Have you ever crawled into bed after a long day only to realize with heartbreaking sadness that you had to peel yourself away from the pillow, and the warm embrace of your sheets to go brush your teeth?
Chances are, you probably entertained the voices in your head that said, “It’ll be okay! Put it off! Just go to sleep, your teeth will be there in the morning!” Of course, your teeth will be there in the morning, but what you might not realize is that putting off brushing and especially developing the habit where you think putting off brushing is O.K. is not good.
Time and time again, our dentists in Orange County encounter patients who think that putting off brushing is no big deal. Unfortunately, that’s where they’re wrong.
After you eat any meal, the sticky-bacteria filled substance known as plaque begins to envelope your teeth. While it doesn’t do a ton of damage if you don’t take care of it for a few hours, if given some time – plaque can get into the nooks and crannies of your teeth and establish a foothold that allows it to harden into tartar – which puts you at further risk for gum disease and cavities. And of course – as you’re surely aware – if you don’t take care of gum disease and cavities it can very well lead to the need for more extensive treatments like extraction, dental bridges, dentures, and more.
How Missing a Night of Brushing Hurts You
While it might not seem like it, missing even a single night of proper brushing and flossing – while not terrible for your teeth – surely isn’t good. It means that all of the plaque that’s had a chance to work its way into your mouth after every meal is left alone to dig in and find a good home on your teeth and around your gums. What’s worse is that it has a greater opportunity to harden and become tartar.
Too Tired to Brush and Floss?
While it’s really unlikely that you’re truly too tired to brush, if you can’t get yourself up to get it done. Think about that plaque doing its damage to your teeth, drink a cold glass of water to wake up, and remind yourself: a few minutes a day can save a few hundred dollars at the dentist.