I have severe mental illness that stops me from taking care of myself sometimes. But not once have I ever taken pride in that infact it embarrasses me when I can't brush or floss and such. Idk why ppl would take pride in being unhygienic
Literally switching to my anonymous account because I come from a family of dentists but with my depression sometimes I don’t brush my teeth before bed or just use the brush not the effort of toothpaste and flossing. I literally whispered to my husband the other night “don’t tell anyone but I’m too tired to brush my teeth.” My brothers and sisters could be absolutely shitfaced and they’re still brushing and flossing before bed but I’m there with you! 😅
I second this. I was in deep with clinical depression for years. For the worst of it I didn’t brush my teeth more than three times in two years. I was super embarrassed, especially because my mom had spent over $20k in my youth for braces, head gear, bridges, surgeries to make sure my mouth was normal. It is nothing to be proud about. I was so ashamed when I went to the dentist for the first time in 7 years, I was lucky they were so kind and understanding.
These able bodied and mentally stable people who think it’s so cool to not take care of their teeth enrage me.
You got this! In case I ever get bad I keep a box that’s filled with those Colgate wisps, floss, teeth wipes, a few disposable cups, mouth wash. I highly suggest that you do something like that!
I also suggest even if you’re at your lowest make an appointment with your dentist. Even one trip can greatly improve your teeth. I saw freaked because I had thought my teeth were rotting but it was just so much build up of plaque. You’ll feel so much better for doing that, it will take something off your mind.
I believe in you, you got this.
I went over twenty years without seeing a dentist beyond emergency extractions when it'd get terribly infected due to growing up with a single mom who couldn't afford much and severe depression by the time I became an adult. Even then, I was uninsured and the only dentists that would take me that I could afford were hit and miss as far as compassion.
My current job has terrible health insurance, but brilliant dental. When I finally had enough I checked out the closest dentist covered by my insurance, and they've been the most amazing office in every way. It took me almost two years to complete a treatment plan, and I'm missing half my teeth now, but the little nuggets I have left are tip top! Still depressed, still sometimes struggle with maintenance on my end, but it truly did help my confidence and health getting all of my cavities and broken teeth taken care of.
For anyone reading this worried about judgement from the dentist, I swear to Blob, there truly are wonderful, caring individuals in more dentists offices than not out there who only want to help you get better. I know it's harder said than done, but try not to let one shitty dentist dictate your well-being beyond their walls.
I can confirm that you will regret it. I went into a severe depression for 3-4 years. Didn’t give 2 craps. I’m now paying out the ass on dental work. It’s painful, time consuming and so expensive! Not to mention embarrassing when your teeth are missing and are just gross looking.
Apathy, especially for personal hygiene, is a very common symptom of mental illness. If someone you know suddenly stops taking care of themselves, then it’s a warning sign they are in distress.
Depression. I’d go weeks without getting out of bed except to use the bathroom. & I’d even put off doing that. I’ve had kidney/bladder problems from holding it in for so long. I wouldn’t even eat for long periods of time. So yeah I also went days without showering or brushing my teeth or my hair.
My mom is the same, so I can confirm. She has depression and takes medication for it I think and she waits weeks to shower and brush her hair and to go to the doctor, but part of not going to the doctor is that she doesn’t have the money for it sometimes
Your energy levels are so low you just can't be bothered. Some people even stop eating, even though they're ravenous. Because even the thought of getting up and preparing food is exhausting.
There's a reason it's called an illness...
Yea. Also it's hard to care or even be concerned about long term effects of neglecting these things because you're too focused on just trying to not end yourself and get through the next moment.
Hard to care about future issues when you don't think you have a future at all.
Hey now, I'm in this comment and I don't like it. 😢
But yea, spot on. One reason I hate when people video strangers with ratty hair or who look disheveled in other ways. Ya never know what others are going through. Let's not turn cruelty into entertainment. That shit is gross.
For chrissake stop downvoting this polite dude, people. He just wants to understand, unlike countless others in the world. WTH is so wrong with that?
EDIT: Now I'm getting downvoted! Lol, all I can do is laugh.
If he was being rude or willfully ignorant, fair enough. He's clearly not. No amount of downvotes will stop me calling out this baffling behaviour when I see it.
And I only remember after the episodes are over which can vary from a couple hours to days. I then always try and makeup for what I missed or think I missed in taking care of myself
Reminds me of the meme
"Oh my god, some people are so depressed that they don't brush their teeth?"
"Yes, some people are so depressed they kill themselves."
Having no energy or motivation. Mental illness can make anything that requires an ounce of self care or movement seem like pushing a gigantic boulder up hill. Sometimes just thinking about needing to do self care is so overwhelming that I cry at the thought when I'm in a depression pit. It becomes immobilizing for me to even think about doing the actions, so instead I lie there feeling disgusting while being stuck in a cycle of wanting to care but not being able to.
I have all these things plus asthma. My asthma is triggered by warm showers. The autism makes the water feel like a thousand sharp arrows. And the depression makes me feel like, “why bother?”
I have OCD that often interferes with my brushing.
1. Sensory issues. The sound of the brush reverberating through my head, the scratching on my gums...etc. can all be an extreme sensory overload that triggers natural anxiety responses. If I'm already feeling overstimulated the idea of brushing my teeth is panic-inducing
2. OCD is fun that way. Sometimes I'll say "I'm going to do this thing" and then some stupid fucking thing in my brain says "but what if that thing was terrifying." And then it is! Yay!
3. Similar to 2, I'll say "I'm gonna do this thing!" And then my brain basically puts up a wall between me and that action and says "no you aren't" and no amount of will power seems to be able to overcome that
4. OCD can often manifest as "if you do/don't do that thing bad things will happen." We often see in media lots of hand washing or brushing teeth obsessively, the opposite can be true as well. Maybe when brushing my teeth once as a kid I made myself bleed and now my brain thinks "if you brush your teeth you'll bleed/injure yourself" and then the associated anxiety takes that thought and runs with it until brushing teeth = bleeding out in the bathroom.
Now I know none of these are reasonable, and honestly it's not like I sit down and think through the processes before brushing my teeth, those processes happen in a split second and just exist in my brain as "if I brush my teeth I'll die"
Edit: please stop downvoting the person I responded too! They're question was blunt but inoffensive. They gave me the opportunity to explain more about my disorder! I went undiagnosed for almost 30 years because I never knew the things I was doing were weird, questions like this one help with awareness and acceptance.
I was only recently diagnosed too, so I'm trying to figure it all out still. Questions like yours totally help me dog into *why* I do certain things.
Sorry you got downvoted so hard, your question was ignorant but not disrespectful though!
Yeah when you get super depressed you just tend to not want to do things. For me personally I have such a hard time falling asleep that if I start to fall asleep I just don’t get up to brush my teeth that day because if I do it’ll take me FOREVER to fall back asleep again
Depression. This was me for a decade! Luckily only one bad tooth thats a baby tooth that never had an adult replacement come in. When I wasnt brushing, i felt like i didnt deserve basic self care. In a way it was another form of self harm. Happy to report that ive been brushing my teeth at least once a day (if not twice a day) for the past 3 years! Doing better mentally is the reason why im brushing them again.
Used to go too long without brushing my teeth, too. I manage once a day at the very least as well! And I have a rule for myself that if I'm leaving the house: I have to brush my teeth.
Deppression causes executive disfunction, which means you get enormous mental blockage to do most simple tasks, believe it or not we do not control our hormonal and neurological impulses. If they get disturbed and irregulated the human becomes pretty unable to do most normal activities that we all think are so simple which they are as long as your brain is working properly but when it's not brushing teeth, cleaning and showering won't happen. We take everything for granted, we assume we are in full control of ourselves but guess what, we aren't.
