What Happens if You Don’t Brush Your Teeth at Night?

Proper dental hygiene should be a natural part of everyone’s day. Maintaining the health of your teeth and gums is essential and not all that difficult.

Brushing your teeth at night just before bedtime could perhaps be the most important key to avoiding unpleasant effects. In this article, we’ll cover the importance of brushing your teeth at night.

Acid Buildup

During waking hours, your body produces a lot of saliva. One of saliva’s many functions is to neutralize and wash away the naturally occurring acid in our mouths. This acid can wear down tooth enamel. However, when we sleep, the production of saliva slows down. Brushing your teeth just before bedtime with fluoride toothpaste covers them with a protective layer that can slow down the acid’s harmful effects.

Leftover Food Debris

Brushing after each meal or snack is of utmost importance. By brushing after eating, you’ll remove any food debris stuck between your teeth. If not removed, this debris with feed the bacteria in your mouth while you sleep which could lead to cavities or gum disease.

Plaque

When you sleep, your mouth’s inactivity can cause plaque to harden. Once it fully hardens, it turns to tartar which cannot be removed with regular brushing. Calcified plaque, or tartar, can only be removed by a dentist. Our gums consider plaque an infection and trigger our body’s immune system to attack it. However, the tissues in our gums will also be attacked, which can result in a receding gum line.

Brush Before Bedtime to Avoid Dental Problems

During sleeping hours, saliva production slows. This can allow for acids to break down tooth enamel. Leftover food debris stuck between teeth can provide a feast for bacteria. Brushing your teeth just before sleep is necessary to keep your mouth healthy.

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