It’s time for bed, and the last thing you want to do is take time to brush your teeth. You feel tired, and you would prefer to head straight for bed. Did you know that brushing your teeth before bed is extra important?
Plaque is the bacteria that hovers around your teeth. While many people don’t notice plaque buildup, but it’s there. Sometimes you might feel it as a fuzzy later on your teeth. Bacteria that compose plaque produce an acid that contributes to cavities.
Brushing at bedtime helps disrupt the plaque and bacteria so that it isn’t so destructive. Studies show that bedtime brushing helps reduce plaque buildup on your teeth. We don’t want you to experience the damage of plaque buildup, and we don’t think that you do either!
Toothbrushing Helps To Increase Salivary Flow
Saliva production decreases while you sleep. Less saliva means an increase in acidity in your mouth. Chewing food increases salivary production, so brushing your teeth is a double bonus for cavity reduction!
Reduce Tartar Formation
The more often you remove the soft plaque build-up on your teeth, the more you will stop that soft buildup hardening into tartar. Tartar buildup is a hard substance that can form on your teeth. Tartar is known for leading to more staining, and also it provides a rough surface for plaque to adhere. Brushing morning and night helps to remove the soft stuff from your teeth before it becomes hard, and then you can’t remove it!
Prevent Bad Morning Breath!
Ever been told that you have morning breath?
Even after brushing at bedtime, you may still wake up with bad breath. The number one reason for this is that most people wake up in the morning, and their mouth is dry. Sleeping with your mouth open may be the cause of this. There is one thing that we do know and that is that skipping brushing at night will only make morning breath worse!
Your Teeth Don’t Appear Dirty
Have you ever claimed, “my teeth look clean to me”? It’s common for kids to claim that their teeth look fine and don’t need to brush. The truth is that tiny particles of food often stick around and between your teeth even if you don’t see them.
Just like it is important to break up the bacteria living in your mouth, it’s also essential to break up any food particles floating around in your mouth. The best way to do this is by brushing twice a day and flossing once!
Brushing At Night Is Creating Great Habits
Taking the time to brush before bed as a child does wonders for creating good habits in the years to come. If you never brush your teeth as a kid, what will suddenly cause you to be a great brusher as an adult?
We see many adults struggle with tooth decay and gum disease, and some of them could avoid these struggles if they had better homecare habits.
Create good oral hygiene habits now, your mouth will thank you in the years to come!
Your Teeth Are Valuable
You use your teeth all day, every day. You probably don’t give much thought to your teeth unless they are causing you pain or problems, but look at all these ways that your teeth benefit you:
- Eating
- Drinking
- Swallowing
- Smiling
- Talking
Can you think of a day that you have ever gone all day without doing one of these activities? Your teeth are precious. They deserve a few minutes of attention before going to bed each night.
Invest Your Time Now, To Save Later
As children, you may not think too much about what things cost. Tooth repairs aren’t cheap. Studies show that those who develop good oral hygiene habits in the younger years are less likely to struggle with significant decay and gum disease problems later. Good oral hygiene habits include brushing twice a day, flossing daily, nutritious diet, and routine dental cleaning and check-ups.
As you can see, there are many benefits to brushing your teeth before bed. Take a few minutes each night to care for your teeth so that they can continue to work for you every day of your life. Reach out to Radiance Family & Cosmetic Dentistry if you have any questions about your teeth!
