How to Get Rid of Bad Breath

Once bad breath (halitosis) has made itself a home in the mouth, it can be a pain in the tooth to get out.  Often, no matter how much one cleans, the stink just seems to come right back.  It is at these times that knowing both how to get rid of bad breath and how to mask it can make the difference between impressing someone and frightening small children.

There are many ways to give a mouth the deep cleaning that is sometimes required to get rid of stubborn smells.

Giving the Mouth a Deep Cleaning

Brushing the teeth is important for everyday maintenance, but there are other things that go along with brushing that people do not necessarily think about.  Flossing is probably the more well-known overlooked addition to the routine, though the use of a tongue scraper (less painful than it sounds) is important as well.

Flossing removes all the food particles that hang out in hard-to-reach places between teeth and along the gum-line.  Making sure to floss every time one brushes will prevent pockets of bacteria from building up in the gums and becoming more serious problems.

Tongue scrapers do just as the name implies: they scrape tongues.  The tongue is a rough, porous surface which houses all sorts of breath-destroying objects, from dead cells to food particles to thriving colonies of bacteria.  Dentists insist that poor hygiene of the tongue is a chief cause of bad breath and that using a tongue scraper is one of the best ways to improve it.  Tongue scraping should be done along-side brushing and flossing.

Mouthwash

Mouthwash is mostly used as a temporary cover-up for bad breath, though new mouthwash technologies are making them more effective than before.  Zinc ions are becoming a popular additive due to their ability to neutralize sulfur compounds.  Oil and water two-phase mouthwashes have also become more widely available.  The presence of oil in the rinse helps to combat some bacteria which have a resistance to water-based products.  Mouthwashes with alcohol in them should be strictly avoided, as they cause the mouth to dry out and create more problems than they solve.

Chewing on Things

There are many herbs and spices that people have been using for centuries to mask mouth-odor.  Mint leaf is probably the most obvious of these, though many things lurking in a typical spice cabinet can be helpful.  By carrying around a small container of these spices and chewing on them periodically, one can keep breath smelling truly delicious.

Some of these spices are:

• Mint
• Cloves
• Fennel
• Anise
• Cardamom
• Rosemary
• Tarragon

Though it usually sits lonely on the side of the plate, parsley is actually a useful herb in the reduction of bad breath.   This is due to the presence of chlorophyll in it, which acts as both an odor neutralizer and antioxidant.  Other popular sources of chlorophyll are alfalfa (the plant, not the Little Rascal), wheat grass and barley.

Washing the Dentures

Having teeth that can come out at-will might seem like paradise when it comes to cleaning them, but proper hygiene of the dentures is often overlooked.  One should always soak them in the appropriate cleaners and scrub them to make sure nothing has taken root that could rest between the dentures and the gums and allow bacteria to thrive.

If the breath-of-doom still persists, then it might time to visit the dentist and have some deep-cleaning done.  The dentist is also a good source of information in telling one exactly what he or she might be doing (or not doing) that is causing bad breath to linger.

Bad breath (also known as halitosis) is a plague that ravages civilized society and brings even the strongest of men and women to their knees.  So many things revolve around face-to-face contact with other people that even the most innocent odor emitting from one’s mouth can become a barrier to social interaction.  Knowing how to get rid of bad breath begins with an understanding of what causes it.

There are two main ways to categorize halitosis:

• Transient – A temporary condition that comes on and passes, such as when waking up in the morning or after a meal of particularly stinky foods.  Transient halitosis disappears when the mouth is cleaned or whatever is causing the bad breath leaves a person’s system.
• Persistent (chronic) – Approximately 25 percent of people experience this form of halitosis sometime during their lives.  It involves more serious causes which will not go away without some effort.

Both types of halitosis can be caused by a variety of conditions, some easily treatable and others less so.

Bacteria in your mouth can cause problems.

Bacteria

The most prominent cause of bad breath is the bacteria that live in everyone’s mouth.  There are more than 600 types of bacteria that live there, and these bacteria build up over time.  As they break down they give off some foul-smelling odors which proceed to make their way out of the mouth and into the face of the nearest person.  It is estimated that around 90 percent of mouth-stink is the result of bacteria.

If left to do their own thing, bacteria will find their way into all sorts of hiding spots inside the mouth, making it difficult to remove them and potentially leading to more serious mouth conditions, such as gingivitis or periodontitis.  These other conditions, in addition to being more of a pain to deal with, add their own unique aromas to the potpourri of stench that forms in one’s mouth.

