I’d had a couple of cavities as a kid, but I stopped getting them for a while, until I had been vegan for three years. Suddenly I had eight cavities at once. This was especially vexing because I brushed and flossed regularly and had been avoiding soda and desserts since even before I was vegan. “It’s genetic,” I claimed when I described the rotting state of my teeth to others.

But last week, my dentist told me that my teeth are “resistant to decay.” Could the endless march of starches into my vegan maw have contributed to my state of oral disrepair back then? Or have my genetics changed since quitting veganism?

Let’s cherry-pick some telling quotes about dental hygiene from a vegan message board to find out.

makin’ believe: I have already had about 12 cavities filled in the last 2 years and I still keep getting more (in fact I’m going in tomorrow because I might need a root canal). I brush my teeth regularly, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day, I floss regularly, and often rinse with mouthwash. I don’t understand how I keep getting cavities. Anyone else have this problem?

vegancore: I am one of those cavity-prone people. I take excellent care of my teeth and very rarely drink soda, and yet every time I’ve gone to the dentist I’ve had to get a few cavities filled. I think almost all of my teeth beyond the front few have fillings in them. It sucks, but I don’t think there’s much you can actually do about it if it’s genetic.

mel c: I take good care of my teeth, never drink soda, rarely eat candy or dried fruit, but I’ve had more than my share of cavities.

coldandsleepy: How many cavities do I have now? I’d say several. Two of the teeth on the right side of my mouth have jagged holes in them and have for years… I basically don’t chew with that side of my mouth. Another one on that side has a hole that is pretty small but through which gum material pokes…. which implies that the hole goes all the way through. I am kind of terrified of hearing what a dentist has to say about that thing. The left size is not so bad in comparison. There’s one molar which I think should probably get a filling (no big hole yet, but it just has that texture that teeth with cavities get) but other than that, nothing big.

missmuffcake: My back teeth are a mess, I have had a few pulled. I have been to the ER with an infected tooth.

idgie: I had deep grooves in my teeth, had them all filled when I was a kid, only to be plagued with cavities ever since. I’ve had one root canal, and in the past year alone have had to have repairs four times for teeth that have broken from stress fractures despite a mouth guard. Thankfully, regardless of all that, my teeth still don’t look overly bad. I just wish they were whiter.

Rach-ums: I just got my first cavities and I’m 22.

tdiggity: I never had cavities until this summer when I found out I had two. I stopped using fluoride toothpaste and it seems to have ruined my teeth. It makes me so sad to think about.

pixel: I went to the same dentist throughout my whole childhood, and only had two tiny cavities filled by him. Then after college I didn’t go to the dentist for a couple of years since I didn’t have insurance. Then I finally went to a new dentist and they told me I had 13 little cavities mostly between my teeth. So I had to go there like every two weeks and they’d fill a couple at a time.

tofu: 6 Root canals + crowns, 2 missing teeth.

micachica: About three years ago I had 13 cavities filled. About a year ago I had six teeth pulled, my top bicuspids and 4 wisdom.

Bekajoi: One of my fillings I got 10 years ago fell out, and I have de-calcification on the bottom teeth in the back to the point that holes are forming at the bases of several teeth, and one of them is flat out broken. I’m actually taking meds for the pain (I never do that unless I have a migraine), and it still hurts.

babylove: Once I have some money (or dental insurance) I’m going to look into having sealants put on my teeth to stop them from popping cavities.

sharkey: Just had a filling today, actually!

ash: Oh and my enamel is starting to erode or whatever it’s called, which is kind of scary — can you reverse that?  Probably not.

Rabidchild: I’m very cavity prone, so even though I brush like a fiend I always need fillings and I hate going so much because I know that it’s going to be excruciating.

lillekvinne: I always need at least four fillings every time I go to the dentist. I had a tooth pulled last year because I couldn’t afford a root canal, and then I forgot to make my appointments after (I had like five other cavities on the one side of my mouth…the other hadn’t even been checked yet), so next time I go I’ll probably be in there all week. I do brush my teeth, no matter how this all sounds.

honor: I totally have that problem. I brush 3 times a day, floss daily & use fluoride, and still get cavities. On my last dentist visit when I was explaining how frustrated I am about it my dentist said, “Look at it this way. If you didn’t take such good care of your teeth you would have 10 new cavities, instead of 2.” So, that helped me feel a little better.

Indigo: I have had tons of work done in the last two years and have tons more to go. We started with the stuff that was urgent and dealt with the work on a question of whether my mouth is ‘stable’. The most recent work has been done because a tooth actually broke around an old monster filling. While fixing that we found another issue. It’s seriously depressing me to get this stuff done. It’s essentially a vacation, or getting the inside of my house painted, or a very nice donation to my favorite charity. So many other ways to spend the money, not to mention the time, but it has to be done.

chinadoll13x: I let a tooth rot under a cap for years. I mean, it didn’t hurt since it was root-canaled years ago. Anyway, it ate away at my jaw so I had it extracted and had a bone implant.

WhiskersGal: Monday I found out I need a root canal & crown put on (same thing done 6 months ago, and my dental bill I still $2000 for what I owe them…).

bekajoi: WELL shit. I just got back, and when I said major work…  well, I didn’t anticipate THIS. I need one root canal on the filling-fell-out tooth, she said she is shocked I haven’t been in pain before this. So, root canal and crown on that one…  and the broken tooth in front is a probable root canal, but they won’t know 100% for sure until they go to remove the decay. And I lost count of how many small cavities to fill, but there are a lot.

linanil: Good luck on your dental work! I’m having two crowns put in at the beginning of the year (new insurance kicking in).

baps: Oh god, I have so much that needs to be done it’s not even funny.

lostgirl12: I’ve had a few root canals (also need two more).

Pi: I go to the dentist later this week.  My dentist is ok.  It’s my teeth that suck…stupid weak enamel even though I brush/floss religiously.

Pop!: Last time I went in I found out that I had 4 cavities.  I brush AT LEAST twice per day, usually 3-4 times, floss 1-2 times per day, swish with mouth wash, chew sugar free gum after eating, etc.

honor: You sound like me, plus I use a fluoride rinse. I cry when I go to the dentist because it’s nearly always bad news. I asked the dentist if there was anything else I could do to prevent more cavities and she said, “Well, no. Some people are just more prone to them.”

a9mike: I always have cavities when I go to the dentist too! I get so angry and depressed! I floss and brush twice daily and use fluoride mouthwash. I finally switched dentists because my old one would always give me the third degree about my cavities, accusing me of drinking pop even though I only drink ginger ale very occasionally (maybe once or twice every few months).

KitKat: Genetically, I inherited terrible teeth. I’ve spent a bunch of time (and money) getting them into good shape.

sadeijo: My dentist found 9 cavities today! My mum has created a theory that it’s because I don’t get enough calcium, is that a plausible reason? I’m more inclined to blame the toothpaste.

frenchie: Once upon a time my mother tried to scare me into thinking that vegans all had rotting nasty teeth. She showed me some article and whatnot to try and prove a point. I have had amazing teeth my whole 24 years of life, never a cavity or anything. Now I think I may have my first ever cavity. Is it because vegans have nasty rotting teeth like my mother said?

sharkey: Maybe your mom was thinking of raw vegans/people who eat lots of fresh and dried fruit?  If you snack on fruit a lot, the sugars can cause cavities. But as you get older, you’re bound to have more dental issues than when you were younger, irrespective of diet.