|
|
| Bad Breath?
|
| It’s the fear that toothpaste and mouthwash manufacturers prey upon.
|
Is your breath fresh enough? Are your friends and co-workers driven away because of it?
Bad breath happens to nearly everyone at one time or another. Still, halitosis, as the medical books call it, can be an embarrassing problem.
Luckily, most bad breath problems are directly mouth-related and can be treated easily with conscientious good oral habits. Many types of bacteria live in your mouth, but if you’ve got more
|
|
|
|
“bad” than good, they will adversely affect the quality of your breath. Anaerobic bacteria cannot survive when exposed to oxygen. To stay alive they lurk in hard to reach places such as the back of your tongue, between teeth and just below the gum line. These bacteria release a sulfur compound that can give your breath a rotten egg-like odor.
Saliva helps wash away bacteria, so it’s very important to keep your salivary glands active.
When they’re not, conditions like “morning breath” can occur. This is the result of your salivary glands slowing down while you sleep, which allows bacteria to build up in your mouth. Dry mouth can also be caused by smoking, alcohol, stress, and some anti-anxiety medication. To keep these glands busy, sip water throughout the day, have a piece of fruit (the fiber in the fruit can also help clean your tongue) or chew some sugarless gum.
If you’re doing everything you can to keep your mouth in tip-top form and you still find that there’s a problem, see your doctor. There are underlying medical issues that may cause bad breath. These include chronic sinus infections, post-nasal drip, diabetes, kidney disease and metabolic disorders.
Keeping It Fresh.
A great smile and fresh breath can be confidence-makers –or breakers. Here are some tips on making your mouth happy:
- Put your breath to the test. Lick the back of your hand and let it dry. Give it a sniff. If it smells bad to you, chances are it smells bad to others, too.
- Brush and floss well. Simple advice, but most people spend less than a minute brushing their teeth. In order to get rid of bacteria, you really need to brush for two to three minutes. Flossing gets rid of food particles that get wedged between your teeth. Food trapped in hard to reach places will rot and give you a bad case of smelly breath.
- Don’t forget the tongue! Bacteria love to hide in its nooks and crannies. Give your tongue a good brushing after you do your teeth and make sure you reach the area at the back. Or try a tongue scraper (available at drug stores) to aid in sloughing off bacteria.
- Read mouthwash labels. Mouthwashes that contain alcohol may mask bad breath for a quick fix, but they actually dry out your tongue, which can make your breath worse. Look for mouthwashes that contain chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite. These compounds actually release oxygen, which kills odor-causing anaerobic bacteria.
- Be aware of the link between diet and breath. When your body is starved of fuel, it starts breaking down fat and protein. This metabolic process produces waste products that cause unpleasant odors. High protein diets can also be culprits.
- Keep hydrated. When you become dehydrated, the body goes into conservation mode and the first thing it does is cut back on the salivary flow. A moist tongue means sweeter smelling breath.
- Take a natural approach: nibble on fennel seeds, parsley or mint leaves. Chewing gum or breath mints are fine, as long as they’re sugarless. In fact, a recent study at the University of Illinois at Chicago indicated that gum naturally flavored with cinnamon oil, such as Big Red, actually kills the bad bacteria in your mouth.
Still, Dr. Richard H. Price, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association, stresses that it’s better to combat the source of bad breath instead of just covering it up: “One of the more valuable things you can have on your sink is a three-minute egg timer. And brush and floss ’til the cows come home.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
