Brush Before Bed!
Every time you have a meal, the bacteria that naturally reside in your mouth feast on the food you eat. Just like every other living organism, these bacteria excrete waste after a meal.
This waste is highly acidic and breaks down tooth enamel, causing root decay and cavities.
When you hit the sack without brushing, plaque starts to harden and calcify on your teeth. Once plaque has calcified, it’s impossible to remove with a toothbrush and floss and can only be removed by the hygienist during a teeth cleaning.
It gets worse. The gums see plaque buildup as an infection, so your immune system springs into action to attack that infection. By attacking the plaque buildup, your body starts to destroy the healthy tissues that hold your teeth in place, making the gums begin to pull away from the tooth.
Taking two minutes to brush and floss before bed will save you pain and even extend your life.
Tips to Keep you Brushing Before Bed:
- Keep a toothbrush in the drawer of your nightstand. You don’t need toothpaste; just do a quick, gentle dry brush while you’re lying in bed. I use a snap-on sanitizer to keep it clean and smelling fresh despite the lack of toothpaste.
- Keep a flossing stick in the drawer of your nightstand. You can also floss with one hand while you’re lying in bed. Just grab the stick and bite down on the floss.
- Run your tongue over your teeth. Feel that? That’s called plaque and it’s like dense, low-cost housing for bacteria. The longer you let plaque sit in your teeth, the more you let the bacteria to proliferate and take hold in your mouth. Run your tongue over your teeth to create the habit; after a while, you’ll start to crave the feeling of slippery, clean teeth before you pass out in bed.
Read the full article at: Ask The Dentist
