Practically everybody has had some sort of encounter with bad breath. Either they have had the problem themselves or they have smelled it in other people. Despite this prevalence of bad breath, a number of misconceptions about it are still making the rounds all over the country and the world.
1. It's easy to tell if you have bad breath. There is a widely held belief that you can smell your own breath by cupping your hands over your mouth and nose. Admit it! You've tried it haven't you? The fact is, it is nearly impossible to smell your own breath as others smell it. Two facts stand in the way of this working: first of all, your mouth and nose are not separate entities, they are connected by a passage that is way in the back of your mouth; secondly, your nose will filter out internal smells.
There are three sure ways to determine whether your breath stinks or not. Going to the dentist is an option but understandably, not many people like this technique. Alternatively, you can ask your friends if they are reliable enough to be frank about it. Or you can always do it yourself. Take a small teaspoon and scrape the furthest part of your tongue with the hollow part. Let it dry for a few minutes and smell it. If you do have bad breath, the foul odor left on the spoon will be unmistakable.
2. Your stomach is the source of bad breath. This is a myth that has some truth to it but is, for the most part, misleading. Occasionally bad breath will be the result of stomach problems, digestive problems, dieting or fasting but the majority of the time, bad breath is generated in the mouth by spoiled food stuck in the teeth or by bacteria on either the teeth, tongue or gums.
3. Bad breath can be avoided by brushing and flossing regularly. True. This is a very simple yet very effective way to get rid of bad breath or avoid getting it in the first place. Ideally, you should brush your teeth after every meal, including snacks, to clear your mouth of excess food particles every time you eat, but two or three times a day is sufficient, according to most dentists. Flossing must be done daily. In addition to these common dental practices, it is also vital that you clean your tongue after brushing to prevent bacteria from accumulating, which can eventually lead to bad breath.
4. One more widely held belief about bad breath is that it can be eliminated by using a mouthwash. Not so. Mouthwashes can be useful as a quick fix especially if you are eating out and are not able to brush properly. However, like most quick fixes, these products do not offer a long-term solution to your bad breath dilemma. If you rely on mouthwashes, you will be consuming bottle after bottle without actually dealing with the root of your problem.
Bad breath usually comes from the oral bacteria that have accumulated in the mouth. They feed on the microscopic leftover food particles stuck in between the teeth or resting on the surface of your tongue. In the process of breaking down the proteins in the food particles, these bacteria emit the sulfuric substance that reeks of rotten eggs.
Mouthwashes will be effective in hiding this smell temporarily. Some might even give you "fresh breath" for several hours. But none of them will provide a permanent treatment to your halitosis problem.
If you do need to use mouthwashes, it is essential that you avoid alcohol-based products. Instead, choose the ones that contain chlorine dioxide. This chemical is highly effective in concealing the smell of decaying food in your mouth. A popular brand of mouthwash, ProFresh Oral Rinse, contains this chemical and is said to be the best mouthwash right now, at least, according to advertisements. Of course, who could really trust advertising these days, right? For a more grounded recommendation, you can try asking your dentist.
Myth 5: Bad breath is caused by the foods we eat. This myth is a bit of an oversimplification of the facts. Temporary bad breath is caused by foods we eat that have a high sulfur content, foods such as onions and cabbage. Whatever we eat is digested (broken down) in the stomach. Some of the chemical elements of digested food are then absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the lungs. Consequently, our exhaled breath will tend to smell like what we have eaten. Food that contains high concentrations of sulfur just don't smell good after they have been ingested!
Chronic cases of bad breath are not generally caused by this digestive process unless our regular diet consists of many high-sulfur foods (or if you are actually on a diet that is starving your system of carbohydrates). Instead, chronic bad breath results when bacteria in the mouth break down left over food particles creating odorous sulfur particles -- in other words, poor oral hygiene. Brush thoroughly twice a day, floss once or twice a day, clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner (tongue scraper) once or twice a day, and eat a balanced diet; this combination is the 'magic bullet' for the vast majority of bad breath cases.
