HELPFUL HINTS FOR HALITOSIS

Bad breath, or Halitosis, is generally the result of eating foods with a strong odor. It helps to watch what we eat before we meet people, as even mouthwash and mints cannot remove the odor, and merely mask it temporarily.

It helps to bear in mind that there is a connection between the food we eat, our digestive system and how our breath smells. Halitosis, however, also has various other causes related to one’s medical health.

More than 80 million people suffer from chronic halitosis or bad breath. In most cases, it originates from the gums and tongue.

Bad breath can be very embarrassing, but it is a common condition, and there are numerous ways to prevent it. Following these tips can help you fight bad breath as well as keep your mouth healthy on a daily basis:

* Brush your teeth twice a day: This is important to remove plaque and food debris. Don’t forget to brush your teeth before you sleep at night. You can add Baking Soda, which helps to reduce the acidity in your mouth, thus making it difficult for bacteria that cause bad breath to grow.

* Use dental floss every day: Flossing helps to reach food debris stuck between the teeth, that is inaccessible to your toothbrush. Bits of food left unremoved attract bacteria that feed on them and thus cause bad breath.

* Brush or scrape your tongue: This daily exercise helps to remove any residue that builds up between the taste buds and the folds in the tongue. You can use a ‘tongue scraper’ for this, or even your toothbrush.

* Rinse your mouth well: You don’t need a mouth wash for this. Even water will do. Just spend a minute rinsing your mouth, tilting your head back and to the sides, to allow the water to reach as far as it can.

* Quit smoking: Smoking causes bad breath, as the tobacco dries out your mouth and leaves behind an unpleasant smell that remains even after you have brushed your teeth.

*Drink enough water: You need to drink six to eight ‘8-ounce’ glasses of water a day, to avoid a dry mouth. Drinking water helps keep the odour under control because it flushes out food particles and bacteria, which are the main cause of halitosis.

*Most importantly, schedule a visit with your Dentist: If you have chronic bad breath/halitosis, you need to visit your Dentist, to rule out any dental problems. Thereafter, if your Dentist feels that the problem is from a ‘systemic’ (internal) source, such as an infection, you may be advised to visit your Physician.

Eating sugarless candy or chewing on sugarless gum; munching on carrot/celery sticks or apples, and eating crispy fresh fruit and vegetables are other natural ways to prevent halitosis. Do remember that skipping meals is not recommended, as an empty stomach can cause bad breath due to the build-up of acids in the stomach.