One doctor has revealed the absolute 'worst thing' you can do for your teeth and it has some surprising side effects.
By now, we should all know about the importance of keeping up good oral hygiene.
But it goes far beyond having pearly whites and being minty fresh as forgetting to do one key step of your oral hygiene routine can have a serious impact on your wider health.
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Research conducted by YouGov Omnibus revealed that as little as three in 10 Brits don't actually brush their teeth for the recommended two times a day.
You think that's grim?
The same study found that a further one in 50 Brits (or two percent) say they don’t brush their teeth at all on a typical day.
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Apparently, Brits are more likely to brush them in the morning (87 percent) than in the evening (72 percent).
And, out of those who confess to only brushing their gnashers once a day, 70 percent say they do so in the morning and only 23 percent give them a good scrub in the evening.
YouGov warns: "Failing to brush in the evening gives bacteria all night to feast on sugars from food and mouth acids while the body’s natural daytime saliva defences are down."
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Dr Claire Merrifield, GP and medical director at Selph, has since weighed in on the oral hygiene matter, telling Tyla that the number one worst thing you can do when it comes to looking after your teeth is not flossing.
She explains: "Flossing removes a build up of plaque from areas between teeth that brushing simply cannot reach."
Many Brits are guilty of not flossing as, according to the YouGov Omnibus, only 31 percent of people say they actually clean between their teeth on a typical day even though the NHS states that, from the age of 12, you should floss or use interdental brushes, as part of your daily oral health routine.
The doctor continues: "Without regular flossing, bacteria also accumulate, which leads to gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis."
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Sharing a warning about the importance of keeping up good oral hygiene, Dr Merrifield added: "Gum disease leads to tooth decay and loss.
"Not only this, but people with gum disease have a three times greater risk of having a heart attack and are also more likely to develop bowel cancer."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Rhiannon Ingle