At the dental office I work at, we jokingly answer this question “brush in the morning to keep your friends, and brush at night to keep your teeth” – but there is much truth to it. In my 15+ years as a dental hygienist, I’ve seen every “stage” of not brushing your teeth and that combined with my college degree in biology helps me explain it to my patients.
Every time you go to the dentist, you know you’re going to be asked if you’ve been brushing twice a day… but why does it really matter?
Brushing your teeth will help get rid of bad breath, prevent gum disease and cavities, and make your teeth whiter. Your dental health is also linked to your overall health, so keeping your teeth clean can even lower your risks for diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and even some cancers.[1]
If you are reading this article, you are old enough to have permanent teeth, and these are the last set you can grow naturally, so you should take care of them unless you want to spend thousands and thousands of dollars fixing your teeth and/or getting implants, or eating mushy food when you are old and toothless.
What happens when you don’t brush your teeth?
If you don’t brush your teeth, the plaque that is left sitting there produces acids that break down the tooth enamel, which leads to cavities. The bacteria in the plaque also irritates the gum tissue, leading to gingivitis and more serious gum disease periodontitis, which can ultimately result in tooth loss.
How many times a day should I brush my teeth?
You should brush your teeth at least twice a day. Brushing and flossing before bed is the most important to keep your teeth healthy. If you go to sleep without brushing your teeth, all that bacteria is sitting on your teeth during the night and damaging your teeth and gums. And because you produce less saliva at night, that bacteria can really grow.
How long should I brush my teeth for?
To thoroughly clean your teeth, you should spend at least 2 minutes every time you brush. Many electric toothbrushes have automatic timers and stay on for 2 minutes to be sure you aren’t rushing.
Electric toothbrushes generally clean your teeth better than manual toothbrushes simply because they have rotating or vibrating bristles that create more brush strokes per minute. Not that you can’t be effective with a manual toothbrush, but it generally takes more effort.
With either an electric toothbrush or manual brush, make sure to brush thoroughly along the gumline – think of having your toothbrush bristles half on the teeth and half on the gums.
How long can you go without brushing your teeth?
- How long can you go without brushing your teeth before your breath stinks? Probably about 12 hours.
- How long can you go without brushing your teeth before you get a cavity? It depends on genetics and diet. Maybe as short as 1-2 weeks, maybe as long as 6-12 months.
- How long can you go without brushing your teeth before you get gingivitis? Probably about 3-5 days.
- How long can you go without brushing your teeth before gingivitis turns into periodontitis? It depends on genetics. Maybe forever, but probably about 3-4 months.
What are the side effects of not brushing your teeth?
Cavities, gum disease, and bad breath are all effects of not brushing (and not flossing). Cavities can lead to painful, abscessed teeth, and the infection can spread into your body. Gum disease has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease[2], heart issues[3], and increased cancer risks[4].
Do dentists know if you don’t brush?
Yes. Even if you brush really well just before your dental appointment, your gums will be irritated from the plaque that was sitting on your teeth. Your dentist will also likely be able to see chalky white marks near your gums where the enamel is breaking down.
How come I don’t brush my teeth and they are fine? Why don’t I have cavities?
Like most things in life, dental health is a combination of effort and luck. If you are extremely lucky and have great dental genetics, you may have very few problems in spite of not putting in the effort of diligent brushing and flossing (how often should you floss?). Diet has a large impact on dental health, so if you tend to avoid sugary foods and drinks, it can also help avoid cavities.
It’s important to keep in mind that even if you have gotten away without brushing as well as you should have in the past, your luck usually will not continue forever. All the damage to our teeth is cumulative, so if your teeth are weakened from poor care in the past, they are more likely to develop serious issues as you get older.
Timeline Of Not Brushing
Due to personal genetics and health habits, this timeline is not exact for all people, but gives a good guideline of the processes that occur in your mouth when you don’t brush and what to watch out for.
- In seconds: Right after you finish brushing your teeth, a layer of salivary proteins called the acquired pellicle starts reforming on your teeth, and bacteria sticks to it.
- In 2 hours: Bacteria has been replicating and has started forming a protective layer of slime around itself, which is called plaque, or biofilm.
- In a day: Minerals from your saliva start incorporating into the plaque, and it begins to harden onto your teeth to form dental calculus, also known as tartar. Acid byproducts of plaque start breaking down tooth enamel to cause cavities/tooth decay.
- In a week: Gingivitis develops as gum tissues become irritated by the plaque and tartar and start to turn red and bleed. Layers of enamel continue to break as the decay progresses further into the tooth.
- In 3 months: Bacterial colonies in plaque have matured, and the more destructive gram negative bacteria can start to cause periodontitis, which causes irreversible damage to the bone that supports your teeth. Untreated periodontitis can eventually lead to tooth loss.
- In a year: Cavities are continuing to get closer to the nerves of your teeth, and you are continuing to lose bone support for your teeth.
What Should I Do?
If you haven’t been as great about brushing as you should, it’s not too late to get into better habits! Schedule a visit with your dentist to see what issues need to be addressed. If you tell them that you want to take better care of your teeth going forward, they will be supportive of your efforts.
