Just how gross is it really to forget to brush your teeth before bed every once in a while?
The answer: Bad news: It’s pretty gross. You probably already know that the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing those pearly whites twice a day. You also probably know that brushing your teeth is one of the easiest ways to avoid scaring off your date.
But brushing is important for reasons beyond fresh breath. Skip a session, and you’re on your way to encouraging the growth of bacterial build up in the form of plaque, which can lead to cavities and gum disease.
In the middle of the day, [run your tongue] across your teeth right around the gum line. You’ll find something sticky or fuzzy, and that my friends is “plaque”. Yup, that sticky, colorless film of bacteria that forms on teeth.
Brushing, thankfully, disrupts that bacteria, so it doesn’t stay in place. If it does it will start to attack your teeth. Plus, the longer that plaque sits in one place, the more likely it is to become tartar, “that hard, yellow, rough material you sometimes feel in between your teeth” that can cause inflammation and bleeding in the gums. Leave that untreated for too long and you could risk losing teeth.
However, doing a so-so job brushing can be just as bad, dentist warns. That twice-a-day routine is no joke, preferably with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush. Each brushing session should last about two minutes and cover all surfaces of the teeth, not just the parts we see when we smile. The ADA also recommends flossing once a day and seeing a dentist regularly to take care of the rest (like that tartar, which only a dentist can truly clean).
Also, no cheating: Gum, mints and mouthwash are no brushing replacements. All three can give your mouth a fresher feel, but brushing and flossing are the only ways to effectively, remove the plaque.
So think twice before going to sleep without brushing your teeth. It will cost you!