Natural Skin Care Guide

A bad breath is often a cause of embarrassment. An unpleasant odor in our breath is called bad breath. Chronic bad breath is also known as halitosis. Bad breath is not contagious. However its duration depends on how it has been caused. It is generally caused by breaking down of the protein by the bacteria somewhere inside the mouth. The bacteria causing the foul smell cannot survive where there is free supply of oxygen. They mostly remain hidden on the surface of the tongue between the papillae of the tongue where oxygen are deficient. It is almost impossible to remove these bacteria completely even after cleaning your tongue. These naturally occurring bacteria feeds on proteins and produces a byproduct called volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) which is the cause of bad breath. Everybody has VSC in their mouth at different levels. When VSC level is high we get smell, when it is low it does not produce bad smell. Sometimes bad breath can be a sign that a medical condition needs attention immediately. If you have diabetes, chronic liver or kidney disease or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) then ask your doctor what bad breath may mean for your condition.

Though many of us have halitosis but we are not always aware of it because the odor detecting cells of our nose get used to the smell. So, the question naturally crops up how to detect it. Here are some ways to detect the bad breath.

1. Lick the back of our hand, wait for some time then sniff it. If you find a foul smell from there then you are having bad breath.
2. Doctors often use a device called halimeter to measure the level of VSC in mouth. The high level of VSC indicated bad breath.
3. Stand in front of a mirror, pull your tongue upwards. Look for the whitish mark at the back of your tongue. If you find any white mark there then it means you are infected.
4. Ask someone whom you rely for feedback.
5. Take dental floss move it up and down between your teeth then smell it. If it smells badly then you are having a breathing disorder

Treating halitosis:

• You can visit your dentist and check if you have any oral problems. If any oral problem is detected the dentist will fix it. Otherwise, you can try out these simple things.
• Use dental floss or toothpick to clean between the teeth at least once a day.
• Visit your doctor once in every 6 months for dental check up. Get your teeth cleaned up by professionals.
• Use mouthwash before going to bed regularly.
• Clean your tongue using a tongue cleaner thoroughly from inside and at the back of tongue.
• Drink plenty of water every day to help your body make saliva. The saliva washes away decaying food and odors from our mouth.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, alcoholic beverages and keep away from smoking.
• Clean your teeth especially after taking dairy products, meat of fish.
• Eat leafy vegetables and fruits in plenty. Some other products that can keep your breath fresh and prevent the plaque from occurring are sugarless chewing gum, breath mint, raw carrot, celery.