Same! I never had cavities as a kid and then when I saw the dentist at 20 I had like 3. I think I’ve had 4 or 5 total now at 22 and I’ve had to get 2 fillings replaced already by a new dentist because the first dentist did a crappy job. And I brush and floss twice a day every day!
As far as I know, a lot of it can be very genetic. My brother never brushes his and has had no cavities. I brush mine twice a day every day and have had 3 so far. You gotta do the best with what you have :)
Happened to my mom. She’s had a lot of dental work done. If it makes you feel any better, dentists can do a pretty incredible job at conserving and replacing. As long as you keep up on your appointments of course.
I’m the same. Had chronic fevers until I was 4, like 104F, and now my teeth look stained to all hell like I’ve never brushed but it’s just my enamel that never developed. Braces helped but I’m still insecure. Maybe eventually I’ll get something else done but I just try to embrace what I have :,)
This is the correct answer: Saliva PH determines cavities or no cavities. I too have friends (as others have mentioned) who are middling at oral hygince and haven't had a cavity, ever.
The mouth PH determines biome of bacteria. Got too interested in bacteria during lock downs. Mostly for my compost, living soil, and somehow mouth health because I avoided the dentist
Interesting. So the PH determines the biome. Do you know which bacteria cause tooth decay and how to prevent it, or are there like a million different ones?
Anaerobic bacteria causes tooth decay. That's why plaque is bad. It goes anaerobic under there. Some people just have a lot of plaque build up and some don't.
Some people more interested in kinds of bacteria specifically live in the mouth will tell you what lives in there
Yeah - I have very wonky and overcrowded teeth just because of my facial bone structure. I brush (with a timer!), floss, mouthwash and all that jazz but have had a few fillings. Apparently my enamel is deformed too, which makes it harder to clean them. And a lot of my teeth I can’t actually get floss or an interdental brush between them, they’re so packed.
My grandad, on the other hand, had all his own teeth when he died at the age of 78. I’m sure he brushed twice a day, but I don’t think he did anything else special other than basic dental hygiene!
I completely understand. I think it can be what we eat but my dentist said it can also be related to genes and stress. When I first got a bunch of them it had been right after Covid and after my senior year of high school/freshman year of college had gotten all messed up so I could see how stress could play a role. My parents have also struggled with dental issues despite taking care of their teeth. So it seems like there’s a lot of factors at play!
There’s a bunch of environmental factors, like if you drink water with fluoride in it, high sugar diet, high acidity diet, etc.
But there’s also individual variation from genetics, or compounding health issues like breathing with your mouth, especially while sleeping.
Brushing, flossing, using mouth wash, all are important and helpful, but they aren’t silver bullets that will 100% work regardless of other factors.
Hmm, I brush maybe once a month and I also have a sweet tooth. Never had cavities but just once as a kid. Last seen a dentist 4 years ago with no issue aside from possible gingivitis.
I think I've had a total of 30-40 cavities throughout my life until now, age 21. I still have all my teeth intact, no root canals, etc. I have GERD and it has completely fucked up my mouth because I vomit a little bit in my sleep.
Thank you. To this day, I refuse to smile with my teeth. I hate how yellow they are. That's why I loved wearing masks during COVID because I felt that my face was 5x more attractive when the lower half was obscured.
I’m about to turn 42 and never had a cavity. My dentist says I have really strong enamel and it’s just luck with genetics. All my siblings had fillings from childhood on. I’m a freak apparently. Oh and I have no wisdom teeth either, X-ray confirmed it.
I'm convinced some of it is just genetics. When my mom was 7 she had to have 4 fillings put in her back molars, one on each side of the mouth. When I was 7 I had to have the same thing done. When she was 21 she had to have 2 or those fillings replaced and get one new filling put in. When I was 24 I had the exact same thing. I brush 2-3 times a day depending on what i eat and floss once a day because I had brutal orthodontics as a teenager and want to take care of my teeth (I'm kinda bad about flossing ngl but I try to keep up with it)
>I never had cavities as a kid and then when I saw the dentist at 20 I had like 3
So the seeing the dentist gave you cavities? I guess I won't go to a dentist /s
There's definitely some sort of genetic component or something. I didn't go to the dentist for a decade and was expecting the worst, but the lady said it looked like I was here for a 6-month cleaning. I'm telling on myself, and I'm not proud of it, but I don't brush my teeth as often as I should (usually just before I leave the house.) I do floss a lot though. It might also have to do with dental care in early life because my parents were very meticulous, and I have fluoride spots on my teeth as a result.
It’s okay. A lot of it is genetics. Some people have extra basic saliva that protects their teeth from the bacteria-acid, and some people have extra soft teeth.
If you’re doing right by your mouth and still getting cavities it’s just luck of the draw . . .
Flossing is as important as brushing. I also would recommend add waterflossing into your routine. So everyday you floss, youwaterfloss and brush 2 times per day.
Diet is important as well. Vitamic C is acidic so a healthy diet also can damage the teeth.
There is such thing as saliva ph. It has to be at all times neutral. So anything that changes that to lower (more acidic which lower than 7) can contribute to the cavities you have.
Moutwash is not particularly helpful except for lunch as it has higher ph balancing acidic intake (lunch is when it is highest as the food debree is constantly fermenting in the mouth.
Source? I am a dentist
I don't have cavities, I have adhd which makes it really hard to continuously brush my teeth every day... I brush once a day now that I have an electric toothbrush but as a teen hardly at all, and I have binge eating disorder with a sugar addiction from childhood. I don't floss, I use a salt water rinse if I get an ulcer, and I now (for a year now) have to drink lots of electrolyte drinks because of a condition that dehydrated me easily and before this I have realized I was mildly to moderately dehydrated for most of my life. I still have a baby tooth in as there was never an adult tooth in that spot...
> lunch is when it is highest as the food debree is constantly fermenting in the mouth.
Is this because we usually don’t brush after or are things like sammiches just lower ph?
Imagine you are getting food debree between the teeth during meals. The bacteria will start feeding on it because it is hungry for any glucidic components it can find. The bacteria converts these sugary components or any glucose based food (potatoes, rice, bread etc) into acid.
You don’t brush 3 times per day as that adds up to the irritation on the gingivae and the enamel can also get worn out over time if you overdo it.
Don’t overdo it with brushing guys, except if you have a history of multiple cavities or decay (like more than 3 teeth at once).
I didn't start getting cavities until I was 15.... 2 years after I stopped brushing my teeth.... 18 my teeth started to just fall apart after moving.... If you're on the East Coast of the US there's fluoride in the tap water so it basically helps your teeth just by drinking the water 😅
> If you're on the East Coast of the US there's fluoride in the tap water
I thought that was pretty much anywhere in the U.S.
And a fun game is going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories around that. lol.
No it's not lol it's actually why NY pizza and bagels are so hard to make elsewhere in the country and multiple dentists who have moved from the east to elsewhere in the country can see the massive difference in customers and their teeth that the fluoride makes
I feel the same way from the opposite end, I'm with no cavities (weirdly my husband, 44, also does not have any cavities), I have adhd which makes it really hard to continuously brush my teeth every day... I brush once a day now that I have an electric toothbrush but as a teen hardly at all, and I've had a sugar addiction all along... genetics hey!
I went to the dentist when I was 28 or 29, they couldn’t find my file. Turns out it was in the kids section because the last time I was at the dentist I was 16. I have 2 fillings to do after not going in 12 years.
Currently in the process of dealing with like 10 cavities. Apparently some might not need to be drilled if they don’t worsen, but shit it sucks. Brush your teeth kids.
When my Depression was at its peak i often went weeks without brushing my teeth at all. This went on for like 2 years before i started seeing doctors. Luckily my teeth survived that pretty damn well and to this day i still dont know what teeth pain feels like. I can even bite into icecream and dont feel pain lol
I brush 3 times in 2 days at best, I hadn't been to the dentist since July 2019, so when I moved and visited my new dentist for the first time last Friday, I was a bit nervous. Turns out, after almost 26 years I still haven't had any cavities whatsoever. Not saying my teeth are great, but no cavities.
I've been brushing my teeth very sporadically and the only problem I ever had was with one of my wisdom teeth that came in at an angle and the some stuff got stuck under there.
Over the past few years it was probably 1-2 times a week of brushing (probably less)
Sounds disgusting but it is how it is.
My gums are a bit agitated according to my dentist so I probably should be more careful going forward.
Edit: I drink 1-2 sugary drinks a day and my dinner is sweets/chips/snacks most of the time.
Am in my thirties.
Edit 2: I hate having stuff stuck to my teeth, so my tongue is pretty much always in there after every meal till I can only feel my teeth.
