Let’s say, hypothetically, that “someone you know” has been occasionally forgetting to brush their teeth in the morning. Hypothetically, would that person’s teeth begin to rot out of their head and if so, how soon? What happens when you don’t brush your teeth regularly?
“In less than 24 hours, a plaque biofilm forms on your teeth and gums, which is a layer of bacteria that can cause bad breath, unpleasant tooth discoloration, or worse—gum disease, which causes our gums to bleed and can lead to loss of bone that supports your teeth,”
Okay, so that’s in 24 hours, but technically this hypothetical person is still brushing within that period of time, just once a day instead of twice. A-OK?
“It would be best to brush twice daily.” One reason is that aforementioned biofilm buildup—more is more when it comes to removing it. “Another reason is brushing with fluoride toothpaste will introduce a healthy safe dose of fluoride to help protect your teeth from getting cavities.”
The gum disease process can begin in as little as 12 hours. “Some signs of the gum disease process, or gingivitis, is swelling, bleeding gums, and bad breath,” “If you do not address things at the early stages, where it’s gingivitis, the inflammation of the gums can start to cause irreversible damage to the supporting bone and fibers that hold your teeth in place.”
This damage is known as periodontal disease.
“That process can occur either very slowly in the form of chronic periodontitis or some specific cases it can be quick onset in the form of aggressive periodontitis,” “Some risk factors that can cause it to come on quicker to cause bone loss can be tobacco use, drug use, conditions that cause decreased immunity, and certain diseases like diabetes.” Often bone loss presents as gum recession.
When periodontitis becomes advanced, it can result in everyone’s worst nightmare—lost teeth. It’s also been linked to heart disease, which dentist points out is a risk factor for COVID-19 complications. “During these uncertain times of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to do everything to keep our overall health as high as possible,”
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