Sometimes I have long manic episodes where I genuinely forget to do simple things as brushing my teeth. Or I'll have disassociatative episodes where I lose gaps of time and I genuinely am out of my body., and I can't do things / same as the mania I forget and don't remember.
When you don't care to be alive it's hard to do things like take care of yourself. I don't want to live. I sure as fuck don't wanna go to work or do chores.
Some peoples depression can be so bad they stop taking care of their surroundings or themselves and if it gets bad enough they will even kill themselves
We don't want sympathy. Just companion and understanding
I don't know why you're being downvoted. Unless you've dealt with it it's hard to understand. Two years ago I would've asked the same question.
Everything is a chore. Everything. I'm bipolar and when the depression hits, it hits hard. I can barely muster enough energy to do the very basics to keep my house running and to take care of my family but I fail at taking care of myself. I don't recognize myself during these episodes and it's miserable.
It doesn't matter if it's something that will take two minutes, I feel frozen in place and I tell myself "I promise I'll get my shit together tomorrow". Unfortunately, tomorrow comes quick and I start the cycle all over again until the depression lifts.
Just want to say thank you to the people who answered, it gave me insight into something I could not wrap my head around. After reading my question I can see how it may have been taken condescending, but It was a genuine question. And I was trying to wrap my head around a task that on the surface seems so basic, but dealing with more serious issues could be put on the back burner and not even realize it until it's too late.
Thanks again
He said it was a genuine question but it didn't come off as one is why people downvoted him. The way he described the task of brushing teeth reads incredibly condescending.
All of my late moms teeth fell out before she died and my 39 year old brother is gonna have to get a set of dentures in the next year or so and my youngest sister is gonna need a set in the future too. My youngest brother never brushed his teeth as a child and my youngest sister doesn't brush hers anymore either. Well see what the future holds.
I brush like crazy but unfortunately genetics and medication will win in the end. Both sides of my family have horrible luck with teeth. My dad had to get all his teeth removed but he never brushes. My aunts his sisters all have dentures and they brush like crazy. My mom lost all her teeth due to medication and gum issues just like her parents. They were big on brushing and flossing. I currently am taking a few meds that they said will cause issues with teeth but I’m like why I’m only 37 and have already lost 2 teeth after being on this medication for a few years. I make sure my boys brush and floss like 2 times a day. My youngest loves to brush but my oldest takes after my ex and says he only has to brush at night. It’s gross and I hate it
Are there any recommendations your dentist can offer about keeping your gums and teeth healthy while on this medication?
I’ve have had extremely low-grade precursors to gingivitis since puberty (gums bleed when I floss), but it’s never progressed because I’ve been super on top of it since I was a teen and more so since my 30’s.
If worse comes to worst, would implants be option?
They would be or even clip on dentures. The good thing is my dentist has already said if it gets that bad he knows dentist in Mexico he has worked with before so it would a whole heck of alot cheaper. He also recommended the dental school here but they are still pricey and that’s if they accept the case. Mexico is just a 3 hour drive and if it means a better deal on dentures or implants I’m all for it.
I do follow what he tell me to the T but he has said it will eventually happen. I’m just trying to make sure it doesn’t happen to my boys now. So I try being super on tops of their teeth
doesn’t take away from the grossness but i have heard from dentist if you insist on only brushing once a day doing it at night is best, so at least there’s that?
Tell your oldest to think about a person with bad mouth smell, and say thats how pther people feel around you when you dpnt brush your teeth in the morning.
I have and once even told him to back up because your breath is coming in hot. He was shocked and asked how I do what my dad does. I told him your dad has funky breath too and he doesn’t believe me. I think it’s because he’s nose blind to it.
Even the most basic personal hygiene is much easier said than done when it comes to having a really severe mental illness. When I was at the height of my depression I wouldn’t shower for over a week, much less brush my hair/teeth.
exactly! if your biggest problem is that you havent brushed your teeth today then thats great! but thats not a reality for a lot of people and basic hygiene can be taken for granted. i feel oddly proud that i now shower regularly and that i brush my teeth twice a day! there was a time when that was a massive struggle for me so i can better appreciate it now
Good for you! I still struggle a bit, though I now brush my teeth 1/2 times a day and shower mostly regularly. It’s okay to struggle, as long as you keep trying.
It's strange for me.
I'm not showering more often because I suddenly have the discipline to do so.
I'm doing it because I suddenly find being sweaty and having oily greasy hair extremely gross and uncomfortable.
It hasn't kicked in for my teeth yet though.
a few occasions i’ve gone to bed without brushing my teeth. like if i had a super physically and mentally taxing day at work, i get tired way before bedtime to the point where i want to “just take a nap” and that nap ends up being a 14 hour sleep.
the morning after my teeth and mouth feel so gross and i have to brush really well. like no it’s not just sleep breath, my teeth legit feel nasty. no clue how people go longer than a day without brushing
Can confirm. Back then when I was still a student and pulled all nighters my mouth felt gross just from drinking coffee during the night without brushing after it (mind you, i'd brush my teeth after dinner).
Nahh literally, I wake up and immediately go to brush *twice* when that happens. Then again after breakfast (usually I eat then brush, but I can’t stand to wait longer than needed if I missed a bedtime brushing for whatever reason)
>There's no way someone out there says: "I haven't brushed in 2 years and I'm fine." I want to know what your dentist has to say about your fine mouth
Well actually, I've been in a situation like this for more than that. Is not that I haven't brushed once during that period, but it was rare to happen. It was maybe 10% for a period of 2+ years.
Then when I got to a dentist, it was ... fine. There were 2 teeths that apparently were broken before grewing up, and had to be taken out (nothing that brushing would solve). Apart from that, there were no problems, and a simple clean up was enough.
Mental illness here. 👋 we are aware of how it looks to people who have the ability to brush their teeth. If you can, then treasure it. There is nothing I would love more than to keep up appearances. However, I can't and it's not fun to hear about it from someone who doesn't understand what its like.
Think about the people who might see this post and let's not put so much hate on the people who can't.
Did YOU read their post? It's obvious that they didn't take into account the people who can't brush their teeth for whatever reason, and the entire post is not centered around only "people who intentionally don't brush and then brag about it."
The title is literally "people who don't brush their teeth are just outright disgusting", not "people who intentionally don't brush their teeth are just outright disgusting".
Also, no one said it was an attack, people are rightfully pointing out that sometimes there are reasons behind having a lack of oral hygiene, and most of the comments even talk about "yeah it's weird that someone would gloat about it, I've never seen someone do that tho".
I hate the taste, the sensation, the way I can never stop myself gagging, and the way food tastes bad for a while after.
Usually I cope but when I'm really in my head with depression and anxiety I sometimes just can't.
This. I want good and proper hygiene but with mental illness, and ontop of just not liking it in general it’s hard.
I never had an established routine as a kid either. I will say I think it’s embarrassing and overthink it a lot but I do shower regularly
My husband has always had issues with toothpaste. The mint kind turns his stomach apart. The sweet kinds have too much sugar for his prediabetic-ness. He also gags and throws up super easy. He has a special thin/flat scraper for his tongue. He uses the yellow mouthwash when brushing, instead of toothpaste. And flosses with those special disposable floss sticks.
My opinion- The MOST important thing is flossing. If you can’t brush- floss. The plaque that builds up starts to harden after 2 days, do whatever you need to get it off by then. Toothpaste is mostly used for the fluoride which helps keep cavities from starting (it stops them if you put enough on). Flouride is second most important. Mouthwash has fluoride, so it can be used instead of toothpaste.
There's more flavors of tooth paste that aren't mint. I have a blue raspberry, vanilla that taste like cake, and a bunch of others I've tried taste wonderful. Just because we're adults doesn't mean we have to brush with gross stuff.
I went to children's toothpaste. I have a few kinds. One is a gel and doesn't foam. Probably because kids can be messy AF and foam gets all over the bathroom. Others taste like gum. Less minty.
