than others. However, once informed of this they can choose to modify their lifestyles and diets to take heed of the dangers. It is not fair that these folk must be ever more vigilant than many others, but such is life in their case. Who ever said that life was fair?
“Dentistry dates back to 5000 B.C. when the thinking was that the cause of dental caries was a “tooth worm.” The term “dental caries” was first reported in the literature around 1634, and it originates from the Latin word “caries,” which stands for decay. The term was initially used to describe holes in the teeth. Dental caries is reported to be one of the oldest and most common diseases found in humans. Dental caries is a prevalent chronic infectious disease resulting from tooth-adherent cariogenic bacteria that metabolize sugars to produce acid, which, over time, demineralises tooth structure.”
– Rathee M, Sapra A. Dental Caries. [Updated 2023 Jun 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: NCBI.gov
Tooth Decay & The Oral Microbiome
The oral microbiome, which is the collection of microorganisms inside your mouth, determines in large part the fortunes of your oral health. Tooth decay is caused by bacteria feeding on sugars to produce acids capable of eating away at your teeth. Microbiomes are initially the result of our mothers and what we are born with. Then, what we feed them determines the bacterial makeup of our microbiome at both ends. We are not alone, in fact we are hosts to colonies of microorganisms, and we need to live in harmony with these trillions of microbes. Awareness of the microbiome is a relatively new thing for science and for humanity. Understanding the role it plays and paying enough proper respect to your microbiome is something that we can all do better in our lives. When considering who we are it is helpful to remember that over the millions of years that we as a species have evolved our diet did not include refined sugars or complex carbohydrates for the most part of this journey. Thus, we are physiologically not designed for a diet rich in these things. This is why for many of us our natural teeth do not last the distance of our lifespans and cause us endless problems along the way. Our modern diet with refined sugars and complex carbs in most manufactured foods is completely wrong for us. Dentists are growing wealthy on the back of this behaviour.
“Tooth loss, in particular, has been found to be associated with low intakes of fruits and vegetables, vitamin C, vitamin E, as well as higher consumption of processed foods and fatty acids in adults (> 18 years). It is possible that the association between oral health and fat intake may be due to higher consumption of processed meat which is a source of saturated fat which is easy to chew and requires little preparation. Tooth loss was also associated with poor diet quality”
– Kotronia E, Brown H, Papacosta AO, Lennon LT, Weyant RJ, Whincup PH, Wannamethee SG, Ramsay SE. Poor oral health and the association with diet quality and intake in older people in two studies in the UK and USA. Br J Nutr. 2021 Jul 14;126(1):118-130. doi: 10.1017/S0007114521000180. Epub 2021 Jan 20. Erratum in: Br J Nutr. 2021 Jul 14;126(1):160. doi: 10.1017/S0007114521000878. PMID: 33468264; PMCID: PMC8187263.
Your microbiome loves green leafy vegetables and whole grains. It does not fare well on processed meats and complex carbohydrates. The modern diet of fast foods and supermarket shelves groaning with processed foods full of sugar and carbs is literally killing us. Along the way, this kind of diet messes with our heads causing depression and other mood swing mental health issues. Inflammation, more generally, causing conditions like dementia, arthritis and heart disease results from a lifetime of consuming the wrong foods for our microbiome. We have all been sucked in by the sensation of sweetness and fat induced flavour on our tongues when the bulk of these foods are doing us harm when digested. Manufacturers know this and front load their foodstuffs with flavour but they lack wholefood goodness for our bodies. The obesity epidemic, the Type 2 Diabetes scourge, cancers, and the global prevalence of gum disease are all directly related to this.
Fighting Cavities
“To offset this corrosion, recent therapeutics containing acid buffering agents, such as arginine, are included in toothpastes and mouth rinses to combat the disease. Evidence also suggests that other dietary micronutrients, such as vitamin D, can lower the risk for cavities. These findings emphasize a better understanding of the biology of this global disease for improved prevention and treatment of cavities.”
– The Conversation, May 2021
Dentists are fighting cavities via their technical skills and there are fluoride sealants available to help protect your teeth from tooth decay. If you are one of the unlucky ones who is more vulnerable to tooth decay, then amending your lifestyle via diet is the smartest thing that you can do. It will be the most cost-effective approach as well. In the long term, it pays to have regular checkups with your dentist rather than avoiding her, him or them until an emergency situation arises. It pays to be proactive rather than reactive. The worst thing that you can do for your health and wallet or purse is pretend that you don’t have a problem until the pain makes that impossible.
The Dilemma For Those Born Without Smiling Teeth
Now, teeth for the most part seem to be small hard things hidden away within the dark recesses of our oral cavities. However, they do a lot of important tasks, as they are directly involved in eating. Feeding the beast keeps us going throughout our lives. For without such repasts we weaken and eventually die. Smiling may be the icing on the cake but it is the grinding away at consumables that really drives the ship. Those born with bad teeth are burdened with a lifetime of tooth aches, drilling, and financial drain. The underrated effects of persistent tooth decay include absenteeism, loss of productivity, and increased healthcare costs in a land where Medicare does not include dental. The swathe of older Australians living in poverty are faced with a retirement holed by huge costs caused by expensive dental bills and or continual pain. Individually, and as a nation, we need to face up to the realities of our situation. We cannot go on pretending that this is not a major issue for our communities.
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