Are You Ashamed Of Your Bad Breath?
by Sandra Prentice
There's nothing more embarrassing than seeing a look of distaste on someone's face when you're talking to them when you know it's caused by your bad breath.
Just what causes bad breath and what can you possibly do about it?
There are a few pretty obvious causes of bad breath. We all know that if we eat pungent foods like garlic and onions, then for a certain amount of time afterwards we have pretty whiffy breath. Fortunately, these types of foods are only temporary causes of bad breath and their effects will eventually wear off.
What about the other causes that can be more long-lasting? Most bad breath is caused by food particles that are trapped in our mouths. Any food that is trapped in the mouth for a long period becomes a breeding ground for the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath.
Having a dry mouth can also lead to bad breath. Adequate saliva production will help to prevent bad breath and anything that stops saliva production, such as drinking alcohol or being anxious is bad news as far as your breath is concerned.
If you don't look after your oral hygiene and/or you're a smoker, then you may suffer from bad breath.
On a more serious note, bad breath can indicate an underlying medical condition such as lung, stomach or blood problems or even diabetes.
If you know that you have a problem with bad breath, how can you combat it?
One of the best things you can do for starters is pay particular attention to good oral hygiene every day. Something a lot of people still don't do is brush the tongues as well as the teeth and gums. It will pay to get a tongue scraper as this will do a better job of removing stray food particles and dead skin from the tongue that can be contributory factors to bad breath.
Get regular checkups and remedial treatment from a dentist to ensure that no oral health problem is allowed to creep up on you unawares.
If you can't brush your teeth after every meal then at least swill your mouth round with water to dislodge stray food particles that might otherwise become trapped between your teeth.
You should get into the habit of chewing sugarfree gum or sugerfree lozenges to encourage the production of saliva.
Another good habit to get into is the twice a day usage of mouthwash - morning and evening. The most sensible ones to pick are those that do not contain alcohol - far too many of them do.
Stop smoking and avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Start eating leafy green vegetables - parsley's a good one. These types of vegetables contain chlorophyll which is one of nature's breath fresheners.
The above tips will help to combat bad breath problems, but the next time you're embarrassed by your bad breath, just remember you're not alone, it's a problem you share with an estimated 40 million Americans.
If you're looking for
bad breath cause information then the Website of Sandra Prentice, a health professional for twenty years, has what you're looking for. Check it out at:
http://www.badbreath.no1-source.com You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own
unique content version here.
