Treating Bad Breath

Bad Breath is a real health and social problem especially nowadays when people will be judged at school or at the office if they emit any kind of unpleasant odor, even if they simply have no control over it. Also called halitosis, this problem is experienced by the vast majority of people at least at some point in their life time. The bad breath is caused by the bacteria that lives inside the oral cavity, feeding on nutrients on the tongue, gum or stuck between teeth. These micro organism will unleash foul smelling gases as they consume these left over food particles, thus resulting in bad breath. Treating it is possible but it can sometimes be troublesome, depending on individual and what directly has an impact on the smell.

What Leads to Having Bad Breath

The bad breath in the morning when waking up is probably most common form of this affliction. The reason this happens to all of us is because we lack saliva during the night as our body no longer focuses on producing it. Without this crucial element we have no way of trapping the gases which the bacteria are letting out, therefore the smell is far more potent and noticeable. Lack of hydration or breathing through the mouth when sick leads to the exact same problem, which is a lack of saliva. A dry mouth has no way of washing off some of the bacteria and the gas that comes from them is not halted by anything.

Lifestyle and diet are the next culprits that cause bad breath. For example smoking is a lifestyle choice and this most certainly leads to having an unpleasant breath. The nicotine, tar and other compounds found in the cigarette will stick to the teeth and tissue, thus causing a bad smell constantly. Not only that but the hot air and smoke that is being inhaled will dry the mouth, which reduced the amount of saliva and makes the bad smell even more obvious.

The Cure

Preventing is easier than treating but either way, it is no easy task to change the bad breath as it requires a constant focus on hygiene, diet and lifestyle. Regularly brushing your teeth, cleaning the tongue, flossing and using anti-bacterial mouth wash will significantly improve the quality of your breath and prevent halitosis from being encountered.

Proper hydration and maintaining a healthy diet are also crucial. Drinking water will actually clean the mouth from the gases and supply the body with what it needs to create saliva. Eating vegetables such carrots or fruits like apples will clean and hydrate. The texture of these foods will actually help to scrub the food particles and the bacteria from the teeth.

Understanding bad breath is key when it comes to prevention. A proper hygiene, healthy lifestyle and proper diet will keep the bacteria at bay by killing it directly or by removing their food source, thus limiting their numbers.