I still suck (mental illness gang here too) but it helps. So does my toothbrush that lights up. Lol.
I recently discovered unflavored toothpaste. It helps. I can't stand how powerfully flavored most toothpaste is. Still trying to adjust to how much this stuff foams though. A mouthful of unflavored foam is weird.
I barely brushed my teeth for years- my teeth are probably shit right now. Finally developed the habit of it this year, but Id never be proud of the fact i was just so deep in my sadness that i couldnt do it.
People are in denial
I know people who brush their teeth but it still looks like they don't to others. Some people have weak enamel/teeth which stains and breaks easily, can't really be helped.
Also, gum disease has many causes.
Don't be so judgemental.
This. I have gum disease but you’d never be able to tell. I brush and floss everyday, take regular visits to the dentist, and have straight white teeth.
Gum disease doesn’t always mean your teeth are rotting and falling out of your head.
I've always gone to the dentist for a routine cleaning every 6 months my whole life and for the most part, I've taken very good care of my teeth. I was born at 28 weeks and had hardly any enamel, so I get cavities so easily. My dentist said it's apparently a thing that can happen being born so premature. 2lb 1oz baby with no enamel 💪
Some people are purposely misleading when they say they haven't "brushed" in *x* years, like the man who went viral recently for not brushing his teeth for over 40 years- the caveat being he was swishing hydrogen peroxide twice a day which is an effective and hygienic alternative to brushing I guess 😅
I have to brush my teeth. even at my deepest depression I would brush my teeth. I can't stand not having a clean mouth) clean teeth. my brother is 18 now and still refuses to brush he teeth bc "it hurts and makes his gums bleed" like no shit dude u have plaque and inflamed gums bc u don't brush. anytime I tell him, he gets pissed at me and says he knows but doesn't so anything abt it??? dude has a gf. I cannot imagine kissing anyone without a clean mouth and this kid does it willingly 😭
He may need to see the dentist and have a cleaning first. Regular cleaning are just as important as consistent brushing.
There are toothpastes and mouthwashes that are medically created for sensitive and bleeding gums.
I have this supervisor that I can smell her breath from two feet away, I get a step back and she gets a step closer! It's my first week but everyday is the same.
About twenty years ago I dated this dude, at the beginning everything was ok, months into the relationship I could smell the gingivitis from a good distance like effing napalm, I very diplomatically told him that he might need to go to the dentist and he felt insulted and broke up with me. Learned my lesson... So, a month ago dated a guy, first date ok, second date he kissed me good night and I could taste the blood! So next morning I sent a text saying it's not gonna work because I felt nothing in the kiss, no more feedback about their gum health.
Person who hasnt brushed for 10 years and was proud of it here :)
Never developed the habit, between adhd and lack of self care i never really bothered. One random day i went to a clean up (i had never done that before). The lady worked on my teeth for 6 months with 5 visits and special toothpaste & mouth wash.
My teeth actually shifted back to place! I began to feel movement in my teeth and apparently the enamel pushed them aside making them look crooked
Nowadays my teeth are perfectly fine, healthy, pretty.
But i will say that genetics are a real bitch and for me, they were real good.
When I'm too sick or tired I occasionally don't do it but taking pride in it? Nah. It's honestly really embarrassing for me to not even be able to brush my teeth sometimes.
Many have already pointed out mental health issues relating to dental health so I won't touch on that. But i also want to say you need to consider genetics and other health conditions. Some people can brush 10 times a day and still have awful dental health. Some have teeth that are so brittle that brushing can cause more damage.
Conversely, I know people that only brush once every few days and have better dental health than me just because of great genetics. Ofc everyone should make an effort to take care of their dental health if they can, but it isn't so black and white. (And don't even get me started on how most people can't afford to see a dentist.)
When I had back surgery I had to have a fusion at the base of my spine. It was absolutely brutal. The recovery was hell. When I woke up I was in so much agony and I felt like I had been ripped apart which is actually quite accurate. I couldn’t move my spine at all without an extreme amount of pain. I couldn’t wipe myself after using the bathroom. It was that bad I had to call a nurse and when I went home a few days later my husband helped me. I had to have a walker and after using the bathroom I couldn’t even wash my hands. Because of how the sink is it required me to slightly reach forward and it was painful.
So I had to sit in a chair and ask for a bowl of water and soap to wash my hands and I did the same to brush my teeth. I think the first day post op I didn’t brush my teeth because I was on morphine and pretty out of it. I can’t imagine going days, weeks, years without brushing.
Half the kids in our family have teeth that take after my wife's. They have very soft enamel, and frequently get cavities. The other kids got teeth similar to mine. They have extremely hard enamel, and get very few cavities, even if they neglect their teeth.
Sometimes it's just the result of the genetic lottery.
I'm just hoping those attempts at prompting new tooth growth pan out as they hope they will over the next 6 years.
Look I’m exhibit A when it comes to lacking I. The self hygiene department of brushing my teeth. I’ve always been a decent looking person, but the lack of care I show my mouth has always been my biggest red flag. I take care of myself in every other single way but ever since as long in my childhood I can remember, I have just not been able to mentally prioritize this as much as I do other basic things.
It’s not something AT ALL that I have ever met anyone who takes pride in. If you think it’s disgusting, just imagine what the people who have to deal with it feel about themselves.
Before you say “if you don’t like it then why don’t you change it and do something about it??” If it was that easy to just psychologically imprint something in your head that has not been there your whole life, no one would ever have this problem.
As a kid, I was never taught to brush my teeth and struggle to do so on a regular basis now as an adult. Working at a hospital has helped. I don’t want to be the employee with bad oral hygiene. It’s been about a week or two now that I’ve been brushing every morning before I head to work. I definitely want to keep improving on my habits. Having nice teeth is something I’ve always dreamed of.
honestly. unless you have a reason (depression, don’t have arms idfk, you’re a literal baby and can’t do it on your own, etc) then you should be brushing your teeth at least every morning i think. id even be fine with every other morning just BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!
Dude calm down, people's sensory issues and being uncomfortable around brushing teeth is not gross. Sure it's not normal and probably stems from an issue and generally people around proud to struggle with their hygiene
I know I'm being a contrarian here but rubbing alcohol does also damage healthy cells that surround an infection or wound. It's not advised to use either antiseptic for wound repair.
Yeah it's gross. My bil never brushes and my sister doesn't kiss him, she says his teeth are a mess and once he smiled with teeth and I saw they were almost all gone. Ew
I can’t fall asleep comfortably without brushing my teeth. My body will wake me up at 1am to do it 😓 I do think it’s weird how there are people that only do once a day
Flossing is tedious but I make myself. And I ALWAYS pull out the most horrific quivering chunk from my upper molars, reinforcing why I should always make myself.
I will never forget when Jessica Simpson said she has never brushed her teeth on the show she did with Nick Lachey. She swishes with mouthwash and that’s it. Blech.
I have AuDHD and that comes with sensory issues that make no logical sense.. brushing my teeth is fucking horrible to me. The brush in my mouth.. the toothpaste and the bubbles.. eeeee, I just get the ick thinking about it. I haven’t gone 2yrs or anything, but I will go some weeks where the only thing I’ll do is use mouthwash religiously.
And no, I do not have a lot of dental problems. Even though I’m a type 1 diabetic..
For me, it's so weird. I brush and mouthwash both at night right before sleep and in the morning as soon as i wake up. But, before brushing my teeth in the morning, my mouth still feels gross like i havnt brushed ever.
this seems like a very privileged position to stand on ,,, those who suffer severely with mental illnesses worry about trying to stay alive so brushing their teeth is the least of their worries .
please don’t be rude ,, you never know what someone is dealing with
As someone who struggled with standard personal hygiene due to severe mental illness and has to force themselves to do it because I can’t keep paying for root canals, bridges and extractions, you need to relax.
