What happens if you don’t brush your teeth?

Reading time: 8 Min

We are taught from an early age to brush our teeth twice a day, every day. However, we’re not always taught why, which is why you’re probably curious about what happens if you don’t brush your teeth. Unfortunately, the results of not brushing your teeth can be unpleasant, so don’t stop brushing just to find out.

Instead, read this article as we explore the long-term and short-term health effects of not brushing teeth, including:

Plaque build-up
Bad breath
Tooth decay
Cavities
Gum disease
General health issues

Read on to discover how you get bad teeth from not brushing, the consequences you could face, and how to prevent the negative effects of poor oral hygiene in the future.

Why do you get bad teeth from not brushing?

From the mild to the more serious conditions that you could face if you’re not brushing your teeth, the root remains the same: oral bacteria. Here are a few facts about how the microbes in your mouth can cause issues for someone who is not brushing teeth:

Outside of the gut, the mouth harbours the most bacteria.
There are over 700 species of bacteria in your mouth. ¹
Some of these are “good” bacteria, but some can lead to oral health issues. ²
Microbes in your mouth react with the food and drinks you consume and produce plaque, acids, and sulphur as by-products. ³
These by-products lead to a variety of oral issues.

Now that you know why you can get bad teeth if you only brush your teeth once a day, read on to discover the range of consequences you could face if you’re not brushing your teeth properly.

What happens if you don't brush your teeth?

On occasion, there may be situations that result in you not being able to brush your teeth. Once or twice here and there may not be much of a concern beyond not feeling so fresh. However, long-term poor technique or not brushing your teeth regularly can have various consequences. Here are the most common effects of not brushing your teeth:

A build-up of dental plaque and tartar.
Dental plaque will build up on unbrushed teeth. When this is left untreated, it will turn into tartar. ⁴ Tartar can lead to unaesthetic discoloration including yellow, brown, or white spots on your teeth. In addition, it can cause gum inflammation and eventually lead to gum disease. In particular, not brushing teeth at night can result in an increased build-up of dental plaque and also increase the risk of gum disease. ⁵
Bad breath. Improper (such as choosing to only brush teeth once a day), ineffective (due to not following the correct method for toothbrushing), and not brushing your teeth and tongue at all will lead to bad breath. ⁶ Not only will food residue begin to decompose and start to smell, but the bacteria growing in your mouth interacts with the food and drinks you’ve consumed and produces sulphur, which adds to the bad breath smell.
Development of tooth decay. ⁷
Not brushing your teeth doesn’t just make your teeth more prone to tooth decay but can lead to other issues too. An untreated cavity can lead to tooth problems right down to the root. Tooth decay, in the later stages of development, can be very painful and cause dental abscesses. 8
Tip: Tooth decay and caries require the intervention of a dentist as early as possible to prevent their development and the possible loss of the decayed tooth.
Development of gum disease.⁹
Put simply, gum disease is inflammation of the gums. It is triggered by a bacterial infection caused by dental plaque and is one of the more severe effects of not brushing your teeth. There are two stages of gum disease from not brushing your teeth:

Gingivitis. This is the early onset of gum disease. During the early stages you will suffer from painful inflamed gums, gum bleeding, and persistent bad breath.
Periodontitis. Left untreated, gingivitis can very quickly become complicated. This advanced stage of gum disease leads to the loosening of the teeth and possibly loss of teeth if not taken care of promptly.

General health problems.
Chronic inflammation due to gum disease or severe dental problems can spread throughout the body. It can damage our bloodstream, joints, and vital organs. Additionally, it can cause serious heart problems and even put you at a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. ¹⁰

How can you prevent the effects of not brushing your teeth?

As you can see, it’s not only not brushing your teeth at night that can cause you problems, but they can also be caused by improper and inefficient toothbrushing too. Here are our top tips to help you prevent the effects of not brushing your teeth:

Brush your teeth twice a day. LBrushing your teeth in the morning can freshen up your breath and eliminate bacteria that have developed during your sleep. Furthermore, bacteria and plaque will build up throughout the day, so it’s important to brush at night too. You can add in extra brushing – just make sure to leave at least half an hour after eating before brushing.
Tip: Not brushing your teeth at night before bed is particularly bad because all the bacteria and food residues accumulated during the day will be free to proliferate during the night.

Don’t forget to clean the interdental spaces. These hard-to-reach areas are important as bacteria and food residue can accumulate there and lead to dental issues.

Equip yourself correctly. It’s not all about how you brush your teeth, it’s also about what you use to brush too! Ideally, your toothbrush should be flexible, so it won't attack your gums. You should also make sure to clean and change your toothbrush regularly so that you’re brushing your teeth efficiently.
Rinse your mouth or drink water. Ensuring that you consume plenty of water during and after meals will help to activate saliva production. Saliva not only fights the ‘bad’ bacteria in your mouth, but the water can help to flush away excess food residue and bacteria and slow down the plaque production process. ¹¹
Avoid smoking. This is as bad for your oral health as it is for your general health. ¹²

Tip: An electric rotating or sonic toothbrush is the best choice for effective toothbrushing. For example, the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean is ideal for preserving white teeth and eliminating dental plaque. In addition, the complimentary app uses smart sensors to help you improve your brushing technique.

So, is brushing once a day enough? No. In order to prevent the onset of the oral health – and overall body health – issues we have explored in this article, you should be following the correct steps for brushing your teeth twice a day.

Now that you understand the effects of not brushing your teeth at night, all you need to do is follow our simple steps to ensure you’re taking the best care of your oral health.

Sources:

¹ Deo PN, Deshmukh R. Oral microbiome: Unveiling the fundamentals. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2019 Jan-Apr;23(1):122-128. doi: 10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_304_18. PMID: 31110428; PMCID: PMC6503789.

² Loesche WJ. Microbiology of Dental Decay and Periodontal Disease. In: Baron S, editor. Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996. Chapter 99. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8259/

³ Marsh PD. Dental plaque as a biofilm and a microbial community - implications for health and disease. BMC Oral Health. 2006 Jun 15;6 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S14. doi: 10.1186/1472-6831-6-S1-S14. PMID: 16934115; PMCID: PMC2147593.

⁴ National Library of Medicine: Medline Plus, Plaque and tartar on teeth

⁵ Kitsaras G, Goodwin M, Kelly MP, Pretty IA. Bedtime Oral Hygiene Behaviours, Dietary Habits and Children's Dental Health. Children (Basel). 2021 May 19;8(5):416. doi: 10.3390/children8050416. PMID: 34069504; PMCID: PMC8160840.

⁶ Tungare S, Zafar N, Paranjpe AG. Halitosis. [Updated 2022 Aug 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534859/

⁷ National Institute of Dental Craniofacial Research, Tooth Decay

⁸ NHS, Dental abscess

⁹ NHS, Gum disease

¹⁰ National Institute of Aging, Tooth loss in older adults linked to higher risk of dementia

¹¹ POST, Water fluoridation and dental health

¹² NHS, The effect that smoking has on your oral health

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What happens if you don’t brush your teeth?

Why do you get bad teeth from not brushing?

What happens if you don't brush your teeth?

How can you prevent the effects of not brushing your teeth?

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