How bad is it really to skip tooth brushing before bedtime? In a nutshell, very bad. In fact, bedtime brushing is the worst routine to skip. Going to bed without brushing your teeth can end up causing far more harm than you may realise, to your teeth and gums and overall dental health.
The main reason that a bedtime brushing oral routine is so important is the build-up of bacteria that happens over the course of the day. After every meal and every drink, bacteria that live inside the mouth enjoy a feast. As living organisms, bacteria excrete waste after you eat and drink. This waste is high in acids that break down tooth enamel if left unchecked. The result is a greatly increased risk of cavities and root decay.
When you go to sleep without removing this build-up, plaque begins to harden and calcify. Once this happens, it becomes far harder to remove build-up with just a toothbrush and floss. Only a dental practitioner is able to remove this plaque, and that means professional teeth cleaning. Even more problematic is the increased risk of infection. Gums treat a plaque build-up as an attack, causing your immune system to gear into action to try and remove a potential infection. Over time, this leads to a destruction in your healthy gum tissue, causing your gums to pull away from the teeth. Needless to say, this means that tooth brushing at bedtime is essential.
Why You Cannot Afford to Skip Tooth Brushing Before Bed
In essence, inflammation is not a terrible thing on its own. The trouble with long-term inflammation is that it goes from helping your body protect itself to causing damage instead. If you are sick, your body fights off infection through inflammation, warding off germs to help your system return to normal. When the attack continues over the long-term, your body begins to weaken, resulting in wear and tear. Chronic inflammation can cause major health issues not only to your oral health but also your overall body.
Nightly tooth brushing may not seem to be the most important habit in the world on the surface. In reality, this habit could protect not only your teeth but also your overall health. Skipping one night or two will not kill you. Skipping your nightly tooth cleaning routine too often can quickly start to cause problems, however. Having a proper dental routine in place is the best way to keep your teeth and gums healthy, saving you a great deal of trouble down the line. Brushing at night is particularly important as bacteria multiply very quickly when you are at rest. Leaving your teeth and gums covered in bacteria for eight or more hours will soon increase your odds of tooth decay and gum disease.
Too exhausted to brush and floss before bed? You can try the following cheats to ensure that you do not let bacteria build over the course of the night:
- Keep a toothbrush in your nightstand. Even without toothpaste, a quick dry brush in bed is better than not brushing at all.
- Keep a flossing stick in your nightstand. This can also help to remove food particles that can start to increase over the course of the night.
- Keep reminders on your phone. Although you will still need to do a quick brush, setting reminders will ensure that you don’t go to sleep without brushing.
Get into a proper tooth brushing routine and stick to your scheduled oral check-ups at your dentist in Durban, and you will soon notice the difference in your oral health.
