reasons you should brush your teeth

Yes, we know that this is a form of dementia, but just in case anybody reading this wasn t sufficiently scared into brushing by everything above, we thought we should throw this one in for good measure.

Evidently those same bacteria that can destroy your heart and brain are also capable of decreasing the effectiveness of the insulin in your bloodstream. Eventually this will lead to difficulty in controlling your body s blood sugar and then, at the end of the day, to an increased risk of type II diabetes.

So apart from that nasty, mouth dwelling bacteria seeping into your bloodstream and slowly contributing to the death of your vital organs, there is another mechanism by which they can be swept deeper into your body

Smoking is bad for you but smoking and not brushing your teeth is bad for you. It s not just the smoke in your lungs that can cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, but also the tobacco destroying your gums. Like a double edged sword it increases your chances of having COPD twofold.

Even if you dont smoke, that bacteria in your mouth can still lead to some nasty consequences. Just like with bronchitis and COPD, it has also been known to cause pneumonia. But apart from not breathing, there are still a couple other things that failing to brush your teeth can cause.

People with gum disease are 8 times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Apparently the bacteria from your gums produces proteins that induce a reaction from your immune system which at the end of the day leads to some serious joint issues.

As bad as it is to have your own body attacked by bacteria, if you are an expectant mother, there is another body that you should be concerned about. The bacterial infection can actually be passed to your child and cause problems with delivery. Not only that, but many times after delivery the baby s have a

Antibodies to the bacterial infection in the mother have been found in the umbilical cord and placental blood of the baby after delivery. Not only does this mean complications at birth, but it can lead to numerous other issues as well. Unfortunately however, due to hormonal changes, pregnant women are more prone to gum disease.

So, now that you are sufficiently petrified of the bacteria living in your mouth, how can all of these things be prevented? Well, the good news is that it s not really a big secret, but the bad news is that you have to admit your mother was right. Let s start with the basics

Studies have suggested that people, on average, spend about 1 minute brushing their teeth. This generally removes only about 60% of the plague. We know, however, that because you are not an average person, you always brush for two minutes thereby removing 120% of the plague (just kidding, save the nerdy comments, we know it s not possible). But seriously, stick it out and don t forget to