Solutions for Bad Breath

     Got bad breath? Try licking the back of your palm and smell the damp area. What did you find out?

     Bad breath has been a problem to most people. Almost everyone gets to experience this problem, aware or not. To some, this becomes a perennial one though that it affects one's social life, confidence and even relationships.
     HALITOSIS is the medical term for bad breath and there are a number of reasons why this occurs. To some people it is not permanent. It may also be an indication of a serious health problem.

CAUSES

1. BACTERIA! Bacteria grow so rapidly. They grow on tongue surfaces, gums, between the teeth and down to your throat. Rough tongue surface is more prone to bacteria buildup. They produce volatile sulfur compounds that cause bad breath.
2. Poor oral hygiene. Bad breath is primarily caused by poor dental practices. Proper brushing of teeth involves at least 3-minute brushing of gums, teeth, tongue, palate and lips. The bristles should be positioned in a 45-degree angle rubbing your teeth they should not be swept up and down or left and right! Proper brushing involves tongue cleaning. Based on reviews, those who use tongue scrapper are less likely to have severe bad breath.
***Caution: Tongue scrapping should not be done so deliberately that it may hurt your taste buds and tongue tissues. Find a tongue scrapper gentle enough to remove excess saliva and food debris. Based on studies, electric toothbrush and tongue cleaner clean better than manual thingy.






















2. Lack of water intake. Dehydrated mouth also leads to bad odor. This is due to reproduction of bacteria in aerobic respiration or simply depletion of oxygen. This is the reason why when we wake up in the morning we get bad breath because for several hours of sleeping we didn't get much water supply.
3. Breathing through your mouth is another cause of bad breath. This causes evaporation of water from your mouth leading to dry mouth. You would know you have a healthy tongue if it is pinkish in color with no or little white residue. Severe tongue infection is characterized by white substances on the surface of the tongue which may be caused by yeast infection.

 This kind of tongue gives you bitter taste from time to time even minutes after brushing your teeth.


4. Using the same toothbrush for years. Toothbrush and tongue scrapper should be replaced at least once every 6 months. And within that six months toothbrush and scrapper should be soaked in salt solution once a week to inhibit bacteria build up. I am using a very nice steripod which I bought few months ago and it helps to keep my toothbrush fresh and free from bacteria. Because of our busy schedules we often put our wet toothbrush into its case or hang it to the wall. This steripod is sterilized and sanitized to protect your toothbrush from reproducing bacteria that grow best on wet surfaces.

5. The food that we eat also affects the smell of our breath. Avoid garlic, onion, and alcoholic drinks. These food can be odorous.

6. Mouthwash! While the idea that mouthwash kills bacteria is true, apparently there are mouthwashes that kills bacteria temporarily and give us refreshing mouth feeling. Avoid using mouthwashes with alcohol content. Be particular with labels like "alcohol free" because this type of mouthwash would not make your mouth dry. Alcohol content makes mouth  dry therefore causing bacteria to multiple and produce sulfur compounds.

SOLUTIONS

After knowing the roots of this halitosis problem, scroll up again and find your own solutions. Know the things that you should do and should not do. Use tooth gadget like brush and tongue cleaner properly and make sure you use the best ones. Another healthy solution -yogurt! Yogurt drinks are proven to kill bad bacteria.