Bad breath – nobody talks about it, nobody points it out and sometimes you are not even aware that you are possessed by it. Bad breath is a social taboo. It is hard to be around a person who has bad breath and much harder to point the fact out (so is bad body odor)
The problem is an easy fix though. Halitosis or bad breath refers to the smell when you exhale or talk or open your mouth. Sometimes bad breath could be because of a dental disease such as periodontal or gum diseases. About 20 % of the population suffer from bad breath and only 5% seem to be aware of it!
Most often bad breath can be easily taken care of by improving oral hygiene. Some things you could do to avoid embarrassing yourself and others
- Avoid dry mouth
Dry mouth is the number one reason why people have bad breath. It is also called xerostomia. Dry mouth can be avoided by sipping water regularly. If you are working at your desk for long hours, don’t forget to sip water through out the day. Dry mouth often leads to bacteria growth inside the mouth that leads to bad breath. Try brushing your teeth after every meal and flossing them at least once a day.
- Tongue cleaner
Invest in the $2 tongue cleaner. Tongue cleaner should be compulsorily used after brushing –it helps to clean the bacteria and food builds up. You can get rid of 95% of bad breath issues with this powerful tool.
- Mouth wash
Use a mouthwash after every meal. Try to find a mouthwash, which helps with dry mouth. For people living in USA, Biotene is a good brand to use. Remember to use a mouthwash after brushing your teeth.
If it’s a periodontal disease that’s the reason for bad breath, then a trip to the dentist is a must. Most people in western countries have a scheduled dentist visit every three months- this is a must to keep teeth and gums healthy. The habit of seeing a dentist every quarter is yet to be developed in the majority of people living in India. In India, people visit the dentist only when something is severely wrong. This results in losing teeth prematurely –most people over the age of 55 in India would have some or the other tooth problem.
The easiest way to know if you suffer from bad breath is to ask a friend but if you can’t do that then there is another way to find this out. It could gross you out a little but remember bad breath is ugly and people don’t want to be around a person who has bad breath. After flossing, smell the floss-if that smells then so does your breath!