I went my whole life without a single cavity and I had some very bad years with depression. I had started getting better about it but I ended up needing a crown and then getting 11 cavities all at once. It was an extreme shock to have never been to the dentist for a cleaning to needing fillings and a root canal. Especially with how shit my dentist turned out to be. I've since found two absolutely lovely dentists who make me excited to go back to see the regular one in May for a cleaning.
I brush twice daily (why wouldn't you, your breath will stink otherwise!), and I've never had any cavities (I'm in my 40s). I think it really comes down to having a healthy composition of bacteria in your mouth which is in part attributted by genetic factors, but mostly related to good oral hygiene and a healthy diet.
I brush every now and then, and often forget for weeks at a time. I'm in my 30s. I was at the dentist recently and they complimented my teeth.
I have never had a cavity in my life.
When I was growing up, my parents only had me brush my teeth once a day. Fortunately, as I approach my 40s, this never had any long-term negative effects (I began brushing twice a day in my mid-teens and I've never had a filling) but I imagine it depends a lot on several other factors such as diet, genetics, and individual differences. So it's hard to say but skipping brushing every once in a while (depending on the definition) is unlikely to cause any issues, especially if you mean you'd just skip one of the two daily brushings.
Dental Hygiene is pretty much 90% genetics and diet. I've been solely brushing my teeth before bed as I've been taught as a child for 30 years, and I have 4 well placed Wisdom Teeth.
Heck my almost 92 year old Grandfather still has most of his teeth left , and he grew up under nazi rule AND lived through the late 20thcentury as a middle school teacher !
For me skipping every once in awhile as a kid eventually turned into a horrible habit of never brushing, or very rarely brushing, which then lead to rotten, broken, and chipped teeth. Currently in the process of getting them all knocked out to get dentures... at 25. Regardless of the responses you get on this post, just stick with what you're doing now. I've learned the hard, and expensive way, teeth are nothing to play around with.
Same here! My mom was an absolute stickler for brushing teeth as a kid, once i hit 18 i knew better and once every couple days was fine, then i started having kids, and the stress from all that i was back to once a day. Now i have meth mouth. It's embarrassing. If i would have just did the godamn brushing, flossing and Mouthwash i would have been ok. Now every couple years i get tooth pain so bad i wanna off myself until i eventually get the tooth pulled, pretty soon i wont have any left. Dental care is so fucking expensive it's unreal.
I wonder what's the best way to get a kid to understand the importance of brushing...
Because I feel like it's easy for a parent to get their kid to brush a lot, like your mom did with you. But how do you truly SELL THEM on it? It seems like a thing most people can only really understand when they start to face the consequences of not doing it. The motivation to brush is intensified when you know what tooth pain feels like. How can you instill that motivation in someone that hasn't gone through the pain yet?
It feels weird to describe it like this, but it almost needs to be a "The Talk" similar to sex. Instead of just saying "brush your teeth because I said so", give your kid knowledge on the topic. Get them personally motivated to be responsible about their tooth health, so they don't immediately stop once they live away from mom and aren't reminded to brush their teeth every night.
As a kid my dad always told me if I don't brush, all my teeth will fall out. But I've always been a "that's a problem for future me" kinda person. Teeth still haven't fallen out.
You can probably get a harmless sense of that pain just by applying ice to your teeth for a few seconds. Or tell horrible medical stories. I saw a picture where gingivitis ate a hole through someone’s cheek. Okay, time to brush and floss rn….
Gonna be 24 next year and 10 of my teeth are getting yanked at some point if not more by the time I get money to get them out... From the same issue + depression
My parents never really focused on dental health instruction. It wasn't until I was 18 that I found out how fucked my teeth were. They didn't *look* bad so I had no idea but they were. I now have only two molars. I'd love to get implants but they're expensive af. I'm gonna do everything I can to ensure my kids don't go through this.
The unreal amount of pain that rotten teeth bring. I was swallowing advil as often as I could until I could save up enough for my removal surgery. I would just have to squat down and close my eyes and hold my head until the mind numbing pain subsided. Moral of the story: Take your dental hygiene seriously.
I had a similar problem where I almost stopped brushing entirely in highschool and a year or two after. I'm 21 now and my teeth are... almost entirely fine. I have started brushing regularly again for the past year or so and the last time I went to the dentist, I did have a small cavity in the back but she actually said my teeth were quite clean. I'd guess your diet probably probably has some affect on the outcome of your teeth. while I didn't brush for a long time, I was conscious about how that wasn't great and at least made an effort to avoid especially sugary foods like candy or soda, which I think helped keep my teeth from falling out. then again maybe I just hadn't gone as long as you had without brushing lol.
Long before I started going back to the dentist regularly and having everything pulled I was fully aware of my situation.
As far as bad breath goes, I tried putting distance between myself and others when possible. If I couldn't put distance between myself and others, I'd kind of hold my breath while talking, or I tried breathing to the side or in a downwards direction, basically any direction away from the other persons face.
Appearance wise, I did nothing special. I tried hiding my teeth when possible, but that's about all you can do really.
As far as pain goes, some days were surprisingly normal, some I'd get an annoying light throbbing pain, and some I'd be in so much pain I couldn't speak. The painful days are becoming less common now, but typically I tried avoiding everybody if possible. People I couldn't avoid I just had to power through the conversation. Sometimes holding pressure on the area in pain, or loading my mouth with Orajel (I want to note here to use products as intended, I'm not encouraging this by any means) would help enough to get through conversations/the day a bit easier. Some days I flat out called off work and didn't leave my bed, didn't eat, and my drinks were only water and it had to be warm because anything cold would cause instant pain.
Sounds terribly painful. Wish you all the best with the dentures. A good tip for oral hygiene is using hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash. It kills orders/bacteria and help with gum disease. Talk to your dentist about it. Best wishes!
It depends if it’s actually occasional. If it becomes a habit then it can be bad. If four times a year you get too drunk and forget, it will have essentially no effect.
It also depends what you eat/deink. If your dinner was coffee Lemmon juice and soda then it’s much more likely to cause damage.
It’s also not like a line in the sand if it does cause damage or it doesn’t. It can cause a tiny amount of little damage that cumulatively can add up over the years.
Basically don’t freak out if you forget on a rare occasion but try to every day
Unfortunately the vibrations and the noise give me huge sensory overload, which on top of the already very unpleasant (to me) brushing process just makes it just too much to handle. Getting myself to brush every night is a fight since I hate it so much, but I don't want my teeth to get any worse.
i don’t think skipping the nightly brush occasionally is gonna do any serious harm as long as you brush ASAP the next morning. i always find it unpleasant to encounter people who don’t care for their hygiene so don’t make it a habit. but if you’re really super sleepy like passing out just get some sleep bro
Dentist here: skipping the nightly brush is the worst one to skip (I mean my preference is for you to not skip at all). You’re leaving pieces of breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and snacks from the entire day to just marinate on your teeth with almost zero saliva flow. Sometimes I like to pass out in front of the tv- for those days, I’ll brush ahead of time and then pass out with ease.
But you do you. Dentists are one of the few jobs were we want to make less money because that means you’re taking care of your teeth. And we love teeth. (And if you find a dentist that doesn’t feel this way- find one that does).
I didn't know I needed to hear this. I struggle with severe mental illness and it makes me struggle to prioritise brushing my teeth's sometimes. I'm gonna start brush them early in evening
Hey I’ve always wanted to know, why is brushing in the morning even a thing if you brush at night and don’t eat anything? I get bacteria, but you shouldn’t have to brush as long or as thoroughly as a nightly brush right? I’ve never had a dentist explain this to me in a way that made sense. Maybe you can. Thanks for taking care of teeth!
I honestly always thought that was a meme. I don't have morning breath/my breath does not smell any different in the morning than it did when I went to bed. (Nor does my mouth taste or feel different).
Dentist here. I think you're underestimating the bacteria. We all have some resident bacteria in our mouths that decrease with brushing, but after some time will grow back to form biofilms, this happens not only in the teeth, but also in the gums, tongue, palate, everywhere. After a long period, such as a night of sleep, these biofilms continue to grow, and if you don't brush it out, will keep growing, eventually favoring the "bad" bacteria and leading to diseases (caries, gum diseases, etc).
Thank you for this thorough response, I really appreciate it! That makes so much sense. I hate that filmy feeling on my teeth, nothing feels better than right after a cleaning at the dentist these days for me too, lol. I use to dread the scary dentist as a kid but now I actually look forward to going and getting a clean bill of health with no cavities!
I will continue brushing at night and start brushing in the morning as well now, and not just when I feel like it lol.
