Bad Breath and Kissing

If you’ve ever read online dating forums or advice columns or advice columns you know bad breath can be a deal breaker when it comes to first dates. This is why singles suffering from halitosis are often anxious on the first date. First kisses are nerve wracking enough without having to worry about halitosis. If you struggle with bad breath, you don’t have to miss out on the first kiss. Here are five helpful tips on how to make sure your mouth is ready when the time comes to pucker up:

1) Take BreathGemz Bad Breath Pills
Breath fresheners that contain sugar or alcohol can actually make breath worse. The bacteria in your mouth actually feeds off of the sugar - reproducing and creating sulfur compounds. Likewise, alcohol dries out the saliva that naturally breaks down debris. Mints and gum just make the problem worse. A better strategy is using a breath freshening capsule like BreathGemz. These pills eliminate bad breath rather than masking it and neutralize food odors including garlic, onions, and spicy foods. Breathgemz contain an all-natural liquid containing a blend of parsley seed oil and sunflower oil and are coated with a proprietary coating called Instimint™ that produces an instant minty fresh feeling. The combo addresses bad breath from the inside out. Take one before the date and a couple after diner as well.

2) Don’t Drink too Much
With first date jitters it can be easy to drink more alcohol than you would otherwise, but alcohol is a drying agent and drinking alcohol in excess can quickly kill off saliva, which is important in maintaining good breath. Additionally, some liquor and dark beers can cause strong unpleasant odors in even the freshest of mouths.

3) Don’t Smoke
Smoking can cause a stale smoky odor to linger in your mouth long after you’ve finished a cigarette and it also dries the mouth, making a more hospitable climate for bacteria. If you want to be ready for a spontaneous kiss avoid smoking before the date (and consider quitting for good to improve your health and breath for good).

4) Get Plenty of Water
Nerves can cause dry mouth, and a dry mouth can exacerbate bad breath so make sure you get plenty of water before and during the date. Don’t be afraid to bring a water bottle on your way to the date and order a glass of water with dinner. Drinking water regularly will not only improve your breath, it will also improve your skin and overall health.

5) Avoid “Bad Breath Foods”
Certain foods such as garlic, onions, citrus juices, and coffee are considered “bad breath foods.” Acidic foods like tomatoes, oranges, pineapple, and grapefruit can upset the pH balance in your mouth, causing bacteria to multiply faster. Avoid these ingredients, if possible, to make it easier for breath fresheners to do their jobs.

Remember, at the end of the night, if the date went well, lip locking is a possibility, but certainly not required. If you are concerned about your breath consider a romantic hug and kiss on the cheek. This will allow you to buy some time and let the relationship grow a little deeper before having to broach the subject of bad breath.

These tricks will help minimize the difficult dating situations that bad breath can cause, but they won’t cure the problem for good. With holiday parties, seasonal get-togethers, and mistletoe sightings around the corner, it's time to stock up on the recommended products that can help eliminate your halitosis. If you suffer from chronic seemingly untreatable halitosis visit a clinic specializing in bad breath treatment, as there are a number of potential medical and physiological factors that a professional will be able to diagnose and address.

About the Author: Dr. Dailley has been practicing dentistry since 1981 and founded the Center for Breath Treatment in 1996. He holds a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University as well as a Dental Degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr. Dailley performs on-going reserach for bad breath solutions to help cure bad breath. Visit Dr. Dailley, a bad breath dentist with a 99% success rate.

The Reality Behind the Bad Breath Myths

Last week we discussed common misconceptions that our culture perpetuates regarding chronic bad breath, or halitosis. This week we’ll review those five myths and go into the reality behind them and how to remedy bad breath knowing those myths.

Myth 1: Mouthwash eliminates severe bad breath

Despite common rumors about mouthwash being the quick fix to bad breath, mouthwash in fact does not remove severe bad breath. It’s true that using mouthwash as part of your dental hygiene routine helps promote positive dental health; however, mouthwash cannot fix halitosis. When one suffers from chronic bad breath, the cure is far beyond practicing good oral hygiene. Mouthwash can actually worsen severe halitosis because the alcohol present in mouthwash exacerbates the halitosis condition by drying the mouth.

Reality: Use an alcohol-free mouthwash to continue practicing healthy dental hygiene without further dehydrating your mouth. If you find bad breath persists, visit the Center for Breath Treatment to discuss options for remedying chronic bad breath.

Myth #2: If you blow into your hand, you can tell if you have bad breath

This well-known ‘diagnosis’ for bad breath is unfortunately, misleading and ineffective. As we mentioned in our previous post, your nose grows accustomed to the scents surrounding it and therefore, cannot detect chronic, ongoing bad breath. The cup your hands and sniff method may be effective for self-diagnosing momentary bad breath (like right after eating an onion), but fails to accurately reveal chronic bad breath.

Myth #3: Chronic bad breath is a hygiene problem

Dr. Dailley specializes in getting rid of bad breath for his patients who suffer from chronic halitosis and often needs to dispel the myth himself that bad breath exists because of a lack of proper hygiene. He notes that most halitosis patients come to the Center For Breath Treatment practicing consistent and healthy dental hygiene. For chronic and severe bad breath, the problem typically exists because of hereditary issues or a physiological conditions and have no correspondence with proper oral hygiene.

Reality: 90% of bad breath problems come from an excess of a certain type of bacteria present in the mouth. Various causes may trigger the production of these particular bacteria, such as sinus congestion, allergies or post-nasal drips and other nasal-related conditions.

Myth #4: Bad breath is caused by certain foods

Temporary bad breath can emerge from eating foul-odor producing foods; however, the bad breath is transient and can be neutralized by brushing teeth, using mouthwash or chewing gum. When speaking about halitosis, or severe and chronic bad breath, the mouth odor exists regardless of food consumption.

Reality: Halitosis persists regardless of the foods consumed or the foods avoided. As mentioned earlier in this post, 90% of halitosis cases are caused by hereditary or physiological issues. Furthermore, only in rare and extreme cases does halitosis exist due to stomach or medical reasons. It’s important to speak with a breath cure specialist to examine your symptoms and condition to determine the best course of action to battle your bad breath.

Myth #5: There is no cure for bad breath

Some people have tried the popular misconception ‘cures’ to bad breath without success and come to the conclusion that there is no cure for bad breath . The reality is that those ‘cures’ for bad breath are directed toward momentary, situational bad breath, not toward chronic bad breath. The most important step in fighting bad breath is accurately determining the cause of bad breath.

Reality: There IS a cure for bad breath. Dr. Dailley’s patients experience a 99% success rate when treated because he can examine the symptoms and causes of the halitosis thus determining a cause. If you live outside of California and cannot visit the Center for Breath Treatment in person, an at-home treatment kit to fight bad breath is available to remedy your bad breath. Give us a call at 1-888-FRESH-03 (1-888-373-7403) to set up a bad breath consultation.

Bottom line: There IS a cure for bad breath. Seek help and take action now!

About the Author: Dr. Anthony Dailley has been practicing dentistry for over 30 years and conducts research pertaining to bad breath treatments and remedies at the California Pacific Lab. Dr. Dailley holds a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University as well as a dental degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr Dailley specializes in curing chronic bad breath and founded the nationally acclaimed Center for Breath Treatment.