I forgot to brush my teeth this morning what do I do

When you don’t brush your teeth, you encourage the formation of plaque. You can tell if plaque has built up by running your tongue over the surface of your teeth. If your feel a fuzzy texture, that is a sign that plaque has formed. Plaque is a form of bacterial growth and can lead to dental issues like gum disease and cavities and can form a hard yellow film called tartar. Tartar can cause further complications like inflammation of the gums and, if left long enough, can lead to cavities and even teeth needing to be removed.

Three Habits To Help Keep Your Mouth Healthy

Starting and maintaining some healthy habits can help keep your mouth clean, even if you forgot to brush today. Follow these general steps to keep your teeth safe and fresh:

• Brush your teeth twice a day, as suggested by the American Dental Association. This works best as a routine. Try brushing your teeth in the morning and at night every day regularly.
• Floss once a day. Plaque and tartar can build up between teeth. Flossing helps keep hard-to-reach areas clean.
• See your dentist regularly. A dental cleaning and checkup can help you maintain healthy teeth and gums for much longer.

Forgetting to brush may lead to dental issues, but there are many ways to help restore and maintain your oral hygiene. Consulting with a professional at Penn Dental Medicine will lead you to a healthier mouth and a brighter smile.

Penn Dental Medicine is the teaching clinic for the University of Pennsylvania and is centered on patient-focused care. Student dentists, supervised by faculty, treat patients in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. The best of the University’s doctors are on-site at all times and assist with oral care. If you’re not sure that you’re following the best dental habits, need a cleaning or consultation, visit Penn Dental medicine for a general consultation or any other services to get your dental habits in check.

You know that healthy teeth and gums require regular brushing and flossing.1 But in a pinch, here are a few things you can try:

1. Eat crunchy vegetables

Gnaw on some fresh celery, carrots, broccoli or cucumbers. These foods can help scrape plaque from your teeth, removing some of the odor-causing bacteria.2

2. Nibble some cheese

Cheese is a saliva maker. The calcium in cheese, and the calcium and phosphates in milk and other dairy products, help put back minerals your teeth might have lost due to other foods. They also help rebuild tooth enamel.3

3. Use mouthwash

If you happen to have some mouthwash handy, you can use it to help freshen your mouth. Just don't use it any longer than recommended because the chemicals may dry out your mouth, which can cause bad breath.4

4. Chew sugarless gum

Sugarless chewing gum can help in 2 ways: it can loosen food particles stuck between your teeth; and it helps produce more saliva, which is what your mouth uses to naturally wash away bacteria.5

If you have a cavity or tooth decay, a dental insurance plan from Humana may be able to help. We offer a broad range of dental plans with varying levels of coverage, many with affordable monthly premiums. Some of our plans also feature no waiting periods, which means you could get covered in about 5 days. To see plans and prices in your area, check out our Humana dental insurance page.

You’re super tired at night, and you think if you skip brushing your teeth this once, it can’t be that bad… right?

It’s not the end of the world if you skip brushing your teeth every once in a while, but there are definitely some reasons why you need to remember to brush twice a day.

Keep reading to find out more about what happens if you don’t brush your teeth and how you can optimize your oral hygiene routine.

Possible problems from not brushing

Your mouth can be the gateway to several health problems that extend beyond a toothache or cavity.

The following are some potential problems for your teeth — and the rest of your body — that can happen if you don’t brush your teeth.

Dental health

The brushing and overall care of your teeth help to remove plaque that’s often invisible to your eyes.

Cavities

Plaque is a sticky film that coats the teeth and contains bacteria that can penetrate the protective enamel of your teeth, attacking the more vulnerable layers underneath. This leads to cavities.

If left untreated, cavities can lead to dental infections and, potentially, tooth loss. All of this is, for the most part preventable, if you brush your teeth and maintain good oral hygiene.

Gingivitis

Plaque can do more than cause cavities in the teeth — they can also weaken the gums and lead to gingivitis, a form of gum disease. The bacteria present in plaque inflame and irritate the gums. The gums become puffy and more likely to bleed.

