The Importance of Oral Hygiene and Flossing Teeth are more important than you think! Bright and beautiful teeth are an attractive asset. Having healthy and good-looking teeth provides humanity not only with self-confidence, but also makes people more radiant. Everyone knows that brushing your teeth is important, but many people seem to just look at the simple steps of flossing. Flossing can not only save your teeth, but also a life! Many people don't know the importance of teeth in general. Teeth are necessary for the basic needs that many take for granted. The main thing teeth are for is eating. Without chewing the food will not be digested properly. Teeth tear, grind, and break down food into smaller pieces for swallowing. All the bacteria that accumulate cause daily illnesses. Having a certain disease can put you in a life-threatening situation. Bacteria in the mouth resulting from poor oral hygiene can cause many diseases such as pneumonia, gingivitis, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Pneumonia is a lung disease caused by certain bacteria that are not filtered out of the body and fill up in the lungs. Pneumonia is very commonly seen in people with poor oral health due to the extreme buildup of bacteria that are constantly being introduced (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society). Too much bacteria will cause it to be cleared by the body, causing bacteria to build up in the airways, causing inflammation and fluid buildup which is pneumonia. Gingivitis is the most serious form of periodontal disease, which is an inflammatory disease of the gums, caused by excessive accumulation of plaque on the gum line. Gingivitis causes painful inflammation, swelling, irritation and bleeding of the gums. The inflammation of gingivitis can be harmful to people with type 2 diabetes, making it even more difficult to maintain normal blood sugar levels (Usborne par. 9). Studies have found that people with few teeth are at greater risk of with leftover food stored between the inside of the teeth and someone's mouth starting to smell just like a garbage can. Having bad breath is never a good thing. Who wants to be around or near someone with bad breath? “The quality of life that individuals will have will certainly be better” with a clean and healthy mouth (WebMD par. 4). Good hygiene is good for the body and oral health as it protects against all kinds of bad diseases. Good hygiene will also improve a person's confidence, communicating with others and not feeling embarrassed about bad breath. They also feel more comfortable smiling and not hiding the beautiful smile they have. This means that those individuals will have a better way to showcase their image by taking proper care of theirs