A Timeline of Oral Health Complications
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.
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