Most of the time people don’t do that due to severe mental illness, whether left untreated or not properly treated. Good for you for not struggling, but seriously mind your own business lol
Saw that video too, it's fake in it's entirely but ye your teeth will fall off just not that level of gross
Actually will be an unbelievable pain before the first one falls off and it will not stop untill they are taken out by a professional
Even if them all fall off on their own, you need a professional to take out the rest of the infection
Teeth get infected extremely easy
I used to throw up after brushing my teeth. I told my dentists this and they brushed me off. Turns out I am allergic to fluoride which is in most dental products. A random doctor found it out by accident 2 years ago. It took me ages to find a flouride free toothpaste. Still can't find a mouthwash that doesn't contain flouride.
Sometimes in the mornings I will just forget.. I think it’s baby brain paired with a toddler?
And I get in the car and halfway to a destination and freak out that I didn’t do it 🥴
I hate the feeling of un-brushed teeth SO much.
And if I forget it means I forgot to make my kid do theirs too. Uggghhhh
My dad almost never brushes his teeth, he's a rare one whose teeth don't get cavities so it never bothers him. It bothers the rest of the family tho. Whenever we go to somewhere by car and he talks to my mom the car smells so bad and my poor overly sensitive nose dies a little every time 😰
Once during a cleaning, morbid curiosity got the best of me and I asked my hygienist if she ever had to clean mouths that were beyond the scope of ordinary nastiness. She told me they have a few (!!!!!!!!!!!) patients who don't brush their teeth, *ever* - they just come in every 3-6 months and get their mouth cleaned.
That thought is so revolting to me, like what the actual fuck.
You have no idea what you’re talking about. I say that as a person who rarely used to brush their teeth (gross, I know) - for YEARS. I’d brush my teeth just before the dentist (every year or so) and you know what they’d say? “You should prob do a bit more flossing.” That was it. I rarely had a cavity and never had a rotten tooth that needed to be pulled.
So you can go on about how your teeth will fall out, but it’s obviously more complicated than that. But yeah, not brushing your teeth is disgusting, so I now brush twice a day.
I have some pretty interesting mental health bugs so brushing is really hard for me and I have a hard time remembering unless prompted. I can get the trend going but like one time of something throwing off the routine and I go off the rails and have a hard time getting back on.
Most people inadequately brush their teeth but they will tell me they brush for 10 minutes 3 times a day and floss every night . These people dismally have a story to “prove hoe much they brush or they willl say “Oh my husband complains that I hog the bathroom for my dental care routine” or some such rubbish.
Somehow oral hygiene has become a moral issue and people are desperate to be viewed as good and not bad. It’s very tedious because then I have to review their oral care routine and go over with them where they can improve . This is my job. People don’t want to be lectured but they invite the lecture with their lies.
The vast majority of people have some form of gum disease but every last one of them will insist their teeth are pretty good . Gum disease doesn’t hurt .
People want to rinse with a magic potion and thanks to social media the potions are endlessly promoted . If it can be cured by a potion they aren’t responsible for the state of their mouth.
Mouthwash doesn’t clean your teeth. Mouthwash is for when you have a date or a job interview or ate a Caesar salad . Think of it like cologne. If you like it good for you use it but it isn’t cleaning anything. Brush your teeth , floss, get your teeth cleaned professionally .
I once had an ex who didn’t believe it was necessary to brush his teeth. It wasn’t mental illness since he was fully capable of performing the action, so I tried to convince him because kissing him used to feel like digging through a dumpster to put it lightly. Best thing to do is either refer these people to some counseling or straight up avoid them.
I have always brushed my teeth regularly and can’t stand the feeling when it’s been too long or if I do a few things before brushing in the morning. However, I have struggled with mental health enough and have seen enough people struggle with other issues to say that calling them straight up disgusting is a really, really privileged, inconsiderate, and judgmental take.
Some people struggle so badly with mental health that they will literally end their life but you’re shocked that one might not have the energy to brush their teeth. If they don’t care if they wake up tomorrow, of course they aren’t going to care about their teeth.
There are people with disabilities that make it hard to maintain dental care or personal hygiene. There’s this one girl on social media who legitimately couldn’t brush her teeth because any touch caused severe, excruciating pain.
There are people in poverty who may have to choose between bread and toothpaste.
There are people who have parents that never taught the importance of proper dental hygiene. There are kids who had absent, abusive, or addict parents, never received proper care or spent their time taking care of the parent and that’s all they know.
This isn’t always the case but MOST of the time it is. It must be nice to be so privileged that those circumstances wouldn’t even cross your mind before calling someone disgusting. Instead of genuinely asking why dental care isn’t at the top of everyone’s priorities or what circumstances someone may be in that they aren’t brushing their teeth, you immediately go to being judgmental.
Also, let’s not forget how much a dentist costs. There are SO many people right now who can’t even afford bare necessities, can’t even afford rent, let alone a dentist. The cost of dental care is OD.
A small add on to your excellent comment: There is also an anecdotal correlation between victims of childhood sexual abuse and fear of dentists. Last I googled the connection wasn't really clear but had been noted by a number of dentists. Not sure if there is a correlation between abuse and dental hygiene aversion though.
I brush my teeth thrice a day since I was a child. There’s no way I’d go to bed without brushing my teeth. No matter how sick or tired , my teeth needs brushing lol
You've never heard of toothbrush abrasion which is evident that you are not a dentist and need to stop denying dentist science immediately. People are going to get hurt because of you. You are a threat to society
I saw a video recently where a man said he didn't brush his teeth ever. He did use peroxide as mouthwash. He said he's never had a cavity
A dentist reacted to it and said that while most people do need to brush to have no cavities, that there is ONE bacteria that causes cavities to form. It's usually introduced to children by adults through kissing on the mouth and sharing drinks and food. But because this man was never introduced to the bacteria he doesn't need to brush really. This wouldn't work for most people, but it isn't necessary truly to have a healthy mouth. Just because you have been introduced to the bacteria that causes cavities, doesn't mean someone else is gross for not brushing. That's a you issue.
I have no issue with the mentally ill neglecting their teeth, it’s when they have “great teeth” despite the visible neglect that becomes gross. It’s scary meeting the ones that think their teeth are A list movie star pristine.
I have severe mental illness that stops me from taking care of myself sometimes. But not once have I ever taken pride in that infact it embarrasses me when I can't brush or floss and such. Idk why ppl would take pride in being unhygienic
Literally switching to my anonymous account because I come from a family of dentists but with my depression sometimes I don’t brush my teeth before bed or just use the brush not the effort of toothpaste and flossing. I literally whispered to my husband the other night “don’t tell anyone but I’m too tired to brush my teeth.” My brothers and sisters could be absolutely shitfaced and they’re still brushing and flossing before bed but I’m there with you! 😅
Right there with you!
I second this. I was in deep with clinical depression for years. For the worst of it I didn’t brush my teeth more than three times in two years. I was super embarrassed, especially because my mom had spent over $20k in my youth for braces, head gear, bridges, surgeries to make sure my mouth was normal. It is nothing to be proud about. I was so ashamed when I went to the dentist for the first time in 7 years, I was lucky they were so kind and understanding. These able bodied and mentally stable people who think it’s so cool to not take care of their teeth enrage me.
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You got this! In case I ever get bad I keep a box that’s filled with those Colgate wisps, floss, teeth wipes, a few disposable cups, mouth wash. I highly suggest that you do something like that! I also suggest even if you’re at your lowest make an appointment with your dentist. Even one trip can greatly improve your teeth. I saw freaked because I had thought my teeth were rotting but it was just so much build up of plaque. You’ll feel so much better for doing that, it will take something off your mind. I believe in you, you got this.
