What Happens If You Don’t Brush Your Teeth?

You’ve likely been told since you were a child that you need to brush your teeth daily — even twice a day. And, you might not always heed this advice. Well, you’re not alone. According to new research conducted by an oral care start-up called Hello Products, the average millennial goes two or more days without brushing their teeth.

The survey also found 30 percent of millennials only brush their teeth once a day, with 22 percent of saying they avoid getting a professional cleaning because they don’t the taste of the toothpaste.

Whelp, those millennials may be smart in other ways, but if they don’t get this brushing thing down, they won’t have much to smile for simply because their smiles will be riddled with nasty. And to help educate them (and the many, many others) who don’t think that brushing is necessary, here’s what happens if you don’t brush your teeth:

1. You’ll have bad breath

OK, OK. You can argue all day that gum and breath fresheners cand solve this issue, but you’ll be W-R-O-N-G, wrong! Gum and mints don’t take this morning’s eggs and bacon off your teeth and tongue, nor will it take that chimichanga you had for lunch away either. What you’ll have instead is a bacony-eggy-chimychonga-y-minty taste inside your mouth that you will spread each time you open your mouth. And forget about getting a goodnight kiss. End of story.

2. You’ll build up bacteria in your mouth

Bacteria is not always a bad thing, but when it is stuck to your teeth, inside that warm, wet mouth of yours, it will breed until you have a mouth full of these microscopic organisms that will grow and grow into clear sticky film on your teeth called plaque.

Yeah, it’s pretty gross, yet simply brushing your teeth regularly helps to remove plaque and prevent it from forming.

3. You’ll get cavities

When bacteria grows and develops into plaque that sticks to your teeth — and you leave it there — it will fester. It will eat away at your teeth creating tiny holes called cavities.

And once a cavity forms, it will grow. And grow. And grow. Soon you will have a gaping hole in your tooth or holes in your teeth that will lead to our next problem.

4. You’ll have pain

When a cavity deepens, it will reach all the way down to the nerves in your teeth. When this happens, you will feel pain — pain so unbearable that you may even cry.

5. You’ll have trouble eating

When your teeth hurt, it makes it difficult to chew. Not only that, but drinking cold or hot beverages could irritate the hole in your tooth.

Acidic things like oranges and tomatoes will cause great discomfort, and you might find it extremely difficult to enjoy eating.

6. You’ll develop gum disease

Gum disease like gingivitis and periodontal disease are most frequently caused by bacteria and plaque buildup. Yes, that same substance that eats away at your teeth also causes your gums get inflamed and erode.

When this happens, you threaten the very integrity of your teeth because gums protect your bones and keep your teeth in place. And when your gums are threatened

7. You’ll lose your teeth

When you don’t have healthy gums to help hold your teeth in place, your teeth will come loose and eventually fall out. And if there’s a silver lining, you won’t have anymore teeth to brush, but you’ll be fitted for some dentures or other, more permanent solutions like implants.

8. You’ll be out lots and lots of money

Even if you have a cavity or two to fill or have root canals on, you’re going to be out several hundred, if not thousands of dollars depending on the damage. If your gums are involved, that adds more dollars to the bill.

And just because we thought you should know, the average cost of a single tooth implant is anywhere from $1,000 – $3,000.