Periodontitis

Just like plaque is a precursor to cavities, gingivitis is a precursor to periodontitis. This is a severe bone infection that impacts the bones that support your teeth. As a result, periodontitis is a leading cause of tooth loss.

Possible link to dementia

Researchers have established that those with dementia often experience dental decay at greater rates.

There is, however, some research to back the idea that dental decay could increase a person’s risk for dementia, according to a research review published inCurrent Neurology and Neuroscience Reports.

The researchers reviewed a potential link between inflammatory dental conditions, such as periodontitis, and inflammation in the brain that can lead to conditions such as dementia.

While this review hinted at the possibility that poor dental hygiene causes dementia, there is no evidence that proves there is a connection.

Heart disease

A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that those who brushed their teeth at least three times per day were less likely to experience atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Going to the dentist regularly also reduced the likelihood that a person would experience heart-related complications, according to the researchers.

The study also found that a greater number of missing teeth were associated with an increased risk for heart-related conditions, such as atrial fibrillation.

Timeline of complications

There aren’t many research participants who are eager to give up brushing their teeth for a week or a year, but research can give us a pretty good guess as to what happens if you don’t brush for certain time periods.

Here’s what could happen if you don’t brush for the following durations:

• One day: According to Shafer’s Textbook of Oral Pathology, dental plaque can start to decalcify dentin — the protective material underneath the enamel — within 48 hours. This means that you have a small window of time to eliminate plaque before it starts to penetrate and potentially damage your teeth. Brushing teeth more frequently ensures you are adequately removing plaque from your teeth to protect them.
• One week: In addition to weakening tooth enamel, excess plaque can have a fairly smelly side effect: bad breath. The sticky food particles you would normally wash off will continue to add up, and your teeth would have that “sweater”-like feeling on them due to built-up plaque and food particles.
• One year: It’s tough to fully predict what would happen if you didn’t brush your teeth for a year. Some of it depends on your overall health — if your body has a more active immune system, you may be able to fight off some elements of tooth decay. However, one year of built-up tooth plaque would likely lead to cavities, gum disease, and potential tooth loss. If dentists don’t advise to skip brushing for one day, definitely don’t skip out on brushing for a year.

Proper oral hygiene

People can have very different views on what constitutes good oral hygiene. Here’s some guidance from the American Dental Association as to how to properly care for your teeth on a daily basis:

• Brush. Brush your teeth at twice daily with a toothpaste that contains fluoride to fight cavities. Aim to brush for at least 2 minutes to ensure you are removing as much plaque buildup as possible.
• Floss. Floss at least once per day. If you don’t like using floss, you can try alternatives, such as water flossing, using an interdental toothbrush, or dental picks.
• Visit your dentist. See your dentist at least once every 6 months. Some dentists may recommend you come more frequently. This is especially true if you are prone to cavities, have existing gum disease, or are at risk for gum disease.

While these are the basics of dental hygiene, there are some other steps you can take to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible. These include:

• Drinking fluoridated water. Many cities will add fluoride to their water supply to enhance dental health. Drinking from the tap can help strengthen your teeth. For example, drinking fluoridated water can decrease a child’s risk for tooth decay anywhere from18 to 40 percent.
• Refraining from tobacco use. Smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco products can increase your risks for dental decay and periodontal disease.
• Using a fluoridated mouth rinse. This can help if you’ve had a lot of cavities recently or your dentist tells you that you are at increased risks for cavities.
• Prescription fluoride. Your dentist may prescribe a special fluoride rinse or gel to use at home if you are at high risk for cavities.
• Upgrading to an electric toothbrush. An electric toothbrush may help to remove excess plaque buildup from your teeth.
• Having a healthy diet. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables while limiting high-sugar foods can reduce the risks for dental decay.

You can also talk to your dentist about individual steps you can take to strengthen your teeth, such as dental sealants that can protect your back teeth.

Takeaway

If you forget to brush your teeth every once in a while, don’t panic.

But remember that brushing your teeth at least twice daily, flossing once a day, and visiting your dentist at least twice a year, can be vital to your overall dental health.

A regular toothbrushing routine is important to not only your oral health, but also your overall health.

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