Brushing your teeth at night is a common practice among most people. However, many people neglect this important oral hygiene task before going to bed. However, new findings warn of the dangers associated with this neglect.
Therefore, if you are not following this basic health routine, it is time to rethink your steps. This is because the lack of this specific hygiene routine can cause serious problems. Below, check out what studies say about not having the habit of brushing your teeth before bed.
Photo: BBC/Reproduction
What happens if you don’t brush your teeth at night?
New findings warn of the dangers associated with this neglect, including a significant increase in the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Recently, researchers at Osaka University Hospital in Japan conducted a study involving 1,675 patients over 2 years and 11 months.
These individuals were divided into four distinct groups: those who brushed their teeth both in the morning and at night; those who brushed only in the morning; those who brushed only at night; and those who never brushed their teeth.
Previous studies have highlighted the importance of brushing your teeth by associating the practice with a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. Now, a new warning has emerged linking the lack of brushing your teeth to a significant increase in strokes and heart attacks.
Among the individuals studied who never brushed their teeth and those who only did so in the morning, there was an increase in the incidence of these health problems. In the case of those who neglected nighttime oral hygiene, the proliferation of microorganisms during sleep is a key factor.
Proliferation, in turn, is directly related to the occurrence of periodontal diseases, gum infections that are associated with cases of stroke and heart attacks.
Therefore, this connection strengthens the hypothesis that patients who do not brush their teeth before bed have a higher incidence of strokes and heart attacks, even if they brush their teeth in the morning.
