What happens if we don’t brush our teeth for a long time?


In addition to bad breath and the proliferation of caries, lack of oral hygiene can cause a sagging of the jaw and the loss of teeth

Brushing your teeth is one of the hygiene habits that anyone should respect every day, without any excuse.

It has always been recommended to wash and floss them at least three times a day, after each meal, since the remains of food that remain in the mouth can cause various diseases.

Despite this, and for various reasons, there are still many who do not do it in the right way or following the advice of dentists.

It was shown by data collected in a study by the American Dental Association , according to which 30% of Americans do not brush their teeth for either the recommended time or the number of times recommended.

A 23%, on the other hand, spend two or more days without washing them even once.

However, this doesn’t just happen overseas.

In Spain, in fact, the Consejo de Dentistas  (the national collegiate body of dentists) conducted a survey on the oral health of Spaniards and found that 12% of the population do not brush their teeth every day  and that 2.3% it never does.

According to experts, it is common, and even normal, for people to forget to brush their teeth from time to time, whether it is in a hurry, because of difficult hours or because they spend many hours away from home.

However, what is still unexplained is why some people are able to give up this important habit for long periods of time.

Oral hygiene, in fact, plays a fundamental role in the life of any person and is as necessary as that of the rest of the body.

Problems with gums and teeth, as well as other oral diseases , can be a sign of some problem in the internal functioning of the body.

Because of these troubling statistics, numerous subject matter experts have wondered what would happen if a person stopped brushing their teeth for a day, a week, a month, or even a year or more.

One day without brushing your teeth …

After 24 hours without using a toothbrush, a thin layer of plaque begins to build up  on the teeth.

This serves as a deposit for microorganisms that stick to the outside of the teeth.

After just one day, probably no damage will occur, but if you don’t act in time, those bacteria continue to proliferate and in 48 hours they start to ruin your teeth and cause bad breath .

One week later…

After a week, not brushing your teeth becomes a habit and remains of food and drink continue to accumulate in the mouth, which feeds the bacteria.

According to what Wolff said, ” the accumulation of plaque on the teeth grows more and more and starts to smell bad ” .

However, that’s not all. In fact, after a few days, it is possible to start suffering from gingivitis .

It is an oral disease that is characterized by inflammation and irritation of the gums and which can be the cause of small bleeding.

After a month …

Once a whole month has passed without maintaining minimal oral hygiene, the bacteria that live in the mouth, and which at this point are very strong, start a process of decomposition.

This not only causes inflammation and redness of the gums, but also significantly increases the risk of suffering from almost immediate tooth decay , especially after consuming sugary foods.

After a month, white spots or spots begin to appear on the teeth which, in this case, indicate a decalcification of the enamel, a clear sign of their deterioration.

After a year without brushing your teeth 

When you don’t use a toothbrush and toothpaste for 365 days and don’t follow the right teeth cleaning routine, you are faced with a very serious situation.

The saliva itself now takes care of forming cavities and piercing the teeth.

Plaque buildup becomes a secondary problem, not least because the inflammation of the gums gets worse and they turn a dark red color.

Despite this, the severity of damage suffered by the mouth and teeth over this period of time varies according to each individual’s genetics and age.

The body tends to protect itself better in less advanced ages .

A young and healthy person is more likely to eliminate these consequences than a 50-year-old adult.

Furthermore, if the individual is ill or undergoing some drug treatment, there is a greater risk that their teeth will begin to weaken and even fall out .

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