What Happens If You Stop Brushing Your Teeth For A While?

In addition to bad breath and overgrowth of cavities, poor dental hygiene can relax the jaw and cause teeth to fall out.

Brushing teeth is a hygienic habit that everyone should practice. This must be done every day, without any possible exceptions. But what happens when you stop brushing your teeth?

It has always been a good idea to brush your teeth and floss at least three times a day. Indeed, leftover food can cause the appearance of different diseases. 

However, some people do not do it well or follow the advice of dentists.

This was the conclusion of a survey on the oral health of Spaniards, carried out by the Council of Dentists . Thus, this survey proved that 12% of Spaniards do not brush their teeth every day. There are also 2.3% of Spaniards who never do. 

A global problem

But this does not only concern Spain. A study was done by the American Dental Association. Indeed, 30% of Americans do not brush their teeth enough and do not do it long enough. In addition, 23% of them can go two or more days without brushing their teeth once!

For experts on the subject, it is normal, even common, to forget to brush your teeth once. Either because we are late, because we have tight schedules or because we are away from home.

However, some people are able to not brush their teeth at all for a long time.

But oral health plays a fundamental role in everyone’s life.

Problems with the gums and teeth or other changes in the mouth can indicate a malfunction in the body.

These statistics are extremely worrying. This is why many experts have wondered what are the possible consequences of not brushing your teeth for a week, a month or even a year or even more.

To that, odontologist Mark S. Wolff answered for  ‘Yahoo Health’ , and what he said will leave you speechless!

Stop brushing your teeth for a day

When you don’t brush your teeth for 24 hours,  a thin layer of plaque appears. It is in fact a deposit of microorganisms that settles on the outer part of the teeth.

In a day, it is possible that no damage will develop. However, we must act so that the bacteria do not proliferate and that it therefore turns into halitosis.

A week after…

When you don’t brush your teeth for a week, food and drink scraps continue to accumulate. It also feeds bacteria.

According to Wolff, “the plaque buildup is getting thicker and thicker and it’s starting to smell bad.”

After several days, you start to develop gingivitis.  This is an oral condition that is characterized by inflammation and irritation of the gums, and which can cause minor bleeding.

A month later…

After a month without brushing your teeth, the bacteria in your mouth start their decomposition process.

This causes inflammation and reddening of the gums and significantly increases the risk of suffering from cavities, especially if one continues to consume sugary foods.

According to the expert, from one month on, spots or stains appear on the teeth and indicate decalcification of the enamel, a clear sign of deterioration.

A year later …

A person who goes 365 days without brushing their teeth is going to be in a serious situation. The saliva will form cavities and holes in the teeth.

The plaque buildup becomes a secondary problem as the gums become inflamed and turn a dark red color.

The scale of damage to teeth during this year varies depending on each person’s genetics, as well as their age, as the body is more resilient when young. 

A young and healthy person is more likely to be able to overcome these consequences compared to a person over 50 years old.

In addition, if the adult is ill or is undergoing pharmacological treatment, there is a risk that his teeth will soften and eventually fall out completely.