# How many tooth fillings do you have? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 29, 2004, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418 "2004-07-29T09:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/21 "2004-07-29T21:39:37Z")
I turned 39 this past Monday (yay me!) and I have yet to have a cavity. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/22 "2004-07-29T21:58:44Z")
36 years old, no fillings… …because I’m a mutant. As a child, I never developed adult teeth. They simply never formed. I’ve had false teeth for years. But they look good, see? —\> 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/23 "2004-07-29T22:08:07Z")
I’m in my mid-twenties and I have had only one “pit” filled before it could develop into a cavity. Now, I do have a fairly straggly wisdom tooth that I’m hanging on to, especially since it annoys the heck out of my dentist. We have a running bet on when it will finally develop a cavity. Are cavity-free teeth the result of good genes or early childhood dental care or a healthy diet? Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/24 "2004-07-30T00:02:23Z")
Here’s a fun cite about why some people don’t get as many: [http://www.sciam.com/askexpert\_question.cfm?articleID=000D9173-4103-1D1B-8B07809EC588EEDF&catID=3](http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=000D9173-4103-1D1B-8B07809EC588EEDF&catID=3) It looks like the main factors are: 1. PH level of the mouth 2. Strain of bacterial infection 3. Diet - it’s frequency of sugar, not quantity of sugar that counts 4. Quantity of spit 5. Brushing/flossing 6. Tooth shape ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/25 "2004-07-30T00:10:24Z")
I’m 35 and I have one filling. It was a fissure they filled before it could become a cavity. I haven’t been to the dentist in a while because we won’t have insurance until this January. Also, because I am one of those who is fearful of going to the dentist, I am fanatical about brushing. I usually wait a couple of years inbetween dentist visits and every time they tell me how healthy and clean my teeth are. I think I must be one of those with “good teeth genes”. I think **Suburban Plankton** was one of those unfortunate kids whose dentist found cavities once a year in order to pad his bill. He has a mouth full of fillings. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/26 "2004-07-30T01:21:31Z")
For me, it would be easier to ask “how many teeth do you have without a filling?” The answer: Zero. No, wait. I still have two impacted wisdom teeth that never emerged from below the gumline. Those have no fillings. Most of my teeth have more than one filling, in fact. Most of them at the gumline. I have terrible teeth, though I go to the dentist regularly to keep them maintained. I have a hygenist appointment tomorrow morning, as a matter of fact. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/27 "2004-07-30T02:48:19Z")
45 years old, regular dentist checkups, zero fillings. Brush once a day, floss annually whether needed or not. Was not a big soda or candy fan as a kid; much prefered salty snacks. Both brothers are similar, maybe zero, maybe 2 fillings each at most. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/28 "2004-07-30T02:57:55Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > 51, four fillings, though I suspect none were required and my dentist at the time was only padding his bill. > > The fact are: I had no cavities until I switched dentists. Then he found one a year for four years. The last time I saw him before moving away, he mentioned I had another small one that he would get to on my next visit. > > I never went back. And in the 30 years since then, no other dentist has mentioned any other cavity, or found anything in the tooth that supposedly needed work. I guess I won’t feel guilty anymore then. I’m 34, zero cavities, and felt bad that I hadn’t been to the dentist in easily 6 years. But that trip was bad enough. The hygenist went to work on my teeth…after waiting a bit, the dentist comes in, sits down and says “He needs caps, smoothing, whitening, and a mouthpiece - he’s grinding his teeth” She then got up and left. In 5 seconds, she added up a good $450 worth of work, most of which was cosmetic (and therefore out of my pocket). I passed on everything but the mouthpiece…and used THAT less than two weeks. Made me snore like the dickens. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/29 "2004-07-30T13:13:21Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > I guess I won’t feel guilty anymore then. I’m 34, zero cavities, and felt bad that I hadn’t been to the dentist in easily 6 years. > > But that trip was bad enough. The hygenist went to work on my teeth…after waiting a bit, the dentist comes in, sits down and says > > “He needs caps, smoothing, whitening, and a mouthpiece - he’s grinding his teeth” > > She then got up and left. In 5 seconds, she added up a good $450 worth of work, most of which was cosmetic (and therefore out of my pocket). > > I passed on everything but the mouthpiece…and used THAT less than two weeks. Made me snore like the dickens. Are you me?? That sounds exactly like my last appointment. The 34 years old part, the six years part and the mouthpiece thing. Did the same thing, used it for a few nights and then 86’d it. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/30 "2004-07-30T13:22:02Z")
