What Happens When You Don’t Brush Your Teeth?

Are you brushing your teeth enough?If you don’t look after your teeth, you may need to prepare for a wide variety of financial, health, and personal problems.

Some of these might come as a surprise to you. Make sure this does not happen to you!

Build-up of Plaque and Tartar• By caring for your teeth you are making continuous investments into

your oral health.• If you do not do this you will build up Plaque and Tartar• Plaque is a soft and sticky substance that can cause damage and

cavities to teeth. This can be removed if done promptly by adequate brushing.• Tartar, which can cause gum disease and decay, is a hard deposit left

on your teeth. This can only be removed by your dentist or dental hygienist.

Big Financial Costs• If you let plaque and tartar build up and damage your teeth, you will

inevitably run into large financial costs. See below for examples:• A filling costs between $50-$250. These require replacements every

few years.• If a filling is not enough, root canal and dental crowns can sum up to

$100s to $1000s per tooth.• Extractions can cost between $75 and $600 per tooth.

And You will likely be spending significantly more if you want implants or any additional work after that.

Will my Insurance not cover this?• Dental Insurance generally covers routine expenses.• However, you will still need to pay a lot of cash for non-routine work

• Insurance in America generally covers:• 100% for routine care such as cleanings and check ups• 80% for fillings• 50% for other bigger procedures like crowns and bridges

• Also your insurance may only cover necessary work, and not cover cosmetic or elective care that you may wish to do on your teeth. Such as improving the appearance of your teeth.

A source for alarming health problems• Not brushing your teeth can cause gum disease and tooth decay.• It can also damage your immune system. Chronic inflammation

caused by bad oral health can lead to:

• Dementia• Heart Disease

• This might come across as a bit of a shock to some.

Pain and anxiety• Toothaches can be extremely painful.• Dental emergencies are even worse when you are

travelling or far away from your dentist.• Do you have pains in your teeth? If yes, then you

need to see a dentist as soon as possible. Delaying this will cause even more anxiety and delay care.• If you have anxiety of dentists then research

programmes and tips on how to tackle this. One thing is certain: Burying your head in the sand will not fix the problem.

Damages your appearance and self confidence• Sources say you only have a 7 second

window to make your first impression. Having bad looking teeth will instantly lower this impression.• You may also not even be confident

enough to smile in a photo.• A survey noted that 58% of men noticed

women’s teeth when rating their attractiveness.

Take action now!• Brush your teeth at least twice a day.

Limit damaging foods• Limit foods with higher sugary and acidity levels. Some of the worst

culprits are:• Soda• Coffee• Red wine• Candy

• Avoid starchy foods like potato chips. They can get stuck in your teeth and cause decay.

You need to floss!• Brushing will not remove the plaque in between your teeth.• Floss your teeth at least once a day.• I highly recommend water flossers:• These floss your teeth using a stream of water• Conveniently cleans between your teeth• Proven to combat gum disease and bleeding• Check out a buyer’s guide and water flosser

reviews at www.thewaterflosserreview.com

Remember!Do you want to?• Lose lots of money• Potentially have some bad health problems• Be in pain and in a state of anxiety• Damage your appearance

Of course not! So make sure to:• Keep Brushing• Keep Flossing• Get regular Dental Check Ups

Thanks for reading, and please share!Thanks for reading. These slides are adapted from an article I wrote here, where you can find sources for the figures used in this slideshow as well as additional links and resources.

Please share this slideshow so that everyone understands the cost of not looking after your teeth!

Thanks!Linda Walsh