1. It's easy to tell if you have bad breath. There is a widely held belief that you can smell your own breath by cupping your hands over your mouth and nose. Admit it! You've tried it haven't you? The fact is, it is nearly impossible to smell your own breath as others smell it. Two facts stand in the way of this working: first of all, your mouth and nose are not separate entities, they are connected by a passage that is way in the back of your mouth; secondly, your nose will filter out internal smells.
There are three sure ways to determine whether your breath stinks or not. Going to the dentist is an option but understandably, not many people like this technique. Alternatively, you can ask your friends if they are reliable enough to be frank about it. Or you can always do it yourself. Take a small teaspoon and scrape the furthest part of your tongue with the hollow part. Let it dry for a few minutes and smell it. If you do have bad breath, the foul odor left on the spoon will be unmistakable.
2. Your stomach is the source of bad breath. This is a myth that has some truth to it but is, for the most part, misleading. Occasionally bad breath will be the result of stomach problems, digestive problems, dieting or fasting but the majority of the time, bad breath is generated in the mouth by spoiled food stuck in the teeth or by bacteria on either the teeth, tongue or gums.
3. Bad breath can be avoided by brushing and flossing regularly. True. This is a very simple yet very effective way to get rid of bad breath or avoid getting it in the first place. Ideally, you should brush your teeth after every meal, including snacks, to clear your mouth of excess food particles every time you eat, but two or three times a day is sufficient, according to most dentists. Flossing must be done daily. In addition to these common dental practices, it is also vital that you clean your tongue after brushing to prevent bacteria from accumulating, which can eventually lead to bad breath.
4. One more widely held belief about bad breath is that it can be eliminated by using a mouthwash. Not so. Mouthwashes can be useful as a quick fix especially if you are eating out and are not able to brush properly. However, like most quick fixes, these products do not offer a long-term solution to your bad breath dilemma. If you rely on mouthwashes, you will be consuming bottle after bottle without actually dealing with the root of your problem.
Bad breath usually comes from the oral bacteria that have accumulated in the mouth. They feed on the microscopic leftover food particles stuck in between the teeth or resting on the surface of your tongue. In the process of breaking down the proteins in the food particles, these bacteria emit the sulfuric substance that reeks of rotten eggs.
Mouthwashes will be effective in hiding this smell temporarily. Some might even give you "fresh breath" for several hours. But none of them will provide a permanent treatment to your halitosis problem.
If you do need to use mouthwashes, it is essential that you avoid alcohol-based products. Instead, choose the ones that contain chlorine dioxide. This chemical is highly effective in concealing the smell of decaying food in your mouth. A popular brand of mouthwash, ProFresh Oral Rinse, contains this chemical and is said to be the best mouthwash right now, at least, according to advertisements. Of course, who could really trust advertising these days, right? For a more grounded recommendation, you can try asking your dentist.
Myth 5: Bad breath is caused by the foods we eat. This myth is a bit of an oversimplification of the facts. Temporary bad breath is caused by foods we eat that have a high sulfur content, foods such as onions and cabbage. Whatever we eat is digested (broken down) in the stomach. Some of the chemical elements of digested food are then absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the lungs. Consequently, our exhaled breath will tend to smell like what we have eaten. Food that contains high concentrations of sulfur just don't smell good after they have been ingested!
Chronic cases of bad breath are not generally caused by this digestive process unless our regular diet consists of many high-sulfur foods (or if you are actually on a diet that is starving your system of carbohydrates). Instead, chronic bad breath results when bacteria in the mouth break down left over food particles creating odorous sulfur particles -- in other words, poor oral hygiene. Brush thoroughly twice a day, floss once or twice a day, clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner (tongue scraper) once or twice a day, and eat a balanced diet; this combination is the 'magic bullet' for the vast majority of bad breath cases.
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Getting rid of bad breath is simple. Learn what the common causes of bad breath are at http://www.badbreathkiller.com to get started.
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