Oh oh oh, do you open your mouth to talk and people close their nose? Many of us have bad breath. Some of us for short period, and others it is persistent. Facts says that up to 50% of people have offensive mouth odor at all times. The medical term given to smelly mouth is halitosis, and you can develop it even if you brush and floss always - in fact, bad breath is often not caused by the teeth - but by gums and tongue mostly.
Mouth odor is one thing you might fail to notice yourself, and no one would tell you (because it is not easy to do so. Imagine telling your Boss, "Madam Oyin, your mouth is smelly.") Many people will stay away from you, and you may run out of friends easily. It is very essential that you take care of yourself before you step out, and yes, look out for your loved ones and the people around you too.
What are the causes of bad breath?
Bad breath can emanate from several causes. When we wake up in the morning, many of us mouths do not smell fresh and this is normal. But if you brush your teeth before bed in the night, the next morning mouth smell may not be too bad, and some don't even smell at all.
- In most scenarios, just like in bad body odor, bad breath is caused by bacteria assisting in breaking down bits of food in the mouth. Uncontrollable bad breath is often a sign of gum disease.
- Eating of strongly spiced or flavored foods such as onions and garlic can result to unpleasant smell in the mouth.
- Smoking of cigarettes and consuming a lot of alcohol can also lead to bad breath.
- Also, bad breath can be as a result of an illness or infection, or the aftermath of taking a medication.
How to discover that you have bad breath
1. Surround yourself with very good and true friends who would be honest on telling what is wrong or bad with you at all times.
2. A simple test you can also do yourself is to lick a part on your wrist, then smell after the saliva has dried up. If that part smells unpleasant, it is likely your breath smells bad too.
How to prevent bad mouth odor
It is not that hard to keep your teeth and gums healthy at the same time so as to improve your bad breath. Try the steps below to give you that fresh and clean breath.
1. Brush and floss always
The sticky buildup on your teeth attracts bacteria that cause bad breath. Food that is trapped also add to the problem. You should brush your teeth at least twice each day, and floss at lease once. If you are worried about your breath, you can do both more often but do not overdo it, because it can wear down your teeth making them susceptible to decay if you brush too hard.
2. Rinse your mouth.
Rinse your mouth daily with a good mouthwash (one that kills germs that cause bad breath and stop bad breath at its source). Mouthwash gets rid of bacteria, freshen your teeth.3. Scrape your tongue.
The coating which forms on the tongue can be a host for smelly bacteria. You have to gently brush your tongue with your toothbrush to do away with them. A scraper can be used if your brush is too big to easily reach the back of your tongue. Scrapers are designed uniquely to apply equal pressure across the surface of the tongue area. This gets rid of bacteria, food debris, and dead cells that brushing alone won’t take care of.4. Avoid foods that sour your breath.
Brushing after you eat foods such as onions and garlic won't help your bad breath. Just don't eat them, or totally avoid them before you go out to meet people. The substances that causes bad breath in such food fights their way into your bloodstream and lungs, enabling you to breath out unpleasant smell.
5. Stop the tobacco habit.
Besides been a cancer causing agent, tobacco can destroy your gums, leave you with a stained teeth and bad breath. OTC (over-the-counter) nicotine patches can help tame the urge. Join a program that can help kick the tobacco habit.
6. Skip after-dinner mints and chew gum instead.
Bacteria in the mouth enjoy sugar and they use it to make acid. This acid causes bad breath and wear down the teeth. Chew sugarless gums instead of mints.7. Endeavour to keep your gums healthy.
Gum disease lead to bad breath. Bacteria assembles in pockets at the base of teeth, which creates an odor.8. Moisten your mouth.
Don't leave your mouth dry for a long time. You should drink a lot of water during day, because you can incur tooth decay and smelly breath if you don't make enough saliva. Chew sugarless gum or lick sugar-free hard candy.
9. Visit your doctor.
If your bad breath remain persistent despite your best efforts to get rid of them, make sure to see your doctor.
I hope this helps. Stay healthy!
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