Best Ways to Fight Bad Breath

Bad breath, also called halitosis, is a rampant problem in this country. In fact, it has been estimated that as many as 90 million Americans suffer from bad breath chronically. Furthermore, according to surveys, Americans spend about $33 million annually on mints, gum, mouthwashes, toothpastes and bad breath products, which fail to remedy the problem most of the time.

Because bad breath is a genuine health problem, it’s better to address it seriously than try to ignore it by covering it up with minty aromas. Bad breath can negatively affect many aspects of a person’s life. Because foul breath is off-putting to others, it may be very socially isolating. It can also cause unpleasant conflicts in romantic relationships. Fortunately, there are many things that someone can do to remedy the problem. Here are some of the best ways to fight bad breath.

 Rinse After Eating

After you eat, your teeth are left with a film of food residue over them that feeds bacteria and causes unpleasant odors. It is recommended that you rinse your mouth thoroughly after meals and snacks, particularly sugary ones, in order to flush the food residue from your teeth. This keeps bacterial numbers down, keeps breath fresh and helps to protect your teeth.

Acidic Foods and Drinks

Some popular acidic foods and drinks can actually cause bad breath on their own. Your mouth naturally tends toward an alkaline pH, ideally staying at 6.5 or higher. Acidic foods lower this number, upsetting the delicate pH balance and allowing odor-causing bacteria to flourish. Try consuming fewer of these things or eliminating them from your diet all together.

Quit Smoking

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of halitosis in adults. Tobacco taints the breath with its pungent aromas and also causes dry mouth. A lack of saliva flow leads to increased mouth acidity and favorable conditions for odor-causing bacteria to breed in.

Keep Well Hydrated

Staying well hydrated is important so as to prevent dehydration. Dry mouth, or xerostomia, is one of the more common causes of halitosis, so maintaining a moist oral environment is important. Also when the mouth gets dry the volatile sulfur compounds that are responsible for bad breath odors will evaporate into the air more rapidly.

Correct Brushing

Brushing seems like a simple affair, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. In fact, many people don’t realize that they do it the wrong way. Shoddy brushing leaves behind all sorts of plaque and food residue, both of which are major contributors to bad breath. You should always brush your teeth in small circles for maximum effectiveness, not strictly up and down or side to side. Furthermore, brushing should last a full two minutes for the sake of thoroughness.

About the Author: Dr. Dailley is a practicing dentist and halitosis specialist in the Bay Area. After receiving a degree in dentistry as well as Cell & Molecular Biology, Dr. Dailley opened a practice where patients that want to http://www.breathcure.com/ can seek his medical advice and aid. He also has an online store featuring the most advanced halitosis remedies.

Preparing for your Halitosis Consultation

You’ve noticed that you have bad breath and took the right step to seek help from a specialist at a bad breath clinic. Great news! In order to get the most out of your appointment, it’s a smart idea to do a little prep work.

Before Going to your Appointment
It’s best to schedule your appointment in the morning. It’s encouraged that abstain from the following activities for at least 2-3 hours before your appointment:

•     Smoking
•     Drinking
•     Eating (including chewing gum)
•     Brushing your teeth
•     Applying perfumes or scented cosmetics

These activities could mask or exaggerate the degree of your halitosis.

Common Questions You May be Asked
In addition to your oral hygiene patterns and personal halitosis experience (when it started, what seems to trigger it, etc) the doctor will likely ask a great deal of questions about your personal habits. Smoking, the foods you eat, snoring, mouth breathing and certain foods can heavily influence your breath quality. He may also ask about other medical conditions, your general health and any genetic predisposition you may have to bad breath. Other illnesses as well as medications can be related to your halitosis. Occasionally saliva analysis will be performed also.

As with any doctor, it is important to be completely honest and open with a bad breath specialist. It’s a great idea to think about the answer to your questions prior to the appointment. Ask your significant other if you snore. Consider whether your folks had strong breath. These answers are important and will help the breath specialist make the right diagnosis and find you the right treatment.

Actions the Doctor May Perform
The doctor will normally smell your mouth and nose breath and personally assess the degree of your halitosis. He or she may also use a tongue scraper to gauge the smell of the back of your tongue. For a more technical assessment, halitosis specialists will use a halimeter. This tool measures the volatile sulphur compounds that exist in your mouth.

Reasonable Expectations
Seeing a specialist about your bad breath is a great initial step to treating your halitosis. This doesn’t mean you will be cured and have instant fresh breath driving home. Resolving a halitosis condition typically takes anywhere from 1-4 days to be eliminated once an accurate diagnosis has been made.

You will also have a thorough understanding of what the contributing factors are to your halitosis condition. The doctor should also provide you with the severity level of your halitosis. Based on this, he or she should be able to recommend some halitosis remedies or a halitosis treatment kit. Make sure you are given the further steps you should take. The specialist may ask that you come in for a follow-up appointment.

All these steps will make sure the appointment you have is as productive and efficient as possible.


About the Author: Dr. Dailley runs a bad breath clinic in the Bay Area seeing patients from all over the country. He operates with a 99% success rate. With a degree in dentistry as well as Cell & Molecular Biology, Dr. Dailley can help cure your bad breath and start living a happier and healthier life. Shop his website for over-the-counter bad breath treatments.

Preventing Gum Disease

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease or periodontitis is a condition of unhealthy gums. Gum disease can affect one or many teeth. Gum disease starts with bacteria growing in your mouth. While it’s normal to have bacteria in your mouth, if one does not practice proper dental hygiene, this bacteria can build up and cause gingivitis and eventually periodontal disease which results in the loss of bone around the teeth. This unhealthy environment produces an inflammation of the gums.

When brushing or flossing inflamed gums, one may experience bleeding. This early stage of gum disease is generally referred to as gingivitis. While the teeth are securely in place at the gingivitis stage, it’s essential to address the issue so it doesn’t progress to a more threatening stage. This can be done by brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash at least twice a day, and visiting the dentist twice a year. Gum disease can lead to bad breath or halitosis as well. If you are severely suffering from halitosis, we recommend you consulting a bad breath specialist.

Other Causes of Gingivitis
You may great oral care but are still noticing sensitive, inflamed or bleeding gums. There are a few extra-oral, or non-mouth related causes of this gum disease. Changes in hormones such as pregnancy, puberty or menopause are a few times you may experience more sensitive gums. Some individuals also have a genetic disposition for getting gingivitis.

Gum disease can also be related to other illnesses or medications. Generally this is because these situations can lead to a reduction in saliva production. Bottom line: the less saliva, the more bacteria. We encourage you to speak with your doctor if you feel this may be the case. Smoking can also lead to gum disease.

Categorization of Gum Disease
There are 7 categories of periodontal disease based on severity. The classification is as follows:

1. Gingivitis
   
2. Chronic periodontitis
   
3. Aggressive periodontitis
   
4. Periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic disease
   
5. Necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis/periodontitis
   
6. Abscesses of the periodontium
   
7. Combined periodontic-endodontic lesions

The bottom 6 classes are known as destructive periodontal disease, and you will most definitely need to speak to a dentist or oral specialist. Other Risk Factors Associated with Gum Disease Like many unhealthy medical conditions, gum disease has to do with more than your gums. Periodontitis can raise the levels of C-reactive protein and Interleukin-6 and lead to additional bodily inflammation. Medical professionals have also linked periodontitis to stroke, myocardial infection and atherosclerosis. About the Author: Dr. Dailley is a practicing dentist in the Bay Area specializing if bad breath remedies. Dr. Dailley earned his dental degree from University of the Pacific School of dentistry. He then went on to build an online store featuring products for bad breath, teeth whitening products and more!