Best Bad Breath Solution - Finding Answers
December 15th, 2007 by Aaks
Bad breath causes an awful lot of discomfort. Not only can it actually offend people, spoil business deals, destroy a date and incinerate your self esteem, but the fear and uncertainty in that nagging thought - “Does my breath stink?” can ruin anyone’s day. First, the hideous truth. Yes, everyone gets it at least once in a while, but some people have such a great difficulty that an ordinary bad breath solution simply won’t do it for them.
What causes bad breath?
Most commonly halitosis is a result of bacterial activity primarily on the tongue - mostly in hard to reach areas, and in areas on and around the teeth. As these bacteria pig out on the food particles and plaque they find, sulfur compounds are released which cause the bad smells. However, this is only part of the story and not all of those odors coming out of the mouth are a result of bacterial activity. An appropriate bad breath solution really depends on identifying exactly what may be contributing to the problem so let’s look at some other frequent questions about bad breath causes.
How does smoking affect my breath?
Aside from the fact that a great many people find the smell of stale tobacco smoke revolting, smoking dries out your mouth and you lack the usual amount of saliva. That saliva, which you don’t have, would have acted as a sort of natural mouthwash to flush the bacteria and their wastes from your mouth. If you smoke, you will have a hard time believing just how bad you may be smelling to non-smokers since smoking tends to suppress your senses of taste and smell.
Can halitosis be caused by some foods?
You know they can. These are non-bacterial causes. The notorious ones such as onions and garlic have strong smelling molecules that can remain in our system, particularly in the lungs and then as we breath we stink up the area. Since acid reflux and halitosis are linked, avoiding greasy foods, caffeine and, regrettably, chocolate, which may cause acid reflux can be part of a bad breath solution.
What do acid reflux and halitosis have to do with each other?
Heartburn or acid reflux is a wrong way flow of stomach acids up the esophagus. Aside from being acutely unpleasant, it can deliver more food for bacteria to your mouth along with some unpleasant smelling molecules. It is an indirect relationship but it is yet another reason to resolve any heartburn problems.
Is it true that bad breath can come from my stomach?
Indeed, this can happen. What’s known as digestive halitosis results from the continuous action of our digestive enzymes. If there’s no food to digest, those enzymes start effecting the stomach lining which can create a nasty odor like rotting food which comes out in your breath. Normally it’s fairly simple to eliminate digestive halitosis since it disappears once you put some food in there for the enzymes to work on.
What are some of the remedies?
The most basic solution, in the majority of cases, revolves around reducing or eliminating odor causing bacteria in the mouth. The simplest bad breath solution is to maintain excellent oral hygiene. Flossing is important because it helps remove both plaque and any food particles that are stuck between teeth or at the gum line. Brushing assists in this process. Cleaning your tongue is particularly important since brushing it can be uncomfortable and not terribly effective. Using a tongue scraper might be a better solution. Cavities or abscesses can also be a contributing factor as well as being painful and causing tooth loss. Seeing your dentist regularly is part of good oral hygiene.
Some simple home remedies to treat the problem can also be used to reduce the effects of foods such as onions and garlic. Chewing on parsley or basil or other “greens” releases chlorophyll which is a deodorizer. Citrus fruits will not only stimulate saliva - our built-in natural mouthwash - but their acidity will kill most mouth bacteria. As an extra plus they also give your breath a tangy fresh scent.
As you’ve probably realized by now, there is no single bad breath solution. Different bad breath causes can require different remedies and taking a whole body approach will help you not only eliminate bad breath bacteria but also to take care of the other possible causes.
Bad breath doesn’t have to ruin even one more day. Discover more about simple and natural bad breath solutions that work from Bad Breath Causes and Cures now.
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