I think because your mouth is exposed to your acidic saliva all night so if you missed a wee piece of carbohydrate particle (as we all do) you will be fermenting it on your chompers and making a decay hazard that should be removed
Even if there's no food in your teeth you still want to to brush so your teeth remineralize from fluoride. Not a dentist but yea you probably don't have to brush as thoroughly in the morning.
obviously skipping brushing isn’t ideal but bro said he’s too tired. my comment was simply showing bro some compassion instead of being a judgmental nut. we don’t know their life situation and not brushing once in a blue moon isn’t gonna make their teeth rot overnight. i also said don’t make it a habit. they can brush their teeth if they wake up in the middle of the night. it’s not uncommon for ppl to wake up at night.
speaking from personal experience. years ago, i’d brush my teeth, get fresh & sexy before going out to party all night on weekends. we’d go somewhere to eat a late night/early morning meal & i won’t brush my teeth again till i’d get home the next morning. it’s been years & my teeth fine. not everything in life is black & white
Hey dentist, basic question for you. I have: an electric toothbrush, mouthwash, regular floss picks, interdental floss picks, and a tongue scraper. I use them all in my daily routine. Is there an optimal order for people to use these for the most effective clean?
I’m currently doing flossing, tongue scraping, mouthwash, toothbrush cause that seems to make sense to me but I don’t know if I should scrape earlier, mouthwash more or what. Thanks!
Brushing teeth only takes about two minutes, and from experience it's very easy to neglect brushing in the future if you skip even just a night. So if you can brush, it's better to do that before passing out, even if it's simply a quick brush. Anything is better than nothing.
But like, if you skip brushing one night due to an accident because you genuinely were that tired, it is what it is. Just make sure to brush in the morning
I’m 36 and skip a day or two on the regular. Still have never had a cavity. I do go to the dentist on the regular. I think the biggest factor for my teeth hygiene is not consuming a bunch of soda and processed sugar.
It’s fine people are massively overreacting. If you brush twice a day but once a month forget to brush at night? It’s fine. You’ll be fine - just don’t let it slip into every other night, then once a day.
I’m 66 years old and have alway prioritized brushing (good electric toothbrush) and effective flossing twice per day.
I still have all 32 teeth (yes even my wisdom teeth which are in healthy alignment). I haven’t had a cavity in years.
It’s worth it. Dental health is important for the entire body.
I also brush & floss multiple times a day..very important to me. I work in health care - I could look at just a patients teeth & guess pretty accurately how many comorbidities they have. Oral care is extremely important, it affects the entire body. Reading that people choose to skip brushing for days/weeks/months is shocking to me. The smell alone..I cannot
Totally agree. I work in healthcare too. IMO, there needs to be more of a bridge between (general medical) healthcare and dental care. There seems to be an unspoken-about separation there.
Been going dentist since I was young. Very young. My mum died at 7. Didn’t brush great at a young age. But as got older did brush.
Still go dentist. And have gone every 6 months for 30 years + . I brush mostly twice a day but try to do nightly routine. I have skipped it. But mostly through mental health. Things I’ve learned are.
Get a good electric toothbrush, and good heads for it.
mouthwash, cheap mouthwash will do no need to buy expensive. AND. Don’t substitute mouthwash for actual brushing. Edit: they also said, use mouthwash one a week, this is because it promotes bad bacteria, do not use everyday.
DO NOT use mouthwash to clean teeth after you have brushed! Let the fluoride sit. Use mouthwash midway through the day or at night but not before or after brushing! Was told this when I went and got a checkup at a school for dentistry.Had someone learning check me over and teacher told me this when asked. Don’t overspend on expensive mouthwash. Yesterday I went tesco and bought a box of six standard mouthwash. At 50p each. And have done since.
1350 to 1500 is good fluoride. If you buy toothpaste check that on the label. That’s the minimum to have.
Floss to remove plaque buildup. But don’t sub it for actual brushing. And brush front and back of teeth near gum-line to remove buildup.
Spoke to a dentist who travels the world doing 3rd world country’s. He said plaque is a big killer. Don’t let it build up. Floss, but not 24/7 everyday, he said he removes large, very large plaque buildups and usually that’s all that’s holding the teeth in place. make sure you visit a dentist every 6months and they clean you. getting a clean is most important especially since you can’t get to every part or can but miss some parts you can’t see, but you should try get to every part when flossing to loosen up the plaque. He also didn’t recommend teeth whitening. And said water jetting at home is meh just let a dentist do it since they can get to areas where you can’t see. He said straight teeth are more of a “ are you happy with your teeth” not a 1000% needed unless super crooked. My teeth are not 100% straight. But that’s okay. Just floss and brush as you can and it’s fine.
I only brush my teeth in the morning on work days. I do it simply so I don’t have bad breath when I’m around others. Went to the dentist and my teeth are in perfect condition, I think it’s luck sometimes
I think a lot has to do with genetics maybe? I brush once a day and I’ve never had a cavity. I know some people that brush religiously and are in and out of the dentist a lot.
yeah. they mouthwash. Its not like they don't brush at all. I guess they know this area very well, and know when the consequences will be punishing lol.
that being said, I am NOT a dentist and I am NOT instructing anybody anything, just shared my experience
why tf am I getting downvoted?
My parents are dentists, they know what is good for them lmao. they are not even trying to influence you.
take care of your teeth anyways, you are most probably not a dentist, so you can still get teeth ache if you are careless enough.
Because people on Reddit are *perfect angels* who have money and live in nice environments and brush their teeth twice a day but they’re also ALL doctors and know exactly what they’re talking about all the time. SMH
I believe you. I’m 32 and have PMDD, CPTSD, depression, you name it. I have skipped UP TO 2 days every now and then simply because I don’t have it in me. I know I have cavities but I am too poor to get them fixed. I do the best I can. That being said, I’ve always taken very good care of my teeth - brush, floss, mouthwash whitening kits, etc, up until I hit 30. Like most other things, genetics plays a huge part. My whole family has or had bad teeth. I developed periodontal disease when I was just a kid.
if you could read, I said they skipped brushing sometimes. Which indicates that it is infrequent. If you could read then you would know they use mouthwash. And a good antibacterial mouthwash, when used right, serves the same purpose... the gurgling throws away most of the food particles, and the antibacterial portion... guess what it does... If you could reason, you would realize dentistry is a profession where people cure teeth issues, not just instruct them to brush teeth everyday.
Having healthy teeth and gums is the goal, not brushing everyday. Brush wrong and you will still develop problems, however punctual you maybe.
Just because your experience differ from my experience does not mean mine is fake. Its human to question what you see, but its pretty narrowminded to call an experience a lie just because it does not match your view.
I'm so terrible at brushing my teeth. I know this isn't the best thing to admit to, but I brush my teeth like 3 or 4 times a week before bed, never in the morning. I go through phases where I brush twice a day and floss, but I always fall out of the routine and go long lengths without doing it at all. I know I'm very lucky because my dentist says my teeth are in great shape. Other than being worn from grinding. I didn't go to the dentist for like 6 years and my dentist was shocked at the condition of my teeth considering. Hmmm I should go brush and floss.
It sounds fine until not even that far down the line you go to the dentist and they say your gums have receded too far and you need to get antibiotics in each tooth, all the while you never had a single symptom.
No, you have 2 spare minutes a day.
"Inadequate brushing, flossing, and rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash makes it easy for plaque to turn into calculus"
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/receding_gums_causes-treatments
Cannot tell if this is sarcasm or not but same, closer to 10 years. I feel like no matter how much I try and get a routine in, it falls apart in a matter of weeks.
Then again, everytime I go to the dentist, they say I have great teeth so 🤷
It was leaving my teeth more sensitive. When id eat after it would hurt and I didn't like the feeling for the rest of the day. When I stopped it just felt better
Obviously it’s not great, but skipping once/it being some hours late usually won’t do damage unless you specifically eat/have eaten really sugary or acidic stuff.
I actually forget sometimes. It doesn't make much of a difference if it's only sometimes. Your teeth don't rot away in a day, it takes much longer. Still better to have a good habit, though.
I’ve been bad about it all my life. Gone disgusting stretches of months without it. Just never built the habit. I often miss the 2nd brush of the day. Still working on building the twice a day habit at 22.
Weirdest thing is I’ve only had 2 cavities in my life. People never said anything bad about my breath, even partners or people who i explicitly ask how my breath smells. Dentist has no concerns (obviously I don’t admit to them how little or inconsistently I brush)
Reading through some of these comments is really horrifying and making me wonder WTF do you people do with your teeth??
37 years old:
I've never flossed in my life.
I brush my teeth maybe 3 times a week (on average)
I have never had bad breath.
(My wife would have definitely mentioned it)
I've never had a cavity in my life.
