How Bad Is It to Skip a Night?

Have you ever skipped brushing your teeth at night before? Chances are, you have done this at least once.

We’ve all been there. You’re out all day doing work and you end up getting home really late. All you can think about is your bed and how good it is going to feel to finally be able to sleep. You immediately collapse into your bed and find the perfect sleeping position. You’re just about to fall asleep when you realize you forgot to do one thing. Brush your teeth. This leaves you with two options: you can either force yourself out of bed and risk not being able to find that perfect sleeping position again, or you can just make up for the missed night tomorrow and enjoy the sleep you deserve. There’s no shame in picking the latter.

When I was younger, I skipped brushing my teeth at night all the time. I would stay up past my bedtime watching a movie or playing a game and end up being way too tired to brush my teeth, so I would go straight to my bed and fall asleep. This quickly became a daily routine for me and it went on for almost a year! The only reason it didn’t go on any longer was because my brother started throwing me out of my bed every time I didn’t brush my teeth.

How Bad Is It?

Your night time brushing habits are probably a lot better than mine used to be. But, everyone still skips a night here and there.

According to Dr. Mark Burhenne, going to bed without brushing is like going to bed with poop in your mouth.

I know, that’s disgusting.

How is this possible? Every time you eat something, the natural bacteria in your mouth feast on the food coming in. And just like any other living thing, these bacteria excrete waste after they are done. Meaning, these bacteria are basically pooping in your mouth.

The waste excreted by these bacteria is very acidic and can break down your tooth enamel, causing tooth decay and cavities. So, every time you skip a night, these acidic wastes are attacking your teeth. And, these problems only get worse if you make a habit of it.

What About Just One Night?

Skipping a night every now and then probably won’t have any negative effects on your teeth, but it is very easy to make a habit of it. (I know this firsthand).

And once it becomes part of your routine, it can be very difficult to change.

So, next time you come home exhausted and want to go straight to your bed, just think about all of the bacteria that will be pooping in your mouth all night if you don’t brush your teeth. That should be enough motivation to avoid skipping a night.

Do you have any stories about brushing your teeth before bed? Leave them in the comments!

Source: Ask the Dentist

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