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Although it is an extremely basic task, a lot of people don’t brush their teeth because they are too lazy to go to the bathroom. As a result, a lot of people experience various dental problems ranging from yellow teeth to bad breath. If you are finding it difficult to brush your teeth because you are too lazy, here are three tactics you can try to turn around your dental hygiene.

#1 Remind Yourself

Chances are, your teeth are probably in a pretty bad state if you haven’t been brushing your teeth properly for a while. One of the best ways to stop being lazy is to remind yourself how bad your teeth are. For example, you may want to take a photo of yourself smiling with your mouth open wide and stick that photo on your bedroom wall. That way, you’ll realize how urgent it is for you to brush your teeth or else it will become progressively worse. One of the best ways to stop being lazy for anything is to make yourself feel as guilty as possible. Another way you can receive reminders is by asking your friends to constantly comment on your bad teeth until you have managed to put your laziness as something of the past. This can backfire because your friends may still make fun of you even after you have started to maintain proper dental hygiene. However, this may the ‘kick in the butt’ moment you need to stop being lazy over your dental habits.

#2 Financial reminder

This follows on from tip #1 but another way to stop your lazy habit is by reminding yourself how much it costs to have certain dental procedures. For example, if you continue to not brush your teeth due to laziness, these notes can remind you how much it costs to have your teeth temporarily fixed. For example, a procedure to treat your tooth decay can cost well over $100. If you are financially strapped, this could be a great way to remind yourself that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to brush your teeth after every big meal.

#3 Toothbrush placement

The last tip is to place your toothbrush where you have a clear view of it. Rather than leaving your toothbrush cup in the bathroom, leave it somewhere where you are often present. For example, you may want to leave it on the coffee table next to your bed. You may want to it leave it on your office desk. You are more likely to grab the toothbrush and get it done and over with if the toothbrush is in sight.

As someone who also had trouble with maintaining dental habits in the past due to laziness, I can relate with many of you who are reading this article. As annoying as it may be, it is imperative that you brush your teeth properly on a daily basis or else you’ll succumb to a lot of problems later in your life. If you are a teenager, a lot of these problems won’t seem that relevant to your life but once you hit your 20s, these problems will start to trickle in and affect the quality of your life. For example, you may lose out on a date with someone you have a romantic interest in because they are turned off by the state of your teeth. Avoid these problems in the future by starting to brush your teeth every day for at least two minutes per session.