Wednesday, September 24, 2008

What Are The Causes Of Bad Breath

By Darren Wumoult


There are many possible causes of bad breath, the most common of which is poor dental hygiene. This type of bad breath can be remedied by using a mouthwash or brushing your teeth more frequently. However, if your bad breath is a side effect of a more serious illness, it might be a little more difficult to treat.

The culprits may be gum diseases, sinus infection, a not very efficient digestive system, liver problems, diabetes and other diseases. Any of these can cause bad breath thanks to malodorous bacteria in the mouth and digestive system.

There are ways to tell if you have bad breath. The most common way to notice it is if your mouth has a bitter taste to it. You can either cup your hand over your mouth and breathe into it, and then bring that hand to your nose to check the smell. Either that or you can lick the inside of your wrist and put it to your nose and sniff. If you notice an offensive odor while doing either of the "bad breath tests" then you know that you need to possibly make some improvements on your oral hygiene habits.

Also there are solutions offered as well such as Halitonic, which is an herbal remedy or doctor's prescriptions for this disorder. Also, you can use a mixture of 50% water, and 50% hydrogen peroxide instead of using traditional mouthwash. This mixture will kill off any bacteria that cause bad breath. Baking soda also has been known to have a similar effect, and is often one of the ingredients used in toothpaste, as well as peroxide.

Also, there are a variety of other health tips that are recommended for the reduction and elimination of bad breath. For one, it is better if you do not smoke. This will decrease your chance of having bad breath for sure. Also, if you have regular dental check-ups, it will help rule out any other possibilities of worse complications such as gum disease, and to help correct any overhanging fillings or leaking crowns (food can get caught in these).

Increasing the flow of saliva by chewing sugarless gum and lozenges can help in keeping bad breath at bay. Breath strips and sugarless mints are two other items which can help keep your breath and mouth fresh. These help in saliva production as well. Breath strips can help by going down your esophagus and into your stomach to nip any bad smell problem in the bud.

If you are meeting someone special, it is better to avoid foods with strong smells and aftertastes like onions and garlic to prevent any untoward occurrence of bad breath. You may want to avoid caffeine and alcohol as well, at least on a first date, so that you do not suffer from a bad breath problem. Bad breath affects not only you but the people around you as well. And often people who have bad breath don't even know it.

As mentioned earlier, it is not uncommon for other people to notice that you have bad breath even before you realize it for yourself. You can see this in the way they try to avoid facing you when you are speaking to them, or when your date tries to make strange reasons for not kissing you. You can just imagine how totally embarrassing and awkward those situations can be. The best thing to do is to always check your breath and take measures to keep it fresh at all times.

Preventing bad breath actually requires very simple practices, such as brushing your teeth after meals and remembering to floss. Most people neglect to brush their tongue as well, and this negligence can lead to bad breath. Also, you can choose a toothpaste brand that contains natural mint oils as these are very good in keeping the breath fresh.

Avoid breathing through the mouth and also remember to drink lots of water, which will flush your mouth and your digestive system. When you have water, swirl it around your mouth and through your teeth to dislodge any food debris.

You can search the Internet to find more information on how to cure and prevent bad breath and the diseases that cause it. You can search for it with the phrase "bad breath" or by the name "halitosis." Halitosis is what doctors often refer to bad breath as.

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