Brushing and flossing your teeth is typically considered a chore rather than fun. While brushing may not be fun, it is vital to the health of your entire body. As you may probably know, our dentist recommends brushing twice a day, typically in the morning and at night. Fortunately, most people remember to brush in the morning, but did you know that if you forget to brush at night, it can have negative consequences on your smile?

If you don’t brush at night, your mouth will become dry, creating a place for acid to thrive. Sadly, this makes it possible for more plaque to form in your mouth. Once this happens, bacteria will attack the outer layer of your teeth. This can ultimately lead problems such as cavities and tooth decay.

If plaque isn’t removed from your mouth, it can harden into tartar, which will irritate your gum line. To make matters worse, if you have a buildup of plaque, your body will assume it has an infection. To counter the infection, your body will work harder, ultimately resulting in you being more tired. Unfortunately, regardless of how hard your body works, it won’t be able to remove tartar buildup, and you will need to visit a dentist to remove it.

In other words, remembering to brush and floss before you fall asleep can actually protect your smile. Fortunately, if you forget every to care for your teeth at night occasionally, you probably won’t be putting your smile in danger—but every time you forget, you put your smile at risk.

If you have any questions or concerns, our dentist, Dr. Hoang Truong, and our team will be able to help. If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment, simply call Gateway Oaks Dental at 916-649-0249. We are eager to receive your call!