I’m 34. I lost track of my cavities a long time ago. My dental charts are a mess. I just had another cavity filled at the dentist yesterday, in fact. I envy you folks who are older than me and still have no cavities. If I’m ever found dead lying in the woods without my ID they’d be able to identify me pretty quickly. _“Did they check his dental records? Oh, that many cavities, eh? I think I know who this is.”_ I’ll have dentures by the time I’m 60 at the rate I’m going. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/31 "2004-07-30T13:48:43Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > Are you me?? > > That sounds exactly like my last appointment. The 34 years old part, the six years part and the mouthpiece thing. Did the same thing, used it for a few nights and then 86’d it. Well, I dunno, do you have twin boys? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/32 "2004-07-30T14:10:37Z")
Well! I believe I’m winning here! Although RealityChuck could very well be the Emporer of Enamel if not for that sleazebag dentist of his. If there’s a prize, I hope it’s Invisalign Braces. My teeth are hard, but my overbite is really starting to annoy me. —\> 😃 (glad you can’t see the side view!!) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/33 "2004-07-30T14:24:17Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > Well, I dunno, do you have twin boys? Nope, Although I have a four year old and a three year old that people think are twins…close enough? ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/34 "2004-07-30T14:28:35Z")
Every molar has a filling. Every single one. I had them all replaced with porcelain so you can’t tell, though. I have terrible teeth and it is not because of a poor upbringing or neglect or anything like that. It is just plain unfair. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/35 "2004-07-30T16:00:03Z")
Every year that I visited the dentist as a child, I had at least one cavity, and as many as six. Since I was 12, I haven’t had a single one. I’m now 30. I don’t think I’ve been to the dentist in 5 years. Before the age of 12: brushed twice daily, concientiously and thoroughly. After the age of 12: brushed twice daily, concientiously and thoroughly. I have no idea why the cavities stoppped coming. I live in fear of the day that the engineering in my molars comes loose. It’s far too much to ask that all those fillings last a lifetime, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/36 "2004-07-30T16:05:44Z")
40 years old and I have three or four fillings. I got them all when I was a young kid, and my dentist did all of the work without novicaine. Surprisingly, I still go to the dentist. ---
**Author:** ![furthur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@furthur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furthur)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/37 "2004-07-30T19:12:17Z")
32, almost 33. I have no fillings, but that’s about to change. Dentist at the last visit said I need one in a molar. I’m a little dubious. I too had a dentist, when I was younger, who said I needed a filling. Never got it. Never needed it. Now I’m wondering if I need this one, either. I’ve never had a dentist before who really YANKED on my teeth with that sadistic-looking tooth hook probe before. This guy acted like he would get to China if he just kept at it. I kept wondering if he was looking for cavities or creating them for revenue’s sake. He does need a photocopier. 😉 Mrs. Furthur ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/38 "2004-07-30T22:20:38Z")
I have probably six or seven fillings. About five years ago, the dentist sealed all of my molars so I can’t get cavities anymore, at least as long as they stay sealed. (I still brush my teeth, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/39 "2004-07-30T22:27:57Z")
I have 10 or 12, and am leaving right now for the dentist with a sore tooth, so I may be adding to my total shortly. I didn’t have my first one until I was 12. (I’m 35). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418/40 "2004-07-30T23:02:30Z")
I’m twenty-eight. I haven’t seen a dentist in eight years. I brush my teeth once a day, when I shower in the mornings. I don’t floss. I don’t gargle. I drink a lot of Coke and other junk food. And I don’t have a single cavity. My wisdom teeth even came in straight! I did have braces when I was a kid. For three months. And I didn’t need a retainer, after. I’ve got the best teeth on the planet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-tooth-fillings-do-you-have/257418.md?page=3)