Side effects of not brushing enough go way beyond your pearly whites
Did you know not properly taking care of your teeth can affect other parts of your body too? Maria Mercedes Galuppo (@mariamgaluppo) has more.
What would happen if you tossed your toothbrush for a year?
"Probably nothing good," said Matthew Messina, dentist and American Dental Association spokesman.
Most people who stop brushing their teeth will develop cavities (tooth decay) and/or periodontal disease (gum disease). Both can be painful and both can cause teeth to fall out.
When bacteria in the mouth isn't brushed away, it can also push immune systems into overdrive and cause a host of problems in other parts of the body. Bacteria under the gum line with access to the blood line can be particularly dangerous, Messina said. A dirty mouth has been linked to respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, heart attacks and even MRSA in the case of dentures. MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a bacteria resistant to a variety of medications that can infect the bloodstream and lining of the heart.
Everyone's health is different. So, someone could go without brushing for a year and get gum disease and no cavities. Others might have it the other way around. Some could come down with serious health problems. In rare cases, people with healthy diets and good genes could go without cavities, gum disease and health problems, Messina said.
But, even for those who would escape major problems, their teeth would be covered in plaque.
"It's not a lovely feeling," Messina said.
Food particles would stick around. Meaning, the taste of salmon from Saturday dinner would mingle with Sunday brunch.
Morning breath would be a constant, and smell worse every day without brushing.
"It’s not going to be good for relationships with other people," Messina said. "You aren’t going to have a lot of friends."
The ADA recommends brushing teeth twice daily and flossing once daily. Toothbrushes should be changed when frayed, about every four months.
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It’s been a long day. You’ve brushed the kids teeth, read them stories and tucked them in. You are ready to just close your eyes and then you remember, “I didn’t brush my teeth.” You think to yourself, “one night of not brushing won’t hurt. I’ll brush extra long in the morning. It’s not that big of a deal, right?”
The reality is that not brushing your teeth before bed is bad news. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your beautiful smile twice a day. Skip a session, and you’re on your way to encouraging the growth of bacterial buildup in the form of plaque, which can lead to cavities and even gum disease.
Chances are that you’ve felt plaque on your teeth throughout your day and haven’t even realized it. When you brush it disrupts that bacteria, so it doesn’t stay on your teeth and your gums. The problem is that when it is left in place it begins to attack your teeth. The longer plaque remains on your teeth the more likely it is to become tarter, which leads to inflammation and bleeding of your gums. The longer it remains untreated the more likely you are to loose a tooth.
By not brushing once you run the risk of skipping this nightly habit again and again. So, stick to the habit. Follow the simple and easy guidelines of the ADA: brush for two minutes, twice a day and floss at least once a day. Regular dental visits will also help to protect your pearly whites.
Mai-Ly Ramirez, DDS & Your Fountains Dental Excellence Team
Chances are, we’ve all had nights here and there where we’ve been super tired and gone to bed without brushing our teeth. No need to stress, your teeth won’t instantly rot and fall out. Forgetting too often? That could be a slippery slope into some dental issues down the track.
Brushing our teeth twice a day is the simplest task we can all complete to avoid a magnitude of health issues – not just cavities and toothaches. Before you get a little too relaxed with your dental hygiene routine here are some of the issues you might encounter…
Oral health
Plaque isn’t always visible but brushing keeps plaque at bay and improves the overall health of your teeth.
Cavities
When you don’t remove plaque, which is a sticky film containing bacteria coating the teeth it can begin to penetrate the protective enamel of your teeth, all the way down to the under layers… causing cavities. Untreated cavities then can cause infections that can in turn cause the loss of the tooth.
Gingivitis
Plaque and cavities can become the perfect storm which can cause gingivitis – the nasty condition behind bad breath and bleeding, inflamed gums.
Periodontitis
Gingivitis is one of the first steps towards periodontitis. This condition is a bone infection and also the leading cause of tooth loss.
Heart disease
Studies have shown that people who regularly brush their teeth at least 2 times a day and keep up with their regular dentist appointments are not as likely to experience atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
A timeline of what happens when you don’t brush your teeth…
One Day
Plaque starts to work instantly. It begins by decalcifying dentin which is the protective material under teeth enamel. Simply brushing your teeth can halt this potential damaging process.
One week
Plaque will have built up quite a bit in a week – that is going to give you particularly bad breath and your teeth will have that ‘furry feeling’. Not the cute kind of furry but rather old food particles settling in place on your teeth.
One year
Hard to say for sure and this may be dependent on your overall health. But one year without brushing your teeth will likely result in an extreme build up of plaque causing cavities, gum disease and tooth loss. So… DO NOT stop brushing your teeth for a day, let alone a year!
Basic Tips
Brush twice a day and floss often.
Avoid too much sugar in food and drinks.
Don’t skip dental check-ups.
Now that you know how the story of the person who stopped brushing their teeth ends, we hope that it helps you stay on top of your daily routine so you can keep smiling. While it’s ok to skip brushing once or twice…. Don’t make it a habit.
Contact our friendly team
We’re about 99% certain your eyes rolled when you saw the title of this post. Parents, dentists and just about every other adult growing up instilled in you the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day. It was something that rain, hail or shine, absolutely had to be done, lest you suffer the consequences.
Rest assured, we’re not here to lecture and we’re not here to preach. We’re here to simply shed some light on what those ‘consequences’ are. We certainly get it though, if you’ve had a rushed morning or a particularly big night, giving your teeth a once-over can be an easy task to forget. That being said, if the forgetfulness becomes a habit, it’s good to know exactly what happens when you skip brushing your teeth.
Bacteria use your mouth as a holiday home
Whether or not your brush your teeth consistently, there is always going to be bacteria in your mouth. However, when they aren’t regularly removed with your tooth brush during your twice-daily routine, the bacteria can build up and eventually become a cause for concern.
A brush is especially essential at night, due to our mouths not producing as much saliva while we sleep. During the day, saliva helps wash away some of the bacteria, but at night, the excess bacteria can actually start munching on leftover food particles in our teeth. We’d essentially be inviting bacteria to a dinner party in our mouths.
But what if I don’t mind hosting bacteria for nightly meals?
Thankfully, this isn’t a question that’s been asked before, ever, but let’s assume it has. What’s the worst that can happen if bacteria is feasting on your leftover dinner while you sleep? When the bacteria is feeding, they’re also releasing extremely acidic substances that can severely damage tooth enamel.
As such, the more frequently you skip brushing your teeth, especially at night, the more your enamel will wear down and deteriorate. This can result in a number of oral health issues, and you’ll be much more susceptible to developing cavities or gum disease.
If that isn’t bad enough, forgetting to brush allows the plaque on your teeth to harden into tartar, which will make it much more difficult to brush and floss effectively. This could also lead you down the unfortunate road of cavities and/or gum disease. Tartar can also cause further complications such as inflammation of the gums, and if left unchecked for long enough, teeth may require removal.
Bad breath, the embarrassing side-effect
With serious oral health issues such as cavities and gum disease, you might think that bad breath is the acceptable side-effect of leaving your teeth uncleaned.
With the health of our teeth at stake, we should certainly try and find a few minutes every morning and every night to give our teeth a well-deserved clean. After all, we only get one set of teeth (two if you count your baby ones!), and we should take every measure to ensure we have them for as long as possible.
If you think you’re in need of a check-up or would like to give your teeth a thorough cleaning, give us a call on (03) 9041 5301 or book an appointment online!