How to deal with bad breath effectively

Bad breath, medically referred to as halitosis is one condition that is highly embarrassing and most people suffering from it are entirely clueless on how to get rid of it. It may be occasional or chronic. Causes range from bad eating habits, lifestyle, and it also may be caused by some underlying health factors.

Bad breath is one of the negative effects of bacterial activity in the mouth. This happens when you do not brush or floss daily. After meals, food particles may remain and if you do not clean your mouth by brushing or flossing, bacteria begin to act on the food particles in the mouth, leading to bad breath. It is characterised by an unpleasant odour, white coating on the tongue, and dryness in the mouth.

Another cause of bad breath is chewing tobacco-products or smoking. Underlying diseases such as gum disease or other mouth infections like bronchitis, diabetes, pneumonia have bad breath as one of their symptoms.

Dry mouth: knowing that saliva is needed for moistening in the mouth, one other important function of saliva is washing away of dead cells that usually accumulate in the mouth. Now when the mouth is dry maybe due to a fast or dehydration, there is the tendency that these cells remain and when they decompose, it can lead to mouth odour. Also, when the mouth is dry, odor-producing bacteria grows. Taking a lot of water and ensuring constant hydration can help avoid bad breath.

There are several treatments for bad breath and health tips to prevent its occurrence. Some of them include:

• Proper dental hygiene: This includes ensuring that you brush, floss properly especially before going to bed and after waking in the morning. Use of anti-bacterial mouth wash is also useful in treatment of mouth odours. Be sure to replace your toothbrush after every two to three mouths. Visit your dentist regularly and always take off your dentures before going to bed.

• You also need to keep track of what you eat: Some people may notice occasional bad breath particularly after eating a particular food. It is very important that you avoid foods that cause bad breath and keep log of your meals, not only because you want to avoid bad breath but because it is good health practice. It can help prevent unnecessary allergic reactions.
• Quit smoking: Tobacco products apart from causing bad breath can also cause teeth stain and may also lead to more serious medical conditions.
• You can also ensure that you keep the mouth moist always: chewing on healthy gum, candy can help continually stimulate saliva production in the mouth.

• There are also natural remedies for treating bad breath. most of which are short-term, such as chewing on mint. Fennel is also an excellent mouth freshener that has been traditionally known over the years. The acidic contents in lemon makes lemon juice a wonderful treatment for halitosis. Even tea can help combat the occurrence of bad breath. From green tea, to our regular black tea, there is a strong presence of antioxidant polyphenols and these can curb the growth of odor-causing bacteria in the mouth.

If after practicing these health tips, you still notice frequent episodes of bad breath, do not hesitate to visit the dentist as it may be a symptom of a more serious underlying health condition.