BAD BREATH, HOW TO GET RID OF IT!

80% of bad breath is a result of the sulfur gases that are produced as bacteria digests proteins in your mouth. I want to help you understand how to cure bad breath and get your breath fresh forever!

Gum and mints are a quick fix, but they do nothing to alter the levels of bacteria in your mouth.  These serve to disguise bad breath ( halitosis ) but without proper hygiene and oral health they will not do much.  

First, lets discuss some ways to help you recognize your own bad breath.  It is very easy for others to detect it in us but it is not always discernable to us!  I will outline four easy ways to tell if you have bad breath, or halitosis.  

• Smell Your Dental Floss.  If it smells foul or rancid then your breath probably does too.
• Wipe Your Tongue With A Cloth.  You probably have bad breath if the cloth turns yellow or has an odor after a couple of minutes.
• Lick The Back Of Your Hand.  Your saliva is a direct reflection of how your breath smells.
• Blow Into A Paper Bag.  Close the bag for a few seconds and smell inside of it.  If it smells bad then your breath does too.

I would like you to concentrate on achieving a healthy oral environment.  This, in turn, will reflect itself in pleasant breath.  First, I would like you to make sure your medical health is stable, especially in regards to your stomach, liver, and kidneys.  When these are not well their unhealthy state will reflect itself in foul or bad breath.  Once you are certain your health is stable you can then concentrate on achieving and maintaining ideal oral health.  With this is check, your breath should be pleasant and free of foul odors.

Below you will read about a few recommendations on how to increase the healthy bacterial flora in your mouth.  Lets begin!

•  Water Flossing:  Use pressurized water to get even further below the gumline ( Waterpik Showerpik)
•  Mouthwash:  An alcohol-free therapeutic rinses are believed to be the most effective.  These help reduce bacteria, plaquea and gingivitis, slowing down the rate at which tartar forms.
• Floss:  Flossing twice a day will gently remove small pieces of food that get stuck between the teeth and around the gums so that they can not decay in the mouth.
• Probiotics:  Used in conjunction with daily brushing, flossing, and rinsing, these can balance out bad breath-causing bacteria with those that are actually good for your mouth.  They rebalance the bacteria in your stomach to improve digestion and hopefully bad breath.
• Green Tea: Antibacterial in nature, both green tea and tea tree oil are said to lessen the amount of sulfur compounds created in the mouth and kill odor-producing bacteria.

The essentials in maintaining a healthy oral bacterial flora is to first make certain your overall health is in check and then focus on eating the right foods, keeping a clean mouth, and using the tools and recommendations outlined above to make certain you are allowing for a balanced bacterial population in your mouth!  

Remember, I and my smile team are available to help you create that "Smile You'd Be Proud To Wear...ANYWHERE!"