Everyone is familiar with the curse of bad breath. The reason behind it could be morning breath, or it could be a smelly meal, or maybe it happens out of nowhere. Bad breath is extremely unattractive, its unpleasant and most of all, it’s really embarrassing.
Now, it’s common knowledge that bad breath is linked to poor oral hygiene and not brushing your teeth. But sometimes, even when you remember to brush twice a day every day, you might find that your breath STILL smells. Why does that happen?
If you brush your teeth regularly, and you still have bad breath, the reason might be one of the following:
1. Your diet
Do you love the tastes of onion and garlic? Can’t live without that morning coffee? Certain foods alter the production of bacteria in the mouth, causing a foul breath that sticks to the teeth and oral cavity despite rigorous brushing.
2. You are ill
If you have a cold, sinusitis, or sore throat, you won’t be able to shake off bad breath. Chronic reflux of stomach acids also leads to chronic bad breath. However, this can be more serious. Certain illnesses such as gallbladder dysfunction, liver disease and diabetes also give off a distinctive bad smell. It could be the warning sign that alerts you that you have this condition.
3. You have a cavity
Most people don’t realize they have a decaying tooth until the pain is unbearable or the tooth literally blackens and starts to break. One of the signs of a cavity is also a foul smell which comes off the decaying tooth as bacteria break down the tooth enamel with their acids. So check in the mirror, you might have a hidden cavity.
4. Your mouth is dry
Saliva cleanses your mouth, removing particles that cause bad odors. A disease called dry mouth or xerostomia contributes to bad breath because production of saliva is decreased. Does your mouth feel dry all the time?
The most fool-proof method of eliminating bad breath is to scrape your tongue.
Gently brush the surface of your tongue with your toothbrush to get rid of the pale white coating on our tongues. It can serve as a host for unpleasant smelling bacteria. Tongue scraping is difficult to accomplish with a brush. Tongue scrapers are much better at cleaning the tongue thoroughly. They are specifically designed to apply even pressure on the tongue’s surface whilst removing food debris, bacteria, and dead cells that cannot be removed using a toothbrush alone.
So when you next brush your teeth, scrape your tongue thoroughly and then pop a sugar-free mint gum or just chew on a mint leaf to keep the bad breath at bay.
For any disease or medical condition, it is important to find out WHY it’s happening, otherwise you can only control it, but you will never get rid of it! So think about these possible reasons and consult your dentist. He will help you figure out the cause behind your constant bad breath so that you can truly get rid of it for good.