We’ve all (hopefully) been programmed to brush our teeth twice a day, morning and night. Heck, if you’re an overachiever maybe even three times a day. But for the occasionally lazy, regular folk who sometimes arrive at the daunting crossroad of whether or not we really need to brush our teeth before going to bed or rushing out the door, let me provide some expertly researched insight.
A common misconception is that brushing your teeth in the morning is most important because duh, stanky morning breath. Wrong. Apparently “going to bed without brushing your teeth is like going to bed with poop in your mouth”. Woah, that’s quite a statement.
GIF courtesy of giphy.com
Let me explain. Every time you put something in your mouth, the bacteria that naturally lives there starts eating the food you’re eating. This is a good thing. However, like every other organism, our little bacteria friends also excrete waste after a hearty meal. This waste is super acidic and breaks down root enamel which can cause cavities, root decay, and yes, bad breath.
This occurs throughout the whole day, so at night you’re definitely going to want to give your dirty dirty mouth a good cleaning. I doubt you need more of an incentive, but just in case, not brushing your teeth at night leads to the buildup of plaque which can only be removed by a dental hygienist. Your body sees plaque buildup as an infection, which causes it to alert the immune system to fight it off via inflammation. Chronic inflammation in the gums can lead to hearing loss, dementia, and even heart disease.
GIF courtesy of giphy.com
So the next time, you’re debating whether or not you really need to brush your teeth before bed, just consider whether you really want to spend all night with poop in your mouth. If that doesn’t do it, maybe the prevention of possible hearing loss, dementia, and heart disease will. Sweet dreams.
GIF courtesy of giphy.com