The Situation: You're a busy person with a full-time job, a family, and a home that doesn't clean itself. So every once in a while (or, you know, every other day), you fall into bed exhausted after coming home from work, making dinner, prepping lunches, doing dishes, and getting everything ready for the next morning. By the time your eyes are closed so tight you never want to open them again, you remember you haven't brushed your teeth. (Looking for ways to have your best year ever? Try the New Year, New You Rodale Challenge today!)
What You're Worried About: Is that fuzzy stuff growing on my teeth going to give me gum disease? Are all my teeth going to fall out?
The Worst That Could Possibly Happen: Yep, gum disease! The first sign is gums that bleed when you brush or floss, says Keith Arbeitman, DDS, of Arbeitman & Shein Dentistry in Manhattan. Skipping your second brush time means the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and random snacks you had throughout the day stick around on and between your teeth. "If you had a candy bar or even some raisins before you went to bed, that sticky sugar is like a gift to the bacteria in your teeth," Arbeitman says. "And you're just letting that bacteria feast on your teeth all night." (In other words, if you're going to brush only once, do it at night—it gives you a better shot at avoiding cavities and gum problems.)
If you do end up with gum disease, Arbeitman says, it's possible that you'll eventually lose your teeth and have to consider (very expensive) implants.
MORE: 7 Weird Things You're Teeth Are Trying To Tell You
What's Probably Going to Happen: As long as you stick to a once-a-day schedule, there's only a slim chance you'd end up with full-blown gum disease, Arbeitman says. The buildup of plaque that causes gum disease takes at least 24 hours to develop, so if you're brushing once a day, you'll disrupt the bacteria before it gets a chance to really screw up your gums.
BUT: Cavities are pretty much a definite—especially if you're only brushing in the morning. If you get a cavity, you can get it filled, sure, but fillings don't last forever. They'll eventually need to be refilled, and each time they do a dentist will have to drill more of the tooth away. At some point, you'll have to get the tooth capped. "It adds up to pretty expensive stuff that could generally be prevented," Arbeitman says.
And let's not forget: Your breath will smell really bad. Even if you try to cover it up with gum and mints, not brushing your teeth lets bacteria multiply inside your mouth, eventually leading to a buildup of fuzzy, foul-smelling plaque. And following Arbeitman's advice to brush at night means you'll likely end up traumatizing your coworkers with your morning breath.