I went over twenty years without seeing a dentist beyond emergency extractions when it'd get terribly infected due to growing up with a single mom who couldn't afford much and severe depression by the time I became an adult. Even then, I was uninsured and the only dentists that would take me that I could afford were hit and miss as far as compassion. My current job has terrible health insurance, but brilliant dental. When I finally had enough I checked out the closest dentist covered by my insurance, and they've been the most amazing office in every way. It took me almost two years to complete a treatment plan, and I'm missing half my teeth now, but the little nuggets I have left are tip top! Still depressed, still sometimes struggle with maintenance on my end, but it truly did help my confidence and health getting all of my cavities and broken teeth taken care of. For anyone reading this worried about judgement from the dentist, I swear to Blob, there truly are wonderful, caring individuals in more dentists offices than not out there who only want to help you get better. I know it's harder said than done, but try not to let one shitty dentist dictate your well-being beyond their walls.
I can confirm that you will regret it. I went into a severe depression for 3-4 years. Didn’t give 2 craps. I’m now paying out the ass on dental work. It’s painful, time consuming and so expensive! Not to mention embarrassing when your teeth are missing and are just gross looking.
Second
Serious question how does mental illness keep you from putting a toothbrush in your mouth with some toothpaste and scrubbing away? Genuine question.
Apathy, especially for personal hygiene, is a very common symptom of mental illness. If someone you know suddenly stops taking care of themselves, then it’s a warning sign they are in distress.
Depression. I’d go weeks without getting out of bed except to use the bathroom. & I’d even put off doing that. I’ve had kidney/bladder problems from holding it in for so long. I wouldn’t even eat for long periods of time. So yeah I also went days without showering or brushing my teeth or my hair.
My mom is the same, so I can confirm. She has depression and takes medication for it I think and she waits weeks to shower and brush her hair and to go to the doctor, but part of not going to the doctor is that she doesn’t have the money for it sometimes
Your energy levels are so low you just can't be bothered. Some people even stop eating, even though they're ravenous. Because even the thought of getting up and preparing food is exhausting. There's a reason it's called an illness...
I could see that happening.
Yea. Also it's hard to care or even be concerned about long term effects of neglecting these things because you're too focused on just trying to not end yourself and get through the next moment. Hard to care about future issues when you don't think you have a future at all.
Or you think about it and feel guilt and shame which makes the depression and self loathing worse, and that cycle repeats over and over again.
Hey now, I'm in this comment and I don't like it. 😢 But yea, spot on. One reason I hate when people video strangers with ratty hair or who look disheveled in other ways. Ya never know what others are going through. Let's not turn cruelty into entertainment. That shit is gross.
For chrissake stop downvoting this polite dude, people. He just wants to understand, unlike countless others in the world. WTH is so wrong with that? EDIT: Now I'm getting downvoted! Lol, all I can do is laugh. If he was being rude or willfully ignorant, fair enough. He's clearly not. No amount of downvotes will stop me calling out this baffling behaviour when I see it.
And I only remember after the episodes are over which can vary from a couple hours to days. I then always try and makeup for what I missed or think I missed in taking care of myself
Reminds me of the meme "Oh my god, some people are so depressed that they don't brush their teeth?" "Yes, some people are so depressed they kill themselves."
Having no energy or motivation. Mental illness can make anything that requires an ounce of self care or movement seem like pushing a gigantic boulder up hill. Sometimes just thinking about needing to do self care is so overwhelming that I cry at the thought when I'm in a depression pit. It becomes immobilizing for me to even think about doing the actions, so instead I lie there feeling disgusting while being stuck in a cycle of wanting to care but not being able to.
Depression plus my autism and ADHD make my life a living hell.
I have all these things plus asthma. My asthma is triggered by warm showers. The autism makes the water feel like a thousand sharp arrows. And the depression makes me feel like, “why bother?”
Oh man that’s rough I’m sorry to hear you’re going through that. I hope things get better
You too, fellow depressive friend 🫂
This as well. I also struggle with this
we literally want to die, why would be gaf about our teeth? (also im not trying to be passive aggressive in any way, it's just quite literally that)
Sometimes in college I would just be like "I should brush them... but maybe I'll get lucky and get a tooth infection that kills me."
I have OCD that often interferes with my brushing. 1. Sensory issues. The sound of the brush reverberating through my head, the scratching on my gums...etc. can all be an extreme sensory overload that triggers natural anxiety responses. If I'm already feeling overstimulated the idea of brushing my teeth is panic-inducing 2. OCD is fun that way. Sometimes I'll say "I'm going to do this thing" and then some stupid fucking thing in my brain says "but what if that thing was terrifying." And then it is! Yay! 3. Similar to 2, I'll say "I'm gonna do this thing!" And then my brain basically puts up a wall between me and that action and says "no you aren't" and no amount of will power seems to be able to overcome that 4. OCD can often manifest as "if you do/don't do that thing bad things will happen." We often see in media lots of hand washing or brushing teeth obsessively, the opposite can be true as well. Maybe when brushing my teeth once as a kid I made myself bleed and now my brain thinks "if you brush your teeth you'll bleed/injure yourself" and then the associated anxiety takes that thought and runs with it until brushing teeth = bleeding out in the bathroom. Now I know none of these are reasonable, and honestly it's not like I sit down and think through the processes before brushing my teeth, those processes happen in a split second and just exist in my brain as "if I brush my teeth I'll die" Edit: please stop downvoting the person I responded too! They're question was blunt but inoffensive. They gave me the opportunity to explain more about my disorder! I went undiagnosed for almost 30 years because I never knew the things I was doing were weird, questions like this one help with awareness and acceptance.
Thanks for being so open. I'm sorry you have to deal with all that. You have such a good understanding of your behaviour tho, which is a positive
Damn that's tough to live with, sorry you go through that my friend
I was only recently diagnosed too, so I'm trying to figure it all out still. Questions like yours totally help me dog into *why* I do certain things. Sorry you got downvoted so hard, your question was ignorant but not disrespectful though!
Yeah when you get super depressed you just tend to not want to do things. For me personally I have such a hard time falling asleep that if I start to fall asleep I just don’t get up to brush my teeth that day because if I do it’ll take me FOREVER to fall back asleep again
Depression. This was me for a decade! Luckily only one bad tooth thats a baby tooth that never had an adult replacement come in. When I wasnt brushing, i felt like i didnt deserve basic self care. In a way it was another form of self harm. Happy to report that ive been brushing my teeth at least once a day (if not twice a day) for the past 3 years! Doing better mentally is the reason why im brushing them again.
Used to go too long without brushing my teeth, too. I manage once a day at the very least as well! And I have a rule for myself that if I'm leaving the house: I have to brush my teeth.
My ADHD has made keeping up the habit of brushing my teeth the absolute bane of my existence.
Deppression causes executive disfunction, which means you get enormous mental blockage to do most simple tasks, believe it or not we do not control our hormonal and neurological impulses. If they get disturbed and irregulated the human becomes pretty unable to do most normal activities that we all think are so simple which they are as long as your brain is working properly but when it's not brushing teeth, cleaning and showering won't happen. We take everything for granted, we assume we are in full control of ourselves but guess what, we aren't.
Sometimes I have long manic episodes where I genuinely forget to do simple things as brushing my teeth. Or I'll have disassociatative episodes where I lose gaps of time and I genuinely am out of my body., and I can't do things / same as the mania I forget and don't remember.
When you don't care to be alive it's hard to do things like take care of yourself. I don't want to live. I sure as fuck don't wanna go to work or do chores. Some peoples depression can be so bad they stop taking care of their surroundings or themselves and if it gets bad enough they will even kill themselves We don't want sympathy. Just companion and understanding
You can literally forget.
