Your Gums’ Reaction to Not Brushing Your Teeth

How serious is not brushing your teeth every night, like this woman sleeping?


We get it. You had a long day, you’re tired, you already crawled into bed and are soooo comfortable and ready to relax into a blissful sleep…but you forgot to brush your teeth. *gasp* Nobody would really know if you skipped brushing just this once, right? It’s not like it will make that big of a difference, will it? It’s not like you do this all the time, maybe just once a week or so. It’s not like you have a problem with not brushing your teeth… until you DO have a problem!

How serious is not brushing your teeth?

Rest assured, Gingivitis will find you if you skip brushing your teeth! Even if it happens occasionally, those times you let plaque hang out just a little longer on your teeth will start to add up and you could find yourself experiencing the beginning stages of Gum Disease.

It might start out as Gingivitis, which is reversible if caught early and treated properly. What steps can you take to reduce the symptoms of gingivitis?

  1. Start brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes, and floss!
  2. Go see your favorite Dental Hygienist for a cleaning and establish a game plan to reverse the problem.

If left untreated, Gingivitis will become Periodontitis, and then Advanced Periodontitis. While not 100% reversible, you can establish a game plan with your Dentist and Hygienist to minimize the damage and get back on track before you start to lose tissue and bone that support the teeth. If you do nothing, you will eventually loose teeth.

Watch for these warning signs!

While not as bad as losing teeth, we haven’t even talked about the dreaded, Halitosis, aka “chronic bad breath.” Ew… nobody wants that. And gum and mints won’t save you. Halitosis isn’t like “morning breath” or “just ate garlic” breath. It will persist and have your friends and family scrambling about how to tell you that you have stinky breath without hurting your feelings. You don’t want to put them through that, do you?

If you are experiencing any of the following warning signs, call us (317-598-4746) to schedule an appointment immediately! We want to help you.

  • gums that bleed easily
  • red, swollen, tender gums
  • gums that have pulled away from the teeth
  • persistent bad breath or bad taste
  • permanent teeth that are loose or separating

And if you are more of a video learner-type person… here’s a visual illustration you can watch in under two minutes:

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