“Can you get a cavity from not brushing one night?”

No, one night of no brushing does not cause a cavity, but you should heck with your dentist to evaluate your teeth and gums every 6 months.

No. Relax. The decay process takes time and you will not be penalized for missing one night.

Hello,

No, you cannot get a cavity from just not brushing for 1 night. It’s usually from many inconsistent habits.

Hope it helps,

Dr. Johnson

Your question elicits a deeper question of how fast does decay proceed in development on and into tooth structure. There is some variance between patients and between teeth in the same patient. Caries or decay or cavities develop over a process in your mouth. Bacteria create acid by breaking down foods (carbohydrates) you eat and releasing acid, which in turn dissolves tooth structure. At the same time, your saliva is attempting to remineralize the tooth structure. The ability of the saliva to remineralize teeth can vary depending on Home care maintenance, diet and salivary gland function. So, factors such as how often through the day bacteria have carbohydrates to use, how much actual acid is present from acidic drinks and fruits, how long those acids are allowed to attack the tooth throughout the day all have an effect. You can have an area that has been under attack from those forces and we can many times see signs of this on smooth surfaces of teeth. In pits and grooves, it can be more difficult to identify. Even in the worst possible application of these variables, it is not likely that a cavity would develop from not brushing one night.

The answer is no. Cavities are caused by a decay process over time that can be a result of improper or lack of brushing, cleaning the teeth. However, it takes weeks or months to result in a cavity.

Diane

Practice Administrator

No, but if you develop a habit of not brushing them you might

The answer is definitely NOT!