Imagine standing close up to someone with bad breath and you find it difficult to inhale air around them because it smells like a pit that is about to be excavated. Halitosis or Bad breath is a major embarrassing factor that has plagued a lot of people. People that suffer from halitosis usually find it difficult to complain about the stink and are stuck wondering what they should do about it. Common relief that have been employed include sucking on minted sweets or chewing gum which only offer temporary solution to the problem. And brushing teeth regularly? That’s quite important but they aren’t as effective as permanent solution to bad breath according to a scientific review by researchers in Brazil.
It is essential that a holistic approach is adopted to quell bad breath.
You might want to ask what causes bad breath?
The main cause are volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) which come out as fumes that should be emitted from the anus as farts rather than from the mouth. Researchers believe that the sulphur compounds substrates are the major cause of halitosis. Volatile sulphur compounds usually come up as a result of the continuous interaction between bacteria in your mouth and infections or disease conditions present in the mouth. These interactive conditions usually occur in the crevices and corners present in your teeth.
However, a research study published in the journal of Clinical Periodontology found out that the tongue might be the main problem. The study found out that the large surface area of the tongue which is made up of a lot of cracks and grooves helps it to harbour a lot of micro-
organisms that creates the volatile sulphur compounds.
As a matter of fact, different research studies conducted in Asia found out that “coating the tongue” produced a high amount of volatile sulphur compounds in people’s mouths.
This perhaps lay credence to the smelly breath most people have when they wake up in the morning as the compounds build up over night.
You might want to ask what actually helps to stop bad breath? Try the steps below:
-Clean your tongue
Cleaning your tongue while you brush your teeth helps to remove and provide an uncomfortable area for the bacteria that create volatile sulphur compounds which in turn reduces the odour that comes out from your mouth. This can be achieved by brushing or scraping your tongue from back to front with a soft brush or plastic/wooden tongue scraper. A wooden or plastic tongue scraper is a much better option as it it has a larger surface area which allows it to remove a larger amount of bacteria from your mouth than a brush that would remove small bits into different parts of your mouth. A review published in the British Medical Journal found out that people who use a tongue scraper reduce volatile sulphur compounds by 42 percent as opposed to 33 percent in those who brush their tongue.
-Brush and floss twice a day
Of course brushing your teeth twice a day will remove micro-organisms and tiny food particles which may cause volatile sulphur compounds. People that floss and have tried sniffing it would testify to the offensive odour that comes with it. That odour is due to unhealthy bacteria. Moreover, inflammation of the gums can lead to bad breath and as such, regular dental check ups are required. Keep your mouth well-hydrated A “dehydrated mouth” will dead cells on your tongue, gums, and cheeks build up. Not having enough saliva to wash these cells away will encourage bacteria multiplication as they would feed on the dead cells to produce sulphur
molecules which will cause bad breath. Dry mouth can be moistened with mouth wash and rinsers. If these are not readily accessible, simply rinse your mouth with water. This action is enough to remove some of the bacteria that causes the production of the volatile compounds.
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