Ways to beat bad breath
Even people who religiously and meticulously care for their
teeth and gums can still suffer from bad breath. The food we eat
is one contributing factor but there are others. People who
suffer from certain health problems such as diabetes may suffer
uncontrollably from bad breath and there is little respite for
these people. Gum disease or a build up of plaque can't always
be removed by regular brushing and unless you floss and rinse it
is unlikely you are getting rid of all these odor creators. You
should floss every time you brush and buy a tongue scraper.
Anything that cleans the tongue is good as a tongue scraper but
there are dedicated scrapers available from most stores.
If you have a health problem that is the cause of your bad
breath then you should consult your doctor and not your dentist.
Obviously, your dentist will be able to tell you if your bad
breath is caused by your mouth or by another problem and is your
likely first port of call.
Chewing gum only really serves to mask the smell of bad breath
and not fix it, despite adverts to the contrary. The sugar in
gum causes cavities and these cavities are like little shelters
for bacteria. If you eat gum with sugar replacements you may
find that your body reacts badly to them and you end up with
digestion problems that can also cause bad breath.
Consider changing your diet. If you regularly eat garlic or
onions then your breath is likely to smell regardless of whether
you brush and floss regularly or not. Eating sweet foods will
produce cavities and other problems where bacteria can hide and
rot giving bad breath.
Don't just brush your teeth. Use dental floss to get rid of the
bacteria that collects between your teeth and use a tongue
scraper to get right to the back of the tongue. A special tongue
scraper is better than the back of a special toothbrush because
of the ease of use. A toothbrush is cumbersome in comparison to
these items and unless you give your teeth and mouth the whole
works you are unlikely to get rid of bad breath.