You know that brushing your teeth is supposed to help your mouth stay healthy and keep your teeth and gums looking good. But brushing is still one of those chores you do simply because you have to. And if there's an opportunity to put it off or maybe just skip a night, it can be very tempting to do that. So what other reasons are there to brush your teeth that will motivate you to do so every day and night?

Foil Lipstick Fails

If you like to wear lipstick but struggle with bits of lipstick color getting onto your teeth, that's one big reason. If you brush regularly, the surface of your teeth will be smoother, which makes it easier for those bits of lipstick to slide off. If your teeth have a rougher surface, it will be easier for the lipstick to hold on to, so to speak.

When you apply lipstick, try to keep it off the smooth inner lip -- it should be on your outer lip only. Any lipstick on your inner lip is liable to end up on your teeth. If you reduce the chances of lipstick ending up on your teeth and you make it difficult for lipstick to stay on your teeth in the first place, you'll find that lipstick is no longer a major issue for your teeth.

Breathe Easier

Brushing also gets rid of the bacteria that have been hiding in your mouth. If you let those bacteria build up, and you end up inhaling them, they could make you sick. If you're susceptible to respiratory illnesses, brushing your teeth could help reduce the number of bouts you have to deal with.

A study published in 2011 found that periodontal disease and respiratory conditions like pneumonia appeared to be linked. At this point the relationship isn't clear; it could be that people with pneumonia just didn't take good care of their teeth, instead of getting pneumonia because of their teeth. However, it can't hurt to brush regularly to try to reduce respiratory problems just in case.

Pay Attention to the End of the Day

It's important to give yourself a firm end to the day so that you don't try to answer emails in bed or keep eating right until bedtime. Brushing your teeth could help you with that because once you brush, you really can't eat anything else unless you want to find out how the food would taste with a sheen of peppermint toothpaste flavor, which most people aim to avoid. So if you brush regularly at night, you might snack less, you might get to sleep earlier, and you might put down the devices once and for all.

You can talk to a cosmetic dentist and see how your teeth would respond to regular brushing. If you're concerned about the color of your teeth, any lines you see, or anything else, the dentist can help you decide on a treatment to make them look a lot better. Find out more here.