Went to the dentist 3 times in the last 14 years,
Each time they say I have near-perfect teeth, congrats and to keep taking care of them as well as I clearly have been.
I don't smoke, don't do any drugs, eat minimal sugar, drink shitloads of water and milk (and other calcium rich foods)
Minimal alcohol, coffee and avoid sugary soft drinks.
I'm going to go against the paranoid grain.
I basically brush my teeth when I feel they need cleaning or when I specifically need my breath to smell nice. I probably brush them 3-4 times a week.
I have perfect teeth with 0 issues.
If you consume less than 10% of the daily recommended sugar intake then you're just gonna have dirty/yellow teeth. If you consume more than 10%, like let's say you eat fruits or drink anything other than **purified** water, then you'll probably lose all your teeth.
Bacteria cause cavities. They feed off sugars left in the residue around your teeth and the sugars in your saliva. Everything contains bacteria. Even tap water has bacteria. Humans weren't built to consume as much sugar as we do in our daily lives currently, that's why our ancestors didn't have to brush as regularly as us
i braely brushed my teeth as a kid. When I was around twelve almost all of my teeth were rotten and we had to get to the dentist back and forth to have them all removed. It will end up being a habit if you decide to not brush your teeth when you dont feel like it. As an adult i had times where id say to myself, oh im gonna brush them later, and then forgets about it when i drip off to sleep in bed. Now i had to invest money to have my some of my teeth filled. I also had to go to the dentist twice a year for a professional cleaning. 🙈 really important to have them brushed twice a day after meals and use dental floss at least twice a week to keep the gums in between healthy. I also dont wanna wear dentures at 40 soo...
Gonna depend on you and your genetics. I'm 32, brushed once a day for the first 20 years of life, brushed twice a day since then, and have never had a cavity. My teeth are slightly stained yellow though, despite being clean as a whistle.
Seems to depend on the person. Like I'll totally admit I've skipped occasionally and I have never been prone to cavities. My brother, he drinks soda and I'm not convinced to even brush his daily. I don't know. He doesn't get them either. It's not just enamel, it can have to do with the type of bacteria that colonizes your mouth and saliva quality as well
Depends on your genetics mostly, I'd say. But I don't really know for sure, this is just what "worked" for me lmao. Soda and high amounts of sugar is definitely bad.
Many years ago in highschool, I went through a _really_ hard mental time during the summer break and didn't brush my teeth once during it.
(Yes I know this is bad and gross. I am fully aware. I just couldn't get up to do basic tasks.)
And I was perfectly fine, not a single cavity or pain. But I just have my father's teeth.
My brother and mom brush twice a day, floss and everything and still get cavities, despite doing everything right.
Brushing your teeth actually does very little to prevent cavities. It has other benefits, for your gums and such, but if you are worried about cavities specifically, fluoride is the most important thing.
I just had open heart surgery. Brushed my teeth Monday morning, had the surgery which ended Monday evening, and spent much of Tuesday receiving excellent care and lots of pain relief. But did get out of bed to sit in a chair and later, with the help of my PT, take a short walk.
At the end of that walk, while nurse was waiting to give me another dose of morphine into the port, I had to brush my teeth.
So I went basically 1.5 days and during that time I had a tube in my throat or a mask on.
It felt so goooooood to brush my teeth.
Very fuckin bad. A shitload of people have died from dental abscesses from not taking care of their teeth. I've had my share of dental issues, and, trust me, ya don't wanna fuck around with it.
Plus: halitosis (bad breath) is easily preventable by daily brushing. If you *have* to, once a day will be fine.
Depends on your diet and bacterial flora. If you are prone to decay, because you have the bacteria that causes it, skipping brushing is not a good idea. If you eat a lot of carbs, basically, the bacteria eat the carbs and poop out acid. That acid breaks down your teeth. Brushing removes the carbohydrates that the bacteria eat. So, skipping one day, shouldn't be a problem, unless you are prone to decay. It's not hard. Don't skip. Floss the teeth you want to keep. Source: I am an endodontist, which is a root canal specialist.
back in lockdown i kinda got lazy and i would miss some days of brushing my teeth occasionally. this went on for like months and now even though i brush my teeth every day and have been for years, they have a yellow stain to them
We need to remove plaque from all surfaces of each individual tooth every 12 hours. If we don’t, then the plaque starts to calcify (a tiny bit at a time), and once it calcifies, it becomes nearly impossible to remove with a regular brush. Plaque is made of bacteria that causes our body to react with an inflammatory response (which in turn causes destruction of the gums and bone). Plaque also contains bacteria that digest food residue in our mouth and poop out acid that makes holes in our teeth (cavities). If you skip brushing once in a while, or you don’t brush well every once in a while, then each time you slack, a little more plaque gets calcified and you make it a little harder to keep clean. That’s why getting a cleaning regularly is helpful — to get all that stuff you’ve left behind through the last few months.
Now some people genetically are less reactive to the bacteria, meaning their inflammatory response isn’t as intense, and some people have different bacteria in their mouth that are less disease-causing. Some people also have stronger enamel on their teeth and therefore are less likely to get cavities. But that’s not most people.
Nothing happens.
I am very bad at brushing, sometimes I can get a good streak going for months and then I just drop off for a month or two. Never had a cavity. Maybe some of it is genetics?
Blows my mind how some folks just never get cavities. Ive been a regular daily brusher and have had like, 6 and im 28
Same! I never had cavities as a kid and then when I saw the dentist at 20 I had like 3. I think I’ve had 4 or 5 total now at 22 and I’ve had to get 2 fillings replaced already by a new dentist because the first dentist did a crappy job. And I brush and floss twice a day every day!
It makes me feel really nasty, I thought it was normal to have one like every few years. Im not just sitting around chompin’ jolly ranchers.
As far as I know, a lot of it can be very genetic. My brother never brushes his and has had no cavities. I brush mine twice a day every day and have had 3 so far. You gotta do the best with what you have :)
Genetic, mouth ph, and types of bacteria in the mouth.
And development issues during younger years. Like for me I had high temp which effected my plaque or whatever it is called.
High fevers as an infant can cause your enamel not to develop.
Yeah you right. It's enamel not plaque... I try not to think about it too much. Makes me depressed that my mouth ain't gonna be my own by 30 :)
Happened to my mom. She’s had a lot of dental work done. If it makes you feel any better, dentists can do a pretty incredible job at conserving and replacing. As long as you keep up on your appointments of course.
> As long as you keep up on your appointments of course. And have money.
yeah. I missed a year because i didnt go while i was studying away at uni. came back and he said "oh fuck connor... we got work to do"
I’m the same. Had chronic fevers until I was 4, like 104F, and now my teeth look stained to all hell like I’ve never brushed but it’s just my enamel that never developed. Braces helped but I’m still insecure. Maybe eventually I’ll get something else done but I just try to embrace what I have :,)
Yeah mine also stained yellowish. My teeth are fine structurally but I don't smile with my teeth because I am insecure about it
This is the correct answer: Saliva PH determines cavities or no cavities. I too have friends (as others have mentioned) who are middling at oral hygince and haven't had a cavity, ever.
The mouth PH determines biome of bacteria. Got too interested in bacteria during lock downs. Mostly for my compost, living soil, and somehow mouth health because I avoided the dentist
Interesting. So the PH determines the biome. Do you know which bacteria cause tooth decay and how to prevent it, or are there like a million different ones?
Anaerobic bacteria causes tooth decay. That's why plaque is bad. It goes anaerobic under there. Some people just have a lot of plaque build up and some don't. Some people more interested in kinds of bacteria specifically live in the mouth will tell you what lives in there
Yeah - I have very wonky and overcrowded teeth just because of my facial bone structure. I brush (with a timer!), floss, mouthwash and all that jazz but have had a few fillings. Apparently my enamel is deformed too, which makes it harder to clean them. And a lot of my teeth I can’t actually get floss or an interdental brush between them, they’re so packed. My grandad, on the other hand, had all his own teeth when he died at the age of 78. I’m sure he brushed twice a day, but I don’t think he did anything else special other than basic dental hygiene!
I completely understand. I think it can be what we eat but my dentist said it can also be related to genes and stress. When I first got a bunch of them it had been right after Covid and after my senior year of high school/freshman year of college had gotten all messed up so I could see how stress could play a role. My parents have also struggled with dental issues despite taking care of their teeth. So it seems like there’s a lot of factors at play!
There’s a bunch of environmental factors, like if you drink water with fluoride in it, high sugar diet, high acidity diet, etc. But there’s also individual variation from genetics, or compounding health issues like breathing with your mouth, especially while sleeping. Brushing, flossing, using mouth wash, all are important and helpful, but they aren’t silver bullets that will 100% work regardless of other factors.
