I think too there is something else at play, maybe something genetic? Neither I nor my mom has ever had a cavity. (When I was a child I couldn't understand why so many kids were afraid of the dentist. I saw going to the dentist as missing school, having my teeth checked, getting a balloon, and then going out to lunch.) My mom was and is a fanatical toothbrusher; I on the other hand was always unbelievably negligent... Adrienne Smith <[log in to unmask]> wrote: I think something else is at play. For instance, my brother and I grew up eating sweets, junk, etc. He had horrible brushing habits -- rarely did it -- yuch! And when he needed braces, the dentist kept warning him that if he didn't improve his brushing while the braces were on, his teeth would have lots of cavities after the braces were removed. My brother continued his bad dental hygiene while wearing braces and when they were removed, he had tons of tarter build up but not one cavity...