Can You Blame Your Dental Issues on Your Family Tree?

In a way, you can chalk some dental problems up to the DNA you inherited from your relatives. Some problems, alas, are not necessarily biological, but more like bad habits likely fostered by your family. To learn more about which dental maladies you can complain to your parents about, read on.

It's in Your Genes

You might have inherited more than your ancestor's hair and eye color—you may have also inherited the tendency to have cavities. Some people make all the right moves when it comes to dental health, but still end up needing to have more than their fair share of cavities filled at the dentist. Scientists have narrowed down a specific gene that seems to be the culprit. That doesn't mean you can just sit back and blame everything on your genes, though. Speak to your dentist about what you can do to decrease your chances of decay if you are spending way too much time in the dentist's chair lately.  

Inherited Facial Features

Just as your face may cause you to look a lot like your parents or grandparents, the shape of your facial features can also affect your dental health. To be exact, the shape and size of your jawbone can impact your bite leading to overbite and underbite tendencies. If your parents had crooked teeth and perhaps needed orthodontia, you may share the same issues with them. The shape, size, and spacing of your teeth can also be inherited. For instance, undersized canine teeth are often inherited and those smaller than normal teeth can be more prone to decay and breakage.

Palate Malformations

The most common type of palate malformation is the cleft palate in which the top of the mouth fails to properly fuse together leaving a gap. In most cases, this type of malformation is caught at birth and repaired with surgery, thus preventing speech and feeding problems from occurring. This type of birth defect is usually inherited from a parent.

Learned Behavior

You might want to consider how your dental hygiene habits were influenced by your upbringing. Your parents and other loved ones probably had a big impact on the way you take care of your teeth now as an adult. Not everyone is fortunate enough to learn about the importance of brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups. It's possible, even in the US, for some to be raised without ever visiting the dentist during childhood. All of that, unfortunately, can have a lasting negative effect on dental health.

To learn how to cope with both inherited and behavioral issues with your dental health, speak to a dentist.