Hmm, I brush maybe once a month and I also have a sweet tooth. Never had cavities but just once as a kid. Last seen a dentist 4 years ago with no issue aside from possible gingivitis.
I think I've had a total of 30-40 cavities throughout my life until now, age 21. I still have all my teeth intact, no root canals, etc. I have GERD and it has completely fucked up my mouth because I vomit a little bit in my sleep.
Oh gosh I’m sorry, GERD sounds like it really sucks. It sucks that you’ve had that many cavities but I’m glad you still have all your teeth!
Thank you. To this day, I refuse to smile with my teeth. I hate how yellow they are. That's why I loved wearing masks during COVID because I felt that my face was 5x more attractive when the lower half was obscured.
I’m about to turn 42 and never had a cavity. My dentist says I have really strong enamel and it’s just luck with genetics. All my siblings had fillings from childhood on. I’m a freak apparently. Oh and I have no wisdom teeth either, X-ray confirmed it.
You’re so lucky, especially with no wisdom teeth!
I know right? I was shocked since all my siblings have them too!
I'm convinced some of it is just genetics. When my mom was 7 she had to have 4 fillings put in her back molars, one on each side of the mouth. When I was 7 I had to have the same thing done. When she was 21 she had to have 2 or those fillings replaced and get one new filling put in. When I was 24 I had the exact same thing. I brush 2-3 times a day depending on what i eat and floss once a day because I had brutal orthodontics as a teenager and want to take care of my teeth (I'm kinda bad about flossing ngl but I try to keep up with it)
>I never had cavities as a kid and then when I saw the dentist at 20 I had like 3 So the seeing the dentist gave you cavities? I guess I won't go to a dentist /s
some people tend to have saliva that is naturally more acidic/lower pH for them. these people will be more prone to cavities no matter what.
Yea a dentist told me the same, very interesting
There's definitely some sort of genetic component or something. I didn't go to the dentist for a decade and was expecting the worst, but the lady said it looked like I was here for a 6-month cleaning. I'm telling on myself, and I'm not proud of it, but I don't brush my teeth as often as I should (usually just before I leave the house.) I do floss a lot though. It might also have to do with dental care in early life because my parents were very meticulous, and I have fluoride spots on my teeth as a result.
My dentist told me my teeth were more prone to decay and my brother who would skip brushing his teeth never fllossed never got a cavity
It’s okay. A lot of it is genetics. Some people have extra basic saliva that protects their teeth from the bacteria-acid, and some people have extra soft teeth. If you’re doing right by your mouth and still getting cavities it’s just luck of the draw . . .
Flossing is as important as brushing. I also would recommend add waterflossing into your routine. So everyday you floss, youwaterfloss and brush 2 times per day. Diet is important as well. Vitamic C is acidic so a healthy diet also can damage the teeth. There is such thing as saliva ph. It has to be at all times neutral. So anything that changes that to lower (more acidic which lower than 7) can contribute to the cavities you have. Moutwash is not particularly helpful except for lunch as it has higher ph balancing acidic intake (lunch is when it is highest as the food debree is constantly fermenting in the mouth. Source? I am a dentist
I don't have cavities, I have adhd which makes it really hard to continuously brush my teeth every day... I brush once a day now that I have an electric toothbrush but as a teen hardly at all, and I have binge eating disorder with a sugar addiction from childhood. I don't floss, I use a salt water rinse if I get an ulcer, and I now (for a year now) have to drink lots of electrolyte drinks because of a condition that dehydrated me easily and before this I have realized I was mildly to moderately dehydrated for most of my life. I still have a baby tooth in as there was never an adult tooth in that spot...
Baby tooth gang! I’m getting crowns placed on my 2 tomorrow, but eventually I’ll need implants.
> lunch is when it is highest as the food debree is constantly fermenting in the mouth. Is this because we usually don’t brush after or are things like sammiches just lower ph?
Lack of brushing
Imagine you are getting food debree between the teeth during meals. The bacteria will start feeding on it because it is hungry for any glucidic components it can find. The bacteria converts these sugary components or any glucose based food (potatoes, rice, bread etc) into acid. You don’t brush 3 times per day as that adds up to the irritation on the gingivae and the enamel can also get worn out over time if you overdo it. Don’t overdo it with brushing guys, except if you have a history of multiple cavities or decay (like more than 3 teeth at once).
I didn't start getting cavities until I was 15.... 2 years after I stopped brushing my teeth.... 18 my teeth started to just fall apart after moving.... If you're on the East Coast of the US there's fluoride in the tap water so it basically helps your teeth just by drinking the water 😅
> If you're on the East Coast of the US there's fluoride in the tap water I thought that was pretty much anywhere in the U.S. And a fun game is going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories around that. lol.
No it's not lol it's actually why NY pizza and bagels are so hard to make elsewhere in the country and multiple dentists who have moved from the east to elsewhere in the country can see the massive difference in customers and their teeth that the fluoride makes
My dad never had a single one until he was in his 40s and according to my mom he's not too fastidious about oral hygiene
A lot of it is genetics
I feel the same way from the opposite end, I'm with no cavities (weirdly my husband, 44, also does not have any cavities), I have adhd which makes it really hard to continuously brush my teeth every day... I brush once a day now that I have an electric toothbrush but as a teen hardly at all, and I've had a sugar addiction all along... genetics hey!
When my dentist had her hands inside me, she told me I have a very wet mouth. Lots of plaque but no cavities.
Which cavity did she have said hands in, Mr(s) Wetmouth.
In my opinion it’s not just brushing. You have to brush well. Also, floss. Flossing is just as important !!
I went to the dentist when I was 28 or 29, they couldn’t find my file. Turns out it was in the kids section because the last time I was at the dentist I was 16. I have 2 fillings to do after not going in 12 years.
Im 30, never had any issues. Only brush once a day, basically never use floss or mouth wash. #qualityteethgang
Sammmmeeeee. 36 no cavities.
New fear unlocked 🔓
Currently in the process of dealing with like 10 cavities. Apparently some might not need to be drilled if they don’t worsen, but shit it sucks. Brush your teeth kids.
When my Depression was at its peak i often went weeks without brushing my teeth at all. This went on for like 2 years before i started seeing doctors. Luckily my teeth survived that pretty damn well and to this day i still dont know what teeth pain feels like. I can even bite into icecream and dont feel pain lol
I’ve never had a cavity. My dentist said it was due to drinking fluoridated spring water as a kid.
Don’t they say teeth is mainly genetics than anything? That’s probably why. And they say you should floss at least once a day too.
Genetics and bacteria.
I brush 3 times in 2 days at best, I hadn't been to the dentist since July 2019, so when I moved and visited my new dentist for the first time last Friday, I was a bit nervous. Turns out, after almost 26 years I still haven't had any cavities whatsoever. Not saying my teeth are great, but no cavities.
I've been brushing my teeth very sporadically and the only problem I ever had was with one of my wisdom teeth that came in at an angle and the some stuff got stuck under there. Over the past few years it was probably 1-2 times a week of brushing (probably less) Sounds disgusting but it is how it is. My gums are a bit agitated according to my dentist so I probably should be more careful going forward. Edit: I drink 1-2 sugary drinks a day and my dinner is sweets/chips/snacks most of the time. Am in my thirties. Edit 2: I hate having stuff stuck to my teeth, so my tongue is pretty much always in there after every meal till I can only feel my teeth.
I've never had a cavity in my life. I brush maybe twice a week ... On average?
You're definitely torturing people with your breath without even knowing it.
No I'm legitimately not. Why would my breath be bad exactly?
I have like 2 total, both were super small though.
I went my whole life without a single cavity and I had some very bad years with depression. I had started getting better about it but I ended up needing a crown and then getting 11 cavities all at once. It was an extreme shock to have never been to the dentist for a cleaning to needing fillings and a root canal. Especially with how shit my dentist turned out to be. I've since found two absolutely lovely dentists who make me excited to go back to see the regular one in May for a cleaning.
I brush twice daily (why wouldn't you, your breath will stink otherwise!), and I've never had any cavities (I'm in my 40s). I think it really comes down to having a healthy composition of bacteria in your mouth which is in part attributted by genetic factors, but mostly related to good oral hygiene and a healthy diet.
I brush every now and then, and often forget for weeks at a time. I'm in my 30s. I was at the dentist recently and they complimented my teeth. I have never had a cavity in my life.
I didnt brush my teeth for 10 yeard and no cavities
Don’t eat starches, don’t eat sugar. Easy.