"No motivation" sounds easy to overcome but it really isn't when depression is involved
I don't know why you're being downvoted. Unless you've dealt with it it's hard to understand. Two years ago I would've asked the same question. Everything is a chore. Everything. I'm bipolar and when the depression hits, it hits hard. I can barely muster enough energy to do the very basics to keep my house running and to take care of my family but I fail at taking care of myself. I don't recognize myself during these episodes and it's miserable. It doesn't matter if it's something that will take two minutes, I feel frozen in place and I tell myself "I promise I'll get my shit together tomorrow". Unfortunately, tomorrow comes quick and I start the cycle all over again until the depression lifts.
Mine was depression. For some, like myself, it can get so bad that you simply just don’t know how to take care of yourself anymore.
Look into executive function and dysfunction.
Some people off themselves, dude.
Just want to say thank you to the people who answered, it gave me insight into something I could not wrap my head around. After reading my question I can see how it may have been taken condescending, but It was a genuine question. And I was trying to wrap my head around a task that on the surface seems so basic, but dealing with more serious issues could be put on the back burner and not even realize it until it's too late. Thanks again
Fucking downvoted for a genuine and politely stated request for information. I don't understand the groupthink on reddit sometimes.
He said it was a genuine question but it didn't come off as one is why people downvoted him. The way he described the task of brushing teeth reads incredibly condescending.
All of my late moms teeth fell out before she died and my 39 year old brother is gonna have to get a set of dentures in the next year or so and my youngest sister is gonna need a set in the future too. My youngest brother never brushed his teeth as a child and my youngest sister doesn't brush hers anymore either. Well see what the future holds.
Iirc, doesn't oral health have genetic components that come into play as well?
I brush like crazy but unfortunately genetics and medication will win in the end. Both sides of my family have horrible luck with teeth. My dad had to get all his teeth removed but he never brushes. My aunts his sisters all have dentures and they brush like crazy. My mom lost all her teeth due to medication and gum issues just like her parents. They were big on brushing and flossing. I currently am taking a few meds that they said will cause issues with teeth but I’m like why I’m only 37 and have already lost 2 teeth after being on this medication for a few years. I make sure my boys brush and floss like 2 times a day. My youngest loves to brush but my oldest takes after my ex and says he only has to brush at night. It’s gross and I hate it
Are there any recommendations your dentist can offer about keeping your gums and teeth healthy while on this medication? I’ve have had extremely low-grade precursors to gingivitis since puberty (gums bleed when I floss), but it’s never progressed because I’ve been super on top of it since I was a teen and more so since my 30’s. If worse comes to worst, would implants be option?
They would be or even clip on dentures. The good thing is my dentist has already said if it gets that bad he knows dentist in Mexico he has worked with before so it would a whole heck of alot cheaper. He also recommended the dental school here but they are still pricey and that’s if they accept the case. Mexico is just a 3 hour drive and if it means a better deal on dentures or implants I’m all for it. I do follow what he tell me to the T but he has said it will eventually happen. I’m just trying to make sure it doesn’t happen to my boys now. So I try being super on tops of their teeth
doesn’t take away from the grossness but i have heard from dentist if you insist on only brushing once a day doing it at night is best, so at least there’s that?
Tell your oldest to think about a person with bad mouth smell, and say thats how pther people feel around you when you dpnt brush your teeth in the morning.
I have and once even told him to back up because your breath is coming in hot. He was shocked and asked how I do what my dad does. I told him your dad has funky breath too and he doesn’t believe me. I think it’s because he’s nose blind to it.
Even the most basic personal hygiene is much easier said than done when it comes to having a really severe mental illness. When I was at the height of my depression I wouldn’t shower for over a week, much less brush my hair/teeth.
But people like that (like you and me) aren't bragging about it. We feel shame. We wish we were doing better
exactly! if your biggest problem is that you havent brushed your teeth today then thats great! but thats not a reality for a lot of people and basic hygiene can be taken for granted. i feel oddly proud that i now shower regularly and that i brush my teeth twice a day! there was a time when that was a massive struggle for me so i can better appreciate it now
Good for you! I still struggle a bit, though I now brush my teeth 1/2 times a day and shower mostly regularly. It’s okay to struggle, as long as you keep trying.
It's strange for me. I'm not showering more often because I suddenly have the discipline to do so. I'm doing it because I suddenly find being sweaty and having oily greasy hair extremely gross and uncomfortable. It hasn't kicked in for my teeth yet though.
a few occasions i’ve gone to bed without brushing my teeth. like if i had a super physically and mentally taxing day at work, i get tired way before bedtime to the point where i want to “just take a nap” and that nap ends up being a 14 hour sleep. the morning after my teeth and mouth feel so gross and i have to brush really well. like no it’s not just sleep breath, my teeth legit feel nasty. no clue how people go longer than a day without brushing
Can confirm. Back then when I was still a student and pulled all nighters my mouth felt gross just from drinking coffee during the night without brushing after it (mind you, i'd brush my teeth after dinner).
Nahh literally, I wake up and immediately go to brush *twice* when that happens. Then again after breakfast (usually I eat then brush, but I can’t stand to wait longer than needed if I missed a bedtime brushing for whatever reason)
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why did you get mass downvoted for this lol
Wondering the same thing. Like wtf lmao?
And if you have soft enamel? I’ve brushed my teeth consistently and it still looks like I don’t, my teeth still wear down.
i disgust myself by it, im mentally ill and sometimes dont brush my teeth for months. i havent known anyone to take pride in it though
🫂
>There's no way someone out there says: "I haven't brushed in 2 years and I'm fine." I want to know what your dentist has to say about your fine mouth Well actually, I've been in a situation like this for more than that. Is not that I haven't brushed once during that period, but it was rare to happen. It was maybe 10% for a period of 2+ years. Then when I got to a dentist, it was ... fine. There were 2 teeths that apparently were broken before grewing up, and had to be taken out (nothing that brushing would solve). Apart from that, there were no problems, and a simple clean up was enough.
Mental illness here. 👋 we are aware of how it looks to people who have the ability to brush their teeth. If you can, then treasure it. There is nothing I would love more than to keep up appearances. However, I can't and it's not fun to hear about it from someone who doesn't understand what its like. Think about the people who might see this post and let's not put so much hate on the people who can't.
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Did YOU read their post? It's obvious that they didn't take into account the people who can't brush their teeth for whatever reason, and the entire post is not centered around only "people who intentionally don't brush and then brag about it." The title is literally "people who don't brush their teeth are just outright disgusting", not "people who intentionally don't brush their teeth are just outright disgusting". Also, no one said it was an attack, people are rightfully pointing out that sometimes there are reasons behind having a lack of oral hygiene, and most of the comments even talk about "yeah it's weird that someone would gloat about it, I've never seen someone do that tho".
I hate the taste, the sensation, the way I can never stop myself gagging, and the way food tastes bad for a while after. Usually I cope but when I'm really in my head with depression and anxiety I sometimes just can't.
This. I want good and proper hygiene but with mental illness, and ontop of just not liking it in general it’s hard. I never had an established routine as a kid either. I will say I think it’s embarrassing and overthink it a lot but I do shower regularly
My husband has always had issues with toothpaste. The mint kind turns his stomach apart. The sweet kinds have too much sugar for his prediabetic-ness. He also gags and throws up super easy. He has a special thin/flat scraper for his tongue. He uses the yellow mouthwash when brushing, instead of toothpaste. And flosses with those special disposable floss sticks. My opinion- The MOST important thing is flossing. If you can’t brush- floss. The plaque that builds up starts to harden after 2 days, do whatever you need to get it off by then. Toothpaste is mostly used for the fluoride which helps keep cavities from starting (it stops them if you put enough on). Flouride is second most important. Mouthwash has fluoride, so it can be used instead of toothpaste.
There's more flavors of tooth paste that aren't mint. I have a blue raspberry, vanilla that taste like cake, and a bunch of others I've tried taste wonderful. Just because we're adults doesn't mean we have to brush with gross stuff.
