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5 Things You Must Know About Bad Breath

We have all suffered from bad breath at times. Halitosis or bad breath rapidly puts other people off and will limit your social life. Here are the five things you must know about bad breath:

1. Bad breath is usually caused by poor oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene causes plaque build-up and gum disease.

Bacteria multiply in a warm, moist environment, especially between teeth where there is less saliva. The answer is, practice good oral hygiene. You should:

* brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day

* clean your tongue when you clean your teeth. Bacteria coat your tongue

* rinse your mouth with water after eating if you cannot brush

* floss between your teeth daily

* replace your toothbrush every three months

2. Bad breath can be caused by dental caries if left unattended. Any broken or rotten teeth in your mouth, will smell. The answer is to go and see a dentist and get your teeth sorted out. Your Dentist will probably also give your teeth a professional clean and polish to get rid of plaque build-up. You should visit your Dentist every six months for a check.

Any small holes will be fixed before they become a problem.

3. Bad breath can be caused by an underlying disease. Diseases which might commonly result in bad breath are:

diabetes, kidney or liver failure, pneumonia, or upper respiratory infections.

If your oral hygiene is good and you have no bad teeth, but are still aware of bad breath, you should go and see your

Doctor. He will give you a thorough check to find out the reason for the bad breath, and will recommend treatment for you.

4. Bad breath in the morning is almost a universal complaint. It occurs because you have not eaten for some hours and your

saliva "dries up" when you sleep. The cure for morning breath is very simple. Rinse your mouth out, have a cup of tea or coffee and eat breakfast always. Eating stimulates your saliva to flow. Your saliva has natural bactericidal properties and will eliminate excess bacteria build up that occurs at night.

5. Bad breath can be treated by treating the specific cause. Here are some other quick tips for curing bad breath:

* Drink plenty of water every day. It will keep your saliva flowing. A dry mouth causes bad breath.

* Snack on things like celery or carrot sticks or peanuts that do not cause bad breath.

* Chew some parsley or sugarless mint gum (these will mask the bad breath, not cure it).

* Stop bad habits like smoking that always result in bad breath.

* Eat plain, unsweetened yoghurt containing live bacterial cultures every morning. The bacteria in the yoghurt eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath.

* Avoid smelly foods such as garlic when you are going to be among people.

* Avoid mouthwashes containing alcohol. They will dry your mouth up.

* Limit alcohol and caffeine intake, they also dry the mouth.

* Eat a healthy balanced diet without too many starches.

You will never need to be embarrassed by bad breath again if you follow these tips.