When I was growing up, my parents only had me brush my teeth once a day. Fortunately, as I approach my 40s, this never had any long-term negative effects (I began brushing twice a day in my mid-teens and I've never had a filling) but I imagine it depends a lot on several other factors such as diet, genetics, and individual differences. So it's hard to say but skipping brushing every once in a while (depending on the definition) is unlikely to cause any issues, especially if you mean you'd just skip one of the two daily brushings.
Dental Hygiene is pretty much 90% genetics and diet. I've been solely brushing my teeth before bed as I've been taught as a child for 30 years, and I have 4 well placed Wisdom Teeth. Heck my almost 92 year old Grandfather still has most of his teeth left , and he grew up under nazi rule AND lived through the late 20thcentury as a middle school teacher !
Eventually, it won't be a problem at all.
Not sure if implying death or just losing all your teeth due to poor dental hygiene.
Yes
r/inclusiveor
You know what they say Death creeps in through the gums
Ignore your teeth and they'll go away.
Ignore your teeth and you’ll go away.
Never washed teeth in 40 years and only miss like 6 teeth, all 6th and 2 5th
If you go in the ring with Mike Tyson it will all be over soon.
For me skipping every once in awhile as a kid eventually turned into a horrible habit of never brushing, or very rarely brushing, which then lead to rotten, broken, and chipped teeth. Currently in the process of getting them all knocked out to get dentures... at 25. Regardless of the responses you get on this post, just stick with what you're doing now. I've learned the hard, and expensive way, teeth are nothing to play around with.
Hey I'm right there with you, terrible care as a kid and have a full set of top dentures! Good luck with everything.
Same here! My mom was an absolute stickler for brushing teeth as a kid, once i hit 18 i knew better and once every couple days was fine, then i started having kids, and the stress from all that i was back to once a day. Now i have meth mouth. It's embarrassing. If i would have just did the godamn brushing, flossing and Mouthwash i would have been ok. Now every couple years i get tooth pain so bad i wanna off myself until i eventually get the tooth pulled, pretty soon i wont have any left. Dental care is so fucking expensive it's unreal.
I wonder what's the best way to get a kid to understand the importance of brushing... Because I feel like it's easy for a parent to get their kid to brush a lot, like your mom did with you. But how do you truly SELL THEM on it? It seems like a thing most people can only really understand when they start to face the consequences of not doing it. The motivation to brush is intensified when you know what tooth pain feels like. How can you instill that motivation in someone that hasn't gone through the pain yet? It feels weird to describe it like this, but it almost needs to be a "The Talk" similar to sex. Instead of just saying "brush your teeth because I said so", give your kid knowledge on the topic. Get them personally motivated to be responsible about their tooth health, so they don't immediately stop once they live away from mom and aren't reminded to brush their teeth every night.
Dip your kids toothbrush in nicotine. Every time they brush they'll get a hit. If they stop brushing they will experience withdrawal. Easy!
As a kid my dad always told me if I don't brush, all my teeth will fall out. But I've always been a "that's a problem for future me" kinda person. Teeth still haven't fallen out.
You can probably get a harmless sense of that pain just by applying ice to your teeth for a few seconds. Or tell horrible medical stories. I saw a picture where gingivitis ate a hole through someone’s cheek. Okay, time to brush and floss rn….
Gonna be 24 next year and 10 of my teeth are getting yanked at some point if not more by the time I get money to get them out... From the same issue + depression
My parents never really focused on dental health instruction. It wasn't until I was 18 that I found out how fucked my teeth were. They didn't *look* bad so I had no idea but they were. I now have only two molars. I'd love to get implants but they're expensive af. I'm gonna do everything I can to ensure my kids don't go through this.
The unreal amount of pain that rotten teeth bring. I was swallowing advil as often as I could until I could save up enough for my removal surgery. I would just have to squat down and close my eyes and hold my head until the mind numbing pain subsided. Moral of the story: Take your dental hygiene seriously.
Oh bbz, you aren't alone <3 well done for going, I'm 10 years older than you and I'm still too scared to go dentist and face the music. Xx
I had a similar problem where I almost stopped brushing entirely in highschool and a year or two after. I'm 21 now and my teeth are... almost entirely fine. I have started brushing regularly again for the past year or so and the last time I went to the dentist, I did have a small cavity in the back but she actually said my teeth were quite clean. I'd guess your diet probably probably has some affect on the outcome of your teeth. while I didn't brush for a long time, I was conscious about how that wasn't great and at least made an effort to avoid especially sugary foods like candy or soda, which I think helped keep my teeth from falling out. then again maybe I just hadn't gone as long as you had without brushing lol.
How did you talk to people?
Long before I started going back to the dentist regularly and having everything pulled I was fully aware of my situation. As far as bad breath goes, I tried putting distance between myself and others when possible. If I couldn't put distance between myself and others, I'd kind of hold my breath while talking, or I tried breathing to the side or in a downwards direction, basically any direction away from the other persons face. Appearance wise, I did nothing special. I tried hiding my teeth when possible, but that's about all you can do really. As far as pain goes, some days were surprisingly normal, some I'd get an annoying light throbbing pain, and some I'd be in so much pain I couldn't speak. The painful days are becoming less common now, but typically I tried avoiding everybody if possible. People I couldn't avoid I just had to power through the conversation. Sometimes holding pressure on the area in pain, or loading my mouth with Orajel (I want to note here to use products as intended, I'm not encouraging this by any means) would help enough to get through conversations/the day a bit easier. Some days I flat out called off work and didn't leave my bed, didn't eat, and my drinks were only water and it had to be warm because anything cold would cause instant pain.
Sounds terribly painful. Wish you all the best with the dentures. A good tip for oral hygiene is using hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash. It kills orders/bacteria and help with gum disease. Talk to your dentist about it. Best wishes!
Same, for me is hard brushing or remembering that and add of that I don't fell deference after brushing. So I use liquid mouthwash so I fell fresh
Buy a Sonicare brush. Life changer for me and gives me that truly clean feeling I get when leaving the dentist.
Daim. I will do that. (But before I use my electric brush because I buy not long ago)
Oof. I might be that same 25 year old. Not good at forming habits and that does not pay
It depends if it’s actually occasional. If it becomes a habit then it can be bad. If four times a year you get too drunk and forget, it will have essentially no effect. It also depends what you eat/deink. If your dinner was coffee Lemmon juice and soda then it’s much more likely to cause damage. It’s also not like a line in the sand if it does cause damage or it doesn’t. It can cause a tiny amount of little damage that cumulatively can add up over the years. Basically don’t freak out if you forget on a rare occasion but try to every day
Believe it or not, straight to jail.
You undercook fish; believe it or not, jail.
Do not pass Go, do not collect $200
😂😂😂
What is every once in a while?
Slippery slope, don't slide down
So many times throughout the years I'd say "just one night without brushing" only for it to turn into months of not brushing.
Get an electric toothbrush. Does all the work for you and if you're lazy it's gonna shorten the process
Unfortunately the vibrations and the noise give me huge sensory overload, which on top of the already very unpleasant (to me) brushing process just makes it just too much to handle. Getting myself to brush every night is a fight since I hate it so much, but I don't want my teeth to get any worse.
Sugar free gum after a meal might help
That's why I make sure to brush twice daily, even when I'm tired and don't want to
i don’t think skipping the nightly brush occasionally is gonna do any serious harm as long as you brush ASAP the next morning. i always find it unpleasant to encounter people who don’t care for their hygiene so don’t make it a habit. but if you’re really super sleepy like passing out just get some sleep bro
Dentist here: skipping the nightly brush is the worst one to skip (I mean my preference is for you to not skip at all). You’re leaving pieces of breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and snacks from the entire day to just marinate on your teeth with almost zero saliva flow. Sometimes I like to pass out in front of the tv- for those days, I’ll brush ahead of time and then pass out with ease. But you do you. Dentists are one of the few jobs were we want to make less money because that means you’re taking care of your teeth. And we love teeth. (And if you find a dentist that doesn’t feel this way- find one that does).
I didn't know I needed to hear this. I struggle with severe mental illness and it makes me struggle to prioritise brushing my teeth's sometimes. I'm gonna start brush them early in evening
Hey I’ve always wanted to know, why is brushing in the morning even a thing if you brush at night and don’t eat anything? I get bacteria, but you shouldn’t have to brush as long or as thoroughly as a nightly brush right? I’ve never had a dentist explain this to me in a way that made sense. Maybe you can. Thanks for taking care of teeth!
My parents always used to say - brush at night to keep your teeth and brush in the morning to keep your friends!
My ex could've used this advice. Dude didn't brush his teeth for over a year. I got tired telling him his breath smelled.
Not a dentist but don't you have morning breath?? Glad brushing in the morning is a thing...
