An Oral Hygiene Lesson On Bad Breath

Bad breath is a health problem that occur in many of us, due to many reasons and has a specific characteristic that causes such a disturbing smell. But what causes bad breath? On the tongue there is a bio film which contains anaerobic bacteria. The proteins from the food we eat are decomposed by these bacteria producing disturbing gases such as hydrogen sulfide.

Most of us have bad breath in the morning, but that issue can be prevented by proper oral hygiene. But proper oral hygiene does not always remove these odors, when it is caused by other reasons, like some general diseases. You have to run some tests in order to find out what causes the bad breath and then you will have to treat it in consequence. If you can follow some simple steps you can prevent or reduce the bad breath in your mouth. So here they are:

1. Oral hygiene
We must keep in mind that every time we eat we are exposed to the bacteria in our mouth. After we eat we have to brush our teeth or at least gargle with warm water. The brushing though is essential and at least twice a day: in the morning ( for beauty, as it is said ) and in the evening ( for the health ).

2. How do we brush our teeth?
You do not have to brush your teeth after every meal: it can damage the enamel. You just have to brush normally, paying attention to the direction of brushing You should brush your upper teeth in a downward direction and the lower ones in the upward direction, followed by the brushing of the crown of the teeth ( In anterior and posterior direction ). This must be applied to both inner and outer surfaces, as well as to upper and lower set of teeth. You should choose a dental brush which has smooth but hard enough bristles in order to clean effectively the food remains between the teeth.

3. Cleaning of our tongue
The tongue can be cleaned with a tongue cleaner. In the morning we can see a white or yellowish layer on the tongue and it can be removed with tongue cleaner but ensure that you do it gently, not to hurt the taste buds.

4. Tooth picks
We can use the tooth pick after every meal, especially after eating meat or fish. It is a small strip of plastic or wood with pointed ends and we can successfully use it to remove food remains between the teeth, but carefully, not to hurt the gums.

5. Gargling
Gargling is very effective after every meal, with warm water. You can find in all stores a variety of mouth wash, with different flavors or you can make your own mouth wash from water and common salt. Both help you get rid of the bad breath.

6. Food can influence our breath
What we eat is representative for our bad breath. Some food, like meat, milk, eggs contain proteins that in reaction with the bacteria from the tongue can produce bad breath. Other food items have themselves an unpleasant smell and, by eating them, we can have disturbing breath when speaking to other people. If we do not clean properly our teeth in between the gaps, the food remains will soon get an unpleasant odor. Regular meals and proper cleaning can prevent bad breath.

7. Proper hydration with water
The quantity of water that we drink also influences bad breath. But how do we relate these things? According to the quantity of water consumed depends on the saliva secretion. If the quantity of saliva is enough to keep the mouth moist, the bacteria will be reduced. If we do not drink enough water, the saliva will not be enough, causing the dryness of the mouth proper to the development of bacteria who gives us the bad breath.

8. Natural or artificial mouth fresheners?
We can choose from a large variety of mouth fresheners, both artificial and natural. It is better that you use some natural mouth fresheners because they are good for your general health and bad breath ( citrus fruits, apples, parsley ). If you do not have any natural mouth refreshments there are always the chewing gums and artificial mouth washes, which you can find in every store, but use them carefully because an intensive use of chewing gum can lead to other health complications.

If these simple tips do not work, you should take serious action in order to find out what causes your bad breath and how you can rid it. A simple visit to the doctor can clarify the alternative reasons that can cause bad breath as there are diseases which can have as a symptom bad breath ( diseases like diabetes, fevers, gastric disorders, liver diseases ). So, with simple bad breath can open doors to other health problems you might have and solve them as soon as possible. Of course, removing the cause will lead to the removal of this unpleasant effect.

If the cause of bad breath is not that serious and is a result of an infection you can treat it with the products of modern medicine such as antibiotics, anti viral, anti fungal drugs, steroids ( if the cause is a chronic or auto immune inflammatory conditions ), or even tablets that stimulate the production of the saliva.

A visit to your dentist twice a year can prevent also and cure any dental and mouth related problems. The dentist can clean your teeth by removing the tartar and the dental plaques; he will fill in the caries, which are one of the main factors that causes bad breath, with synthetic materials; eventually he will recommend a treatment for any pulp cavity problems caused by caries. If the tooth is seriously affected by the caries, it is better to extract it and replace it with a dental implant. A more serious problem is the tonsillitis, a disease that can cause bad breath by the discharges and release of pasty amalgam of materials from the caves of tonsils. This disease can be stopped through tonsillectomy ( the removal of tonsils ).

Sometimes nature gives us all that we need to cure ourselves. Homeopathy is an alternative way towards our health and in many times it may be the most effective. Homeopathy medicines are carefully prescribed, according to every individual separately; it takes in consideration any physical, intellectual, affective and social aspect of the diseased individual and the doctors can prescribe the exact dose in suitable potency. For the bad breath there are no more than 140 homeopathic medicines, We found in the homeopathic medical repertory by Dr. Robin Murphy. We mention here some of those medicines: pulsatilla, sulfur, nux vomica, ars alb, silicea, kali bich, nitric acid and a homeopathic cures for gargling after diluting in water ( tinctures like cinnamon, Q menthol, Q zingiber ).