It is easy to understand why oral hygiene is important for your mouth. But did you know that poor oral hygiene causes problems throughout the rest of your body? Besides creating health issues, poor oral hygiene can create social issue for you too. Who wants to be known as the person with bad breath? If these aren't reasons enough to practice good oral hygiene, here are a few more:

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Good Oral Hygiene

1) Did you know that bad teeth, caused by poor oral hygiene, could give you a heart attack? Numerous recent studies have shown that ignoring oral hygiene could encourage heart disease and that there is a relationship between periodontal disease and a greater risk for developing problems with the heart and circulatory system. In a study at the University of Montana, researchers followed participants ranging in age from 57 - 75 with no history of stroke or heart disease. They scanned participants' carotid arteries for atherosclerosis and examined participants' teeth and gums, looking for signs of periodontal disease. Besides analyzing signs such as plaque on the teeth and pockets between the teeth and gum, they also counted the number of teeth each person - considering tooth loss to be a sign of past periodontal disease. The study showed that people with the most missing teeth had the most carotid artery plague.

2) Poor oral hygiene can give you systemic injuries. Pyorrhea is an infection of the gums and tooth-sockets. The infection starts beneath the edges of the gums and progresses into the membranes that attach the root of the tooth to the socket. There, a pocket is formed and as the pus is continually produced it is discharged into your mouth and swallowed. Also, as the tooth rises and falls in its diseased socket during ordinary chewing, bacteria are forced into the circulation and may be carried to other body parts, attacking tissues in which they can thrive including your heart, kidneys and lungs.

3) Practice good oral hygiene to keep all of your teeth. Pyorrhea is also the culprit of tooth loss. As this gum infection progresses, it destroys the membranes that attach the root of your tooth to the tooth's socket. A pocket is formed around the root and the tooth becomes loosened, eventually falling out.

4) Bad breathe, also known as halitosis, is caused by poor oral hygiene. Although there are other factors that affect the quality of your breath including smoking, gum disease, dry mouth and medicines, the primary cause of halitosis is oral bacteria. Control your breath by brushing, flossing and visiting your dentist for professional cleanings.

5) Good oral hygiene prevents cavities. One of the most obvious reasons to practice good oral hygiene is to prevent cavities. Acids that eat away at tooth enamel are caused by dental plaque. The bacteria in plaque consumes sugars and the waste product created from these bacteria digesting sugars is the acid that causes demineralization of tooth enamel and dentin. The more often and longer duration that food is in your mouth, the greater chance plaque has to grow. Minimize in-between meals and snacking. Brush twice and day and don't forget to floss.

6) Oral hygiene promotes a pretty mouth. Practicing good oral hygiene helps you to preserve your natural good looks. Your smile is one of the first things that people notice - and poor oral hygiene can speak volumes in an instant. If you have braces, oral hygiene is even more imperative. Spending thousands of dollars to straighten your teeth will seem meaningless if after you remove them you have white scaring on your enamel. Poor oral hygiene can allow plaque to work behind braces, causing white scars that could become permanent. Keep your teeth healthy, white and cavity-free with a nutritious diet, visits to your dentist twice a year and proper oral hygiene.

7) Oral hygiene prevents gum infection. Harmful bacteria called plaque are also the cause of gum disease. If you do not control plaque it will build up on your gums and irritate them, eventually causing them to bleed easily. When left uncontrolled the infection can attack your bone and connective tissues. Teeth will loosen and ultimately must be removed.

8) Oral hygiene is good for your bank account. Practicing good oral hygiene is the foundation of preventive dentistry, whose goal is to maintain healthy teeth and gums, and to prevent oral illnesses. A proper diet and plaque control will help you to safeguard yourself against dental decay and keep expensive repairs to your mouth to a minimum. While preventive dentistry, such as professional cleanings, is usually covered 100% by insurance, retroactive repairs such as root canals are not. Safe time and money by practicing good oral hygiene - and prevent expensive problems from rearing its ugly head.

9) Practice good oral hygiene to keep your energy levels high. Lack of sleep, hectic lifestyle and stress can weaken the body's defense system and affect overall wellbeing. When you have an infection in your mouth, it can cause your immune system to be constantly elevated. This constant elevation can affect your energy levels, making your feel tired more often as well as increasing your susceptibility to other illnesses.

10) Good oral hygiene is your most simple, economical way to keep a happy, healthy smile. Brush, floss, visit your dentist regularly cleanings and checkups, eat a healthy diet, drink lots of water and stop smoking. Following the proper approach to oral hygiene will held you keep a full, durable and brilliant set of teeth for your whole life.