Lingering Food

One of the easiest bad breath problems to deal with is the stink of foods that, while they sure may taste good going down, do not smell so great coming back around.  Usually a brush of the teeth to remove left-overs or a masking agent such as mints or mouthwash will do the trick.

Tasty, but not so great on the breath.

Other foods, such as garlic or onions, are more persistent.  These foods do not actually create their stench in the mouth.  Instead, they enter into the blood stream and recycle their odor through the lungs.  Therefore, every breath that comes out contains a not-so-fresh scent.  If one’s significant other loves the smell of garlic or onions, this might not be much of a hassle, but otherwise a masking agent should be used until the food works its way out of the blood stream and breath returns to normal.

Disease

There are several diseases that can affect the breath, not all of them mouth-related.  A few of these are:

• Gum disease
• Sinus infections
• Putrefaction of the tonsils
• Acid reflux
• Liver and kidney problems
• Diabetes
• Metabolic dysfunction
• Bronchial / lung infections
• Respiratory tract infections
• Yeast infections of the mouth
• Dry mouth

Each of these diseases creates its own unique odor, from fruity to fishy.  Many conditions can be dealt with by consulting a dentist, while others may require more specialized medical help to deal with the disease itself as opposed to just worrying about the bad breath symptoms.

Stinky Habits

There are quite a few things that people put into their mouth in the pursuit of pleasure that wind up having a negative effect on their breath.  Smoking is the most obvious of these, along with chewing tobacco.  Alcohol is another one, as it dries out the mouth and creates optimal conditions for bacteria to breed.  These habits also contribute to the development of periodontal disease, which will further bring on the stink.

Whatever the cause, bad breath is something that can be dealt with by investing a little time (and, unfortunately, money as well).  Dentists are often one of the best sources to find cures to this most offensive of life’s problems.

Photo of bacteria courtesy of renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Checking one’s own breath to determine if there is a problem is not always the most effective of methods.  A bad taste in the mouth is not even a reliable indicator, as this is sometimes completely separate from the quality of smell coming out.  Even if ones breath is utterly toxic, the people around will tend to not say anything for fear of being impolite.  It is possible to wander normally throughout the day without realizing that bad breath is afoot until babies start crying when one attempts to play with them.

Unfortunately, other people aren't always honest about bad breath.

Does Your Breath Smell Fresh?

Asking another person to smell ones mouth is the most accurate way to get a reading on toxicity levels in the mouth.  This is not always the easiest of things to do, even when the person being asked is well-known and trustworthy.  A few other methods exist, though they are not as reliable.

Some choose to lick the back of the wrist, letting the saliva dry and then smelling it.  This tends to be inaccurate because the end result of the dried saliva is going to be much worse than the mouth actually is.  There are home tests available for purchase that can check the levels of odor-causing chemicals in the mouth, but the presence or absence of these compounds does not always reflect the state of odor.  Also, mouth odor will change throughout the day, so what once smelled like a field of flowers can change to something more reminiscent of a garbage dump without warning.

Unfortunately, asking another person to catch a whiff of whatever mystery resides in your mouth is the only way to know for sure what state of horror yourbreath has become.  This is, of course, assuming that they do not decide to lie about it as a practical joke.

Trust Thy Dentist

The dentist is the fountain of wisdom which can bestow upon his patient the truth of whether or not their breath is inappropriately noxious and give advice on how to get rid of bad breath.  They also have the know-how to determine whether the problem itself is actually mouth-related or whether there is another cause, possibly one more serious.  If there is something potentially hazardous that is causing mouth-odor, then the dentist can refer their patient to an appropriate doctor.

Dentists know what they're talking about.

Before visiting, there are a few protocols that one should follow so that the dentist can make a more accurate diagnosis of breath problems.  First of all, brushing, smoking, chewing gum and eating or drinking anything should be avoided for at least two or three hours before the visit.  Also, no perfumes, deodorants or other scented products should be worn.  Any of these could potentially mask the true smell of the breath and prevent the dentist from being able to figure out the cause.  In addition, one should let the dentist know if he or she has taken any antibiotics within the past month, as these too can complicate matters.

In the end, a dentist is the best judge of a mouth’s offensiveness.  They are paid to tell the truth and, to be quite frank, get paid even more if there is something wrong that they can fix.  Though often associated with fear, dentists are still doctors and will treat their patients with respect and care.