Bad breath is medically termed as halitosis. Oral hygiene is very important and when you develop bad breath, it is a sign that you have a poor dental habits. However, bad breath can also be caused by the kind of food eaten or some underlying disorders.
Causes of bad breath
The primary cause of bad breath is poor dental habit. Brushing and flossing help to completely clean the mouth of bacteria buildup.
Bad breath also results from smoking and tobacco-chewing.
If you have persistent bad breath, then it can be an infection of the gum or periodontal disease. Poor fit of denture, dental caries and yeast infection can cause bad breath, too.
Some patients with existing medical conditions such as pneumonia or bronchitis, chronic sinus infections, postnasal drip, diabetes, chronic acid reflux, and liver or kidney problems may also complain of developing bad breath.
To avoid the embarrassment of having people shun you because your mouth stinks, here are tips you must not ignore on how to avoid bad breath.
More than just brushing your teeth
Bad breath can be embarrassing so it is very important to have good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth at least two times a day.
Brushing is one way of cleaning your mouth and should involve not only the teeth but portions between the tongue and teeth as well to practice oral health and maintain a fresher breath.
Brushing the teeth should at least be done twice or thrice a day including one session before sleeping a night.
Thorough cleaning of the tongue is also part of the daily brushing habit. Unpleasant odor can start from the tongue because that bacteria causing the bad smell can accumulate easily and may not be seen.
Suctioning your tongue is another way of pulling out these particles.
Remember as well to swish your drinks in areas within the mouth including those between the teeth to regularly remove the accumulating materials.
The toothbrush, a dental scraper or the edge of a spoon may be used to scrape the particles out of the tongue. Here’s how to freshen bad breath.
Flossing after brushing
Flossing is also one way on how to get rid of bad breath. Flossing can be done right after brushing your teeth to get rid of particles that are left between teeth after brushing. First time flossers may experiencing bleed from their gums are moving the floss back and forth between teeth to remove dislodged food particles. However, the succeeding flossing sections may lessen the bleeding and eventually lead to zero bleeding as you regularly floss.
Flossers can also smell an odor after moving the floss between their teeth and this supports the fact that flossing is very important to get rid of bad breath.
Mouthwash for fresher breath
The use of mouthwash or mouth rinse is also fully ensures that bad breath goes away.
Mouthwash not only helps in preventing bad breath but also keeps a mouth moist. The liquid should be maintained in the mouth or gargled within the teeth and tongue area to benefit from its effect.
Contraction of the perioral muscles of the face as well as head movement can also help in good distribution of the effects of the mouthwash.
The liquid can also be bubbled at the back of the mouth to kill the germs at the innermost side of the mouth or area near the throat.
An antiseptic is a kind of mouthwash that should be part of an oral cleaning routine since it can disintegrate bacterial plaque that not only result in bad breath but also causes gingivitis and cavities.