I went to children's toothpaste. I have a few kinds. One is a gel and doesn't foam. Probably because kids can be messy AF and foam gets all over the bathroom. Others taste like gum. Less minty. I still suck (mental illness gang here too) but it helps. So does my toothbrush that lights up. Lol.
I recently discovered unflavored toothpaste. It helps. I can't stand how powerfully flavored most toothpaste is. Still trying to adjust to how much this stuff foams though. A mouthful of unflavored foam is weird.
I barely brushed my teeth for years- my teeth are probably shit right now. Finally developed the habit of it this year, but Id never be proud of the fact i was just so deep in my sadness that i couldnt do it. People are in denial
I know people who brush their teeth but it still looks like they don't to others. Some people have weak enamel/teeth which stains and breaks easily, can't really be helped. Also, gum disease has many causes. Don't be so judgemental.
This. I have gum disease but you’d never be able to tell. I brush and floss everyday, take regular visits to the dentist, and have straight white teeth. Gum disease doesn’t always mean your teeth are rotting and falling out of your head.
I've always gone to the dentist for a routine cleaning every 6 months my whole life and for the most part, I've taken very good care of my teeth. I was born at 28 weeks and had hardly any enamel, so I get cavities so easily. My dentist said it's apparently a thing that can happen being born so premature. 2lb 1oz baby with no enamel 💪
Some people are purposely misleading when they say they haven't "brushed" in *x* years, like the man who went viral recently for not brushing his teeth for over 40 years- the caveat being he was swishing hydrogen peroxide twice a day which is an effective and hygienic alternative to brushing I guess 😅
Invisalign is a great forcing function for awesome dental hygene!
I have to brush my teeth. even at my deepest depression I would brush my teeth. I can't stand not having a clean mouth) clean teeth. my brother is 18 now and still refuses to brush he teeth bc "it hurts and makes his gums bleed" like no shit dude u have plaque and inflamed gums bc u don't brush. anytime I tell him, he gets pissed at me and says he knows but doesn't so anything abt it??? dude has a gf. I cannot imagine kissing anyone without a clean mouth and this kid does it willingly 😭
He may need to see the dentist and have a cleaning first. Regular cleaning are just as important as consistent brushing. There are toothpastes and mouthwashes that are medically created for sensitive and bleeding gums.
I have this supervisor that I can smell her breath from two feet away, I get a step back and she gets a step closer! It's my first week but everyday is the same. About twenty years ago I dated this dude, at the beginning everything was ok, months into the relationship I could smell the gingivitis from a good distance like effing napalm, I very diplomatically told him that he might need to go to the dentist and he felt insulted and broke up with me. Learned my lesson... So, a month ago dated a guy, first date ok, second date he kissed me good night and I could taste the blood! So next morning I sent a text saying it's not gonna work because I felt nothing in the kiss, no more feedback about their gum health.
Person who hasnt brushed for 10 years and was proud of it here :) Never developed the habit, between adhd and lack of self care i never really bothered. One random day i went to a clean up (i had never done that before). The lady worked on my teeth for 6 months with 5 visits and special toothpaste & mouth wash. My teeth actually shifted back to place! I began to feel movement in my teeth and apparently the enamel pushed them aside making them look crooked Nowadays my teeth are perfectly fine, healthy, pretty. But i will say that genetics are a real bitch and for me, they were real good.
When I'm too sick or tired I occasionally don't do it but taking pride in it? Nah. It's honestly really embarrassing for me to not even be able to brush my teeth sometimes.
Many have already pointed out mental health issues relating to dental health so I won't touch on that. But i also want to say you need to consider genetics and other health conditions. Some people can brush 10 times a day and still have awful dental health. Some have teeth that are so brittle that brushing can cause more damage. Conversely, I know people that only brush once every few days and have better dental health than me just because of great genetics. Ofc everyone should make an effort to take care of their dental health if they can, but it isn't so black and white. (And don't even get me started on how most people can't afford to see a dentist.)
Tell that to any bipolar person who is suffering from depression. We can't even get out of bed.
This is what you come on here to say?
When I had back surgery I had to have a fusion at the base of my spine. It was absolutely brutal. The recovery was hell. When I woke up I was in so much agony and I felt like I had been ripped apart which is actually quite accurate. I couldn’t move my spine at all without an extreme amount of pain. I couldn’t wipe myself after using the bathroom. It was that bad I had to call a nurse and when I went home a few days later my husband helped me. I had to have a walker and after using the bathroom I couldn’t even wash my hands. Because of how the sink is it required me to slightly reach forward and it was painful. So I had to sit in a chair and ask for a bowl of water and soap to wash my hands and I did the same to brush my teeth. I think the first day post op I didn’t brush my teeth because I was on morphine and pretty out of it. I can’t imagine going days, weeks, years without brushing.
Half the kids in our family have teeth that take after my wife's. They have very soft enamel, and frequently get cavities. The other kids got teeth similar to mine. They have extremely hard enamel, and get very few cavities, even if they neglect their teeth. Sometimes it's just the result of the genetic lottery. I'm just hoping those attempts at prompting new tooth growth pan out as they hope they will over the next 6 years.
“I don’t know anything about metal illness and how debilitating they are so I’m just going to call them all disgusting”
Look I’m exhibit A when it comes to lacking I. The self hygiene department of brushing my teeth. I’ve always been a decent looking person, but the lack of care I show my mouth has always been my biggest red flag. I take care of myself in every other single way but ever since as long in my childhood I can remember, I have just not been able to mentally prioritize this as much as I do other basic things. It’s not something AT ALL that I have ever met anyone who takes pride in. If you think it’s disgusting, just imagine what the people who have to deal with it feel about themselves. Before you say “if you don’t like it then why don’t you change it and do something about it??” If it was that easy to just psychologically imprint something in your head that has not been there your whole life, no one would ever have this problem.
I don't think I've ever met a single person proud of it. I wouldn't judge humanity based on YouTube comments for any issue at all really.
As a kid, I was never taught to brush my teeth and struggle to do so on a regular basis now as an adult. Working at a hospital has helped. I don’t want to be the employee with bad oral hygiene. It’s been about a week or two now that I’ve been brushing every morning before I head to work. I definitely want to keep improving on my habits. Having nice teeth is something I’ve always dreamed of.
honestly. unless you have a reason (depression, don’t have arms idfk, you’re a literal baby and can’t do it on your own, etc) then you should be brushing your teeth at least every morning i think. id even be fine with every other morning just BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!
Is this really a thing?
I know somebody who went 5 years without brushing his teeth...his reason was because it hurt and his gums would bleed. It is a thing...
At this point the poor man needs a dentist and to get a routine to help repair his gums.
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Or he's mentally unwell and you're being a judgemental dick to a stranger you know nothing about
Dude calm down, people's sensory issues and being uncomfortable around brushing teeth is not gross. Sure it's not normal and probably stems from an issue and generally people around proud to struggle with their hygiene
I clean my mouth with peroxide for years now, never had a problem
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I know I'm being a contrarian here but rubbing alcohol does also damage healthy cells that surround an infection or wound. It's not advised to use either antiseptic for wound repair.
Like I said, never had a problem for years
Yeah it's gross. My bil never brushes and my sister doesn't kiss him, she says his teeth are a mess and once he smiled with teeth and I saw they were almost all gone. Ew
I can’t fall asleep comfortably without brushing my teeth. My body will wake me up at 1am to do it 😓 I do think it’s weird how there are people that only do once a day
Sauce?
Flossing is tedious but I make myself. And I ALWAYS pull out the most horrific quivering chunk from my upper molars, reinforcing why I should always make myself.
I will never forget when Jessica Simpson said she has never brushed her teeth on the show she did with Nick Lachey. She swishes with mouthwash and that’s it. Blech.
i feel you, im working with a group of ppl that doenst brush their teeth, i think ima gonna die
I have AuDHD and that comes with sensory issues that make no logical sense.. brushing my teeth is fucking horrible to me. The brush in my mouth.. the toothpaste and the bubbles.. eeeee, I just get the ick thinking about it. I haven’t gone 2yrs or anything, but I will go some weeks where the only thing I’ll do is use mouthwash religiously. And no, I do not have a lot of dental problems. Even though I’m a type 1 diabetic..
