The Real Deal

Have you ever felt quilty about slinking into bed without brushing your teeth? Well...

If you plop into bed exhausted one night and forget to brush your teeth, the worst thing that will happen is you'll wake with bad breath and a filmy taste in your mouth. It takes about 24 hours for a really good layer of bacterial plquce to build up on teeth, so as long as you do a super job brushing and flossing the next day, it's not the end of the world. For the most part, you should brush twice a day and floss daily.

One caveat: Diabetics, pregnant women, smokers, and people with immune disorders have an increased risk of gum disease and need to be extra diligent about oral health. So, if you fall into one of those categories, drag yourself out of bed and brush!