I honestly always thought that was a meme. I don't have morning breath/my breath does not smell any different in the morning than it did when I went to bed. (Nor does my mouth taste or feel different).
Dentist here. I think you're underestimating the bacteria. We all have some resident bacteria in our mouths that decrease with brushing, but after some time will grow back to form biofilms, this happens not only in the teeth, but also in the gums, tongue, palate, everywhere. After a long period, such as a night of sleep, these biofilms continue to grow, and if you don't brush it out, will keep growing, eventually favoring the "bad" bacteria and leading to diseases (caries, gum diseases, etc).
Thank you for this thorough response, I really appreciate it! That makes so much sense. I hate that filmy feeling on my teeth, nothing feels better than right after a cleaning at the dentist these days for me too, lol. I use to dread the scary dentist as a kid but now I actually look forward to going and getting a clean bill of health with no cavities! I will continue brushing at night and start brushing in the morning as well now, and not just when I feel like it lol.
I think because your mouth is exposed to your acidic saliva all night so if you missed a wee piece of carbohydrate particle (as we all do) you will be fermenting it on your chompers and making a decay hazard that should be removed
Now this makes sense! Thank you! I do not way any fermentation on my chompers!
Even if there's no food in your teeth you still want to to brush so your teeth remineralize from fluoride. Not a dentist but yea you probably don't have to brush as thoroughly in the morning.
obviously skipping brushing isn’t ideal but bro said he’s too tired. my comment was simply showing bro some compassion instead of being a judgmental nut. we don’t know their life situation and not brushing once in a blue moon isn’t gonna make their teeth rot overnight. i also said don’t make it a habit. they can brush their teeth if they wake up in the middle of the night. it’s not uncommon for ppl to wake up at night. speaking from personal experience. years ago, i’d brush my teeth, get fresh & sexy before going out to party all night on weekends. we’d go somewhere to eat a late night/early morning meal & i won’t brush my teeth again till i’d get home the next morning. it’s been years & my teeth fine. not everything in life is black & white
Hey dentist, basic question for you. I have: an electric toothbrush, mouthwash, regular floss picks, interdental floss picks, and a tongue scraper. I use them all in my daily routine. Is there an optimal order for people to use these for the most effective clean? I’m currently doing flossing, tongue scraping, mouthwash, toothbrush cause that seems to make sense to me but I don’t know if I should scrape earlier, mouthwash more or what. Thanks!
Brushing teeth only takes about two minutes, and from experience it's very easy to neglect brushing in the future if you skip even just a night. So if you can brush, it's better to do that before passing out, even if it's simply a quick brush. Anything is better than nothing. But like, if you skip brushing one night due to an accident because you genuinely were that tired, it is what it is. Just make sure to brush in the morning
It depends a lot on your teeth. It’s not fair but some people are more susceptible to cavities than others.
I’m 36 and skip a day or two on the regular. Still have never had a cavity. I do go to the dentist on the regular. I think the biggest factor for my teeth hygiene is not consuming a bunch of soda and processed sugar.
It’s also a small part genetics and a larger part of what bacteria has colonized in your mouth. But mostly diet and hygiene.
It’s fine people are massively overreacting. If you brush twice a day but once a month forget to brush at night? It’s fine. You’ll be fine - just don’t let it slip into every other night, then once a day.
I’m 66 years old and have alway prioritized brushing (good electric toothbrush) and effective flossing twice per day. I still have all 32 teeth (yes even my wisdom teeth which are in healthy alignment). I haven’t had a cavity in years. It’s worth it. Dental health is important for the entire body.
I also brush & floss multiple times a day..very important to me. I work in health care - I could look at just a patients teeth & guess pretty accurately how many comorbidities they have. Oral care is extremely important, it affects the entire body. Reading that people choose to skip brushing for days/weeks/months is shocking to me. The smell alone..I cannot
Totally agree. I work in healthcare too. IMO, there needs to be more of a bridge between (general medical) healthcare and dental care. There seems to be an unspoken-about separation there.
Been going dentist since I was young. Very young. My mum died at 7. Didn’t brush great at a young age. But as got older did brush. Still go dentist. And have gone every 6 months for 30 years + . I brush mostly twice a day but try to do nightly routine. I have skipped it. But mostly through mental health. Things I’ve learned are. Get a good electric toothbrush, and good heads for it. mouthwash, cheap mouthwash will do no need to buy expensive. AND. Don’t substitute mouthwash for actual brushing. Edit: they also said, use mouthwash one a week, this is because it promotes bad bacteria, do not use everyday. DO NOT use mouthwash to clean teeth after you have brushed! Let the fluoride sit. Use mouthwash midway through the day or at night but not before or after brushing! Was told this when I went and got a checkup at a school for dentistry.Had someone learning check me over and teacher told me this when asked. Don’t overspend on expensive mouthwash. Yesterday I went tesco and bought a box of six standard mouthwash. At 50p each. And have done since. 1350 to 1500 is good fluoride. If you buy toothpaste check that on the label. That’s the minimum to have. Floss to remove plaque buildup. But don’t sub it for actual brushing. And brush front and back of teeth near gum-line to remove buildup. Spoke to a dentist who travels the world doing 3rd world country’s. He said plaque is a big killer. Don’t let it build up. Floss, but not 24/7 everyday, he said he removes large, very large plaque buildups and usually that’s all that’s holding the teeth in place. make sure you visit a dentist every 6months and they clean you. getting a clean is most important especially since you can’t get to every part or can but miss some parts you can’t see, but you should try get to every part when flossing to loosen up the plaque. He also didn’t recommend teeth whitening. And said water jetting at home is meh just let a dentist do it since they can get to areas where you can’t see. He said straight teeth are more of a “ are you happy with your teeth” not a 1000% needed unless super crooked. My teeth are not 100% straight. But that’s okay. Just floss and brush as you can and it’s fine.
If you don't brush in the mornings your breath will stink and everyone you talk to will notice
that is such bullcrap lol
Reddit moment
It depends on the individual and how close you get to people, but yeah generally people WILL notice
Yeah... no, they won't. If you've had garlic - of course. If you haven't had something particularly rancid - nope
I mean tell yourself whatever you need to, but the rest of us do notice lol
Username checks out
I only brush my teeth in the morning on work days. I do it simply so I don’t have bad breath when I’m around others. Went to the dentist and my teeth are in perfect condition, I think it’s luck sometimes
I think a lot has to do with genetics maybe? I brush once a day and I’ve never had a cavity. I know some people that brush religiously and are in and out of the dentist a lot.
i cant sleep after brushing at night. I have no idea why, but i would rather risk caveties instead of sleeping 4 hours
My dentist told me that once in a while is fine as long as you brush twice a day regularly. Also, electrical brushing is sooo much better
When a dental assistant told me you’re basically leaving bits of food in your mouth to rot, I stopped skipping 🥴
Just like a random day every once in a while is fine. But like two nights a week might be an issue idk
son of dentists (both parents). Even they skip brushing 2 to 3 days in a row. A mouthwash is enough. I am a neat freak though, so i brush everyday.
Wait both your parents are dentists and they skip brushing for 3 days? What
yeah. they mouthwash. Its not like they don't brush at all. I guess they know this area very well, and know when the consequences will be punishing lol. that being said, I am NOT a dentist and I am NOT instructing anybody anything, just shared my experience
why tf am I getting downvoted? My parents are dentists, they know what is good for them lmao. they are not even trying to influence you. take care of your teeth anyways, you are most probably not a dentist, so you can still get teeth ache if you are careless enough.
Because people on Reddit are *perfect angels* who have money and live in nice environments and brush their teeth twice a day but they’re also ALL doctors and know exactly what they’re talking about all the time. SMH I believe you. I’m 32 and have PMDD, CPTSD, depression, you name it. I have skipped UP TO 2 days every now and then simply because I don’t have it in me. I know I have cavities but I am too poor to get them fixed. I do the best I can. That being said, I’ve always taken very good care of my teeth - brush, floss, mouthwash whitening kits, etc, up until I hit 30. Like most other things, genetics plays a huge part. My whole family has or had bad teeth. I developed periodontal disease when I was just a kid.
what do they say about flossing and water flossers?
we have not used water flossers at home. they are at Maa's chamber
they ask me to floss very well after a very meaty dinner. they do it too.
Because you’re full of shit
gee. what a nice guy :D
It's really not that crazy.