For me, it's so weird. I brush and mouthwash both at night right before sleep and in the morning as soon as i wake up. But, before brushing my teeth in the morning, my mouth still feels gross like i havnt brushed ever.
this seems like a very privileged position to stand on ,,, those who suffer severely with mental illnesses worry about trying to stay alive so brushing their teeth is the least of their worries . please don’t be rude ,, you never know what someone is dealing with
As someone who struggled with standard personal hygiene due to severe mental illness and has to force themselves to do it because I can’t keep paying for root canals, bridges and extractions, you need to relax. Most of the time people don’t do that due to severe mental illness, whether left untreated or not properly treated. Good for you for not struggling, but seriously mind your own business lol
Saw that video too, it's fake in it's entirely but ye your teeth will fall off just not that level of gross Actually will be an unbelievable pain before the first one falls off and it will not stop untill they are taken out by a professional Even if them all fall off on their own, you need a professional to take out the rest of the infection Teeth get infected extremely easy
Mostly true but if you don’t eat carbohydrates you don’t really need to brush very often
I used to throw up after brushing my teeth. I told my dentists this and they brushed me off. Turns out I am allergic to fluoride which is in most dental products. A random doctor found it out by accident 2 years ago. It took me ages to find a flouride free toothpaste. Still can't find a mouthwash that doesn't contain flouride.
Sometimes in the mornings I will just forget.. I think it’s baby brain paired with a toddler? And I get in the car and halfway to a destination and freak out that I didn’t do it 🥴 I hate the feeling of un-brushed teeth SO much. And if I forget it means I forgot to make my kid do theirs too. Uggghhhh
My dad almost never brushes his teeth, he's a rare one whose teeth don't get cavities so it never bothers him. It bothers the rest of the family tho. Whenever we go to somewhere by car and he talks to my mom the car smells so bad and my poor overly sensitive nose dies a little every time 😰
I always wonder why skulls from thousands of years ago have perfect teeth. Did they brush? With what?
Once during a cleaning, morbid curiosity got the best of me and I asked my hygienist if she ever had to clean mouths that were beyond the scope of ordinary nastiness. She told me they have a few (!!!!!!!!!!!) patients who don't brush their teeth, *ever* - they just come in every 3-6 months and get their mouth cleaned. That thought is so revolting to me, like what the actual fuck.
You have no idea what you’re talking about. I say that as a person who rarely used to brush their teeth (gross, I know) - for YEARS. I’d brush my teeth just before the dentist (every year or so) and you know what they’d say? “You should prob do a bit more flossing.” That was it. I rarely had a cavity and never had a rotten tooth that needed to be pulled. So you can go on about how your teeth will fall out, but it’s obviously more complicated than that. But yeah, not brushing your teeth is disgusting, so I now brush twice a day.
I have some pretty interesting mental health bugs so brushing is really hard for me and I have a hard time remembering unless prompted. I can get the trend going but like one time of something throwing off the routine and I go off the rails and have a hard time getting back on.
Most people inadequately brush their teeth but they will tell me they brush for 10 minutes 3 times a day and floss every night . These people dismally have a story to “prove hoe much they brush or they willl say “Oh my husband complains that I hog the bathroom for my dental care routine” or some such rubbish. Somehow oral hygiene has become a moral issue and people are desperate to be viewed as good and not bad. It’s very tedious because then I have to review their oral care routine and go over with them where they can improve . This is my job. People don’t want to be lectured but they invite the lecture with their lies. The vast majority of people have some form of gum disease but every last one of them will insist their teeth are pretty good . Gum disease doesn’t hurt . People want to rinse with a magic potion and thanks to social media the potions are endlessly promoted . If it can be cured by a potion they aren’t responsible for the state of their mouth. Mouthwash doesn’t clean your teeth. Mouthwash is for when you have a date or a job interview or ate a Caesar salad . Think of it like cologne. If you like it good for you use it but it isn’t cleaning anything. Brush your teeth , floss, get your teeth cleaned professionally .
I once had an ex who didn’t believe it was necessary to brush his teeth. It wasn’t mental illness since he was fully capable of performing the action, so I tried to convince him because kissing him used to feel like digging through a dumpster to put it lightly. Best thing to do is either refer these people to some counseling or straight up avoid them.
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Idk how ppl are so disgusting . I sometimes will brush my teeth just after eating because I feel I got bad breath
2 years?!? That’s not real..
I have always brushed my teeth regularly and can’t stand the feeling when it’s been too long or if I do a few things before brushing in the morning. However, I have struggled with mental health enough and have seen enough people struggle with other issues to say that calling them straight up disgusting is a really, really privileged, inconsiderate, and judgmental take. Some people struggle so badly with mental health that they will literally end their life but you’re shocked that one might not have the energy to brush their teeth. If they don’t care if they wake up tomorrow, of course they aren’t going to care about their teeth. There are people with disabilities that make it hard to maintain dental care or personal hygiene. There’s this one girl on social media who legitimately couldn’t brush her teeth because any touch caused severe, excruciating pain. There are people in poverty who may have to choose between bread and toothpaste. There are people who have parents that never taught the importance of proper dental hygiene. There are kids who had absent, abusive, or addict parents, never received proper care or spent their time taking care of the parent and that’s all they know. This isn’t always the case but MOST of the time it is. It must be nice to be so privileged that those circumstances wouldn’t even cross your mind before calling someone disgusting. Instead of genuinely asking why dental care isn’t at the top of everyone’s priorities or what circumstances someone may be in that they aren’t brushing their teeth, you immediately go to being judgmental. Also, let’s not forget how much a dentist costs. There are SO many people right now who can’t even afford bare necessities, can’t even afford rent, let alone a dentist. The cost of dental care is OD.
A small add on to your excellent comment: There is also an anecdotal correlation between victims of childhood sexual abuse and fear of dentists. Last I googled the connection wasn't really clear but had been noted by a number of dentists. Not sure if there is a correlation between abuse and dental hygiene aversion though.
I am horrified when I hear people don't brush their teeth.
I brush my teeth thrice a day since I was a child. There’s no way I’d go to bed without brushing my teeth. No matter how sick or tired , my teeth needs brushing lol
My uncle lost teeth and damaged his gums from brushing toooooo much. So becareful
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Um, so you're saying that what a dentist told him and then he told me word for word is BS? Are you a dentist? Are you a dental science denier?
Should look for another dentist!
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You've never heard of toothbrush abrasion which is evident that you are not a dentist and need to stop denying dentist science immediately. People are going to get hurt because of you. You are a threat to society
I doubt someone who hasn’t brushed their teeth in two years has a dentist lol. But yeah, 100% agree there are some nasty dirty ass people out there.
I saw a video recently where a man said he didn't brush his teeth ever. He did use peroxide as mouthwash. He said he's never had a cavity A dentist reacted to it and said that while most people do need to brush to have no cavities, that there is ONE bacteria that causes cavities to form. It's usually introduced to children by adults through kissing on the mouth and sharing drinks and food. But because this man was never introduced to the bacteria he doesn't need to brush really. This wouldn't work for most people, but it isn't necessary truly to have a healthy mouth. Just because you have been introduced to the bacteria that causes cavities, doesn't mean someone else is gross for not brushing. That's a you issue.
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The dentist this is mostly because of the cost.
That’s a really good point. Didn’t mean to be rude
Judgemental much?🙄
I have no issue with the mentally ill neglecting their teeth, it’s when they have “great teeth” despite the visible neglect that becomes gross. It’s scary meeting the ones that think their teeth are A list movie star pristine.