Is Jessica Simpson Telling the Truth About Rarely Brushing Her Teeth?

LOS ANGELES – Jessica Simpson recently made headlines when she told Ellen DeGeneres that she only brushes her teeth three times per week for fear they will become “too slippery,” but could it be that the songstress, who appears to have flawless pearly whites, may have been telling tales for shock value?

“(Brushing only three times per week) is what she told Ellen, but that isn’t what she tells me,” Simpson’s Beverly Hills-based dentist, “Extreme Makeover” star, Dr. Bill Dorfman told Pop Tarts.

And if Simpson, who is also the spokeswoman for charitable organization “Operation Smile," honestly only brushed every couple of days, it sounds as though she would have already had to deal with some serious troubles by now.

SLIDESHOW: The Lovely and Talented Jessica Simpson

“If you don’t brush your teeth, bacteria sits on your teeth and your gums. Not only does it cause bad breath but it can cause de-calcification on your teeth which are those white spots, but it also causes gingivitis which is where the gums become inflamed,” Dorfman explained. “Then that progresses to periodontitis, which is a gum and bone disease. That’s really dangerous, people don’t realize it but there have been a lot of studies that show a really close correlation between periodontitis and an increase in heart disease, stroke, pre-term birth and diabetes. There are a lot of systemic problems that can arise as a result of not brushing your teeth.”

Yikes.

Simpson also told DeGeneres that despite her careless oral hygiene habits, she “always has fresh breath” – but let’s just hope she stays far from the mints because otherwise she really might be single forever.

“The worst thing you can do for your teeth is suck something like Altoids, which are sugar-coated, all day long because then you are just bathing your teeth in sugar. That sugar is feeding the bacteria and the bacteria produce acid and the acid eats into your teeth,” Dorfman continued. “I once had a patient that was working in real estate and decided she wanted fresh breath all day long she sucked Altoids. Within one year, she needed 14 root canals.”

"Remember your smile is the first thing people notice," he added. "I would say all celebrities and people being photographed should take meticulous care of their teeth, that’s part of their image. People think if they just brush their teeth then they’re doing a good job, but you need to brush and floss. You’re leaving behind some of the most damaging bacteria in between your teeth if you don’t floss.”