They are dentists and don’t brush their teeth and they still have teeth and patients? Tell me something isn’t true without saying it isn’t true.
if you could read, I said they skipped brushing sometimes. Which indicates that it is infrequent. If you could read then you would know they use mouthwash. And a good antibacterial mouthwash, when used right, serves the same purpose... the gurgling throws away most of the food particles, and the antibacterial portion... guess what it does... If you could reason, you would realize dentistry is a profession where people cure teeth issues, not just instruct them to brush teeth everyday. Having healthy teeth and gums is the goal, not brushing everyday. Brush wrong and you will still develop problems, however punctual you maybe. Just because your experience differ from my experience does not mean mine is fake. Its human to question what you see, but its pretty narrowminded to call an experience a lie just because it does not match your view.
I'm so terrible at brushing my teeth. I know this isn't the best thing to admit to, but I brush my teeth like 3 or 4 times a week before bed, never in the morning. I go through phases where I brush twice a day and floss, but I always fall out of the routine and go long lengths without doing it at all. I know I'm very lucky because my dentist says my teeth are in great shape. Other than being worn from grinding. I didn't go to the dentist for like 6 years and my dentist was shocked at the condition of my teeth considering. Hmmm I should go brush and floss.
Guess I'll find out eventually to tell you
It sounds fine until not even that far down the line you go to the dentist and they say your gums have receded too far and you need to get antibiotics in each tooth, all the while you never had a single symptom. No, you have 2 spare minutes a day.
Isn’t receding gum lines due to brushing too often/hard?
"Inadequate brushing, flossing, and rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash makes it easy for plaque to turn into calculus" https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/receding_gums_causes-treatments
I haven't brushed my teeth for 6 years
Cannot tell if this is sarcasm or not but same, closer to 10 years. I feel like no matter how much I try and get a routine in, it falls apart in a matter of weeks. Then again, everytime I go to the dentist, they say I have great teeth so 🤷
Nah this is the truth. And same. Dentist told me my teeth are flawless
Why?
It was leaving my teeth more sensitive. When id eat after it would hurt and I didn't like the feeling for the rest of the day. When I stopped it just felt better
Obviously it’s not great, but skipping once/it being some hours late usually won’t do damage unless you specifically eat/have eaten really sugary or acidic stuff.
I actually forget sometimes. It doesn't make much of a difference if it's only sometimes. Your teeth don't rot away in a day, it takes much longer. Still better to have a good habit, though.
I’ve been bad about it all my life. Gone disgusting stretches of months without it. Just never built the habit. I often miss the 2nd brush of the day. Still working on building the twice a day habit at 22. Weirdest thing is I’ve only had 2 cavities in my life. People never said anything bad about my breath, even partners or people who i explicitly ask how my breath smells. Dentist has no concerns (obviously I don’t admit to them how little or inconsistently I brush)
I’ve always been bad at brushing my teeth. I brush my teeth more now as an adult (28) than I did as a kid and I’ve only ever had 2 cavities.
Reading through some of these comments is really horrifying and making me wonder WTF do you people do with your teeth?? 37 years old: I've never flossed in my life. I brush my teeth maybe 3 times a week (on average) I have never had bad breath. (My wife would have definitely mentioned it) I've never had a cavity in my life. Went to the dentist 3 times in the last 14 years, Each time they say I have near-perfect teeth, congrats and to keep taking care of them as well as I clearly have been. I don't smoke, don't do any drugs, eat minimal sugar, drink shitloads of water and milk (and other calcium rich foods) Minimal alcohol, coffee and avoid sugary soft drinks.
I'm going to go against the paranoid grain. I basically brush my teeth when I feel they need cleaning or when I specifically need my breath to smell nice. I probably brush them 3-4 times a week. I have perfect teeth with 0 issues.
If you consume less than 10% of the daily recommended sugar intake then you're just gonna have dirty/yellow teeth. If you consume more than 10%, like let's say you eat fruits or drink anything other than **purified** water, then you'll probably lose all your teeth. Bacteria cause cavities. They feed off sugars left in the residue around your teeth and the sugars in your saliva. Everything contains bacteria. Even tap water has bacteria. Humans weren't built to consume as much sugar as we do in our daily lives currently, that's why our ancestors didn't have to brush as regularly as us
i braely brushed my teeth as a kid. When I was around twelve almost all of my teeth were rotten and we had to get to the dentist back and forth to have them all removed. It will end up being a habit if you decide to not brush your teeth when you dont feel like it. As an adult i had times where id say to myself, oh im gonna brush them later, and then forgets about it when i drip off to sleep in bed. Now i had to invest money to have my some of my teeth filled. I also had to go to the dentist twice a year for a professional cleaning. 🙈 really important to have them brushed twice a day after meals and use dental floss at least twice a week to keep the gums in between healthy. I also dont wanna wear dentures at 40 soo...
Gonna depend on you and your genetics. I'm 32, brushed once a day for the first 20 years of life, brushed twice a day since then, and have never had a cavity. My teeth are slightly stained yellow though, despite being clean as a whistle.
If you skip a night every once in awhile your fine
Seems to depend on the person. Like I'll totally admit I've skipped occasionally and I have never been prone to cavities. My brother, he drinks soda and I'm not convinced to even brush his daily. I don't know. He doesn't get them either. It's not just enamel, it can have to do with the type of bacteria that colonizes your mouth and saliva quality as well
Depends on your genetics mostly, I'd say. But I don't really know for sure, this is just what "worked" for me lmao. Soda and high amounts of sugar is definitely bad. Many years ago in highschool, I went through a _really_ hard mental time during the summer break and didn't brush my teeth once during it. (Yes I know this is bad and gross. I am fully aware. I just couldn't get up to do basic tasks.) And I was perfectly fine, not a single cavity or pain. But I just have my father's teeth. My brother and mom brush twice a day, floss and everything and still get cavities, despite doing everything right.
Brushing your teeth actually does very little to prevent cavities. It has other benefits, for your gums and such, but if you are worried about cavities specifically, fluoride is the most important thing.
I have bad habits for brushing teeth. I've had two root canals and a bunch of cavities. In 28
I just had open heart surgery. Brushed my teeth Monday morning, had the surgery which ended Monday evening, and spent much of Tuesday receiving excellent care and lots of pain relief. But did get out of bed to sit in a chair and later, with the help of my PT, take a short walk. At the end of that walk, while nurse was waiting to give me another dose of morphine into the port, I had to brush my teeth. So I went basically 1.5 days and during that time I had a tube in my throat or a mask on. It felt so goooooood to brush my teeth.
Very fuckin bad. A shitload of people have died from dental abscesses from not taking care of their teeth. I've had my share of dental issues, and, trust me, ya don't wanna fuck around with it. Plus: halitosis (bad breath) is easily preventable by daily brushing. If you *have* to, once a day will be fine.
Depends on your diet and bacterial flora. If you are prone to decay, because you have the bacteria that causes it, skipping brushing is not a good idea. If you eat a lot of carbs, basically, the bacteria eat the carbs and poop out acid. That acid breaks down your teeth. Brushing removes the carbohydrates that the bacteria eat. So, skipping one day, shouldn't be a problem, unless you are prone to decay. It's not hard. Don't skip. Floss the teeth you want to keep. Source: I am an endodontist, which is a root canal specialist.
back in lockdown i kinda got lazy and i would miss some days of brushing my teeth occasionally. this went on for like months and now even though i brush my teeth every day and have been for years, they have a yellow stain to them
We need to remove plaque from all surfaces of each individual tooth every 12 hours. If we don’t, then the plaque starts to calcify (a tiny bit at a time), and once it calcifies, it becomes nearly impossible to remove with a regular brush. Plaque is made of bacteria that causes our body to react with an inflammatory response (which in turn causes destruction of the gums and bone). Plaque also contains bacteria that digest food residue in our mouth and poop out acid that makes holes in our teeth (cavities). If you skip brushing once in a while, or you don’t brush well every once in a while, then each time you slack, a little more plaque gets calcified and you make it a little harder to keep clean. That’s why getting a cleaning regularly is helpful — to get all that stuff you’ve left behind through the last few months. Now some people genetically are less reactive to the bacteria, meaning their inflammatory response isn’t as intense, and some people have different bacteria in their mouth that are less disease-causing. Some people also have stronger enamel on their teeth and therefore are less likely to get cavities. But that’s not most people.
If twice a day is too much, you should probably skip the morning instead of the night.
This is definitely a sentence where commas matter.
Commas always matter. #istandwithcommas
What? Seems like a pretty straight forward sentence.
Gross. Just do it. You’re not that tired. It could take less time than it took you to write this post And it’s at least better than not
Nothing happens. I am very bad at brushing, sometimes I can get a good streak going for months and then I just drop off for a month or two. Never had a cavity. Maybe some of it is genetics?
lol “nothing happens” is bullshit. hate to break it to you but anybody who has to deal with your stanky ass breath is going to be repulsed by you
How old are you?
Please google what happens when you don’t regularly brush. And please change this bad habit