Skipping Brushing Teeth At Bedtime?

"Good oral health cannot be maintained by brushing once a day as each brushing session has a specific purpose.  Brushing first thing in the morning coats the tooth's enamel with fluoride to strengthen and protect the tooth surface against acid attacks throughout the day,” Dr Nigel Carter.

According to recent research, approximately a half of the population (a bit more than 47%) mentioned regularly skipping brushing their teeth at bedtime.

"Brushing last thing at night removes the deposits which have built up from eating and drinking during the day, in addition to removing plaque; the cause of gum disease.  The last brush of the day also coats the teeth with fluoride, which is not washed away through eating and drinking, it continues to protect the tooth's surface during sleep," advised Dr Carter.

Women are the more likely than men to skip brushing their teeth at bedtime.  In fact almost 60% of women skip nighttime brushing.  Compared to just more than a third of men (35%.)  Comparatively however, few people skip brushing their teeth in the morning approximately 1 in 10.

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr. Nigel Carter, also mentioned that, "Anyone who regularly skips brushing their teeth, morning or night-time, is storing up oral health problems for the future such as tooth decay and gum disease; the biggest cause of tooth loss often resulting in the need for bridges, dentures or implants.  Gum disease has also been linked to other medical problems such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and respiratory disease.”