Preparing for Your Next Trip to the Dentist

With a little preparation, you can make sure that you get much more from your next trip to the dentist. Your local dentist doesn't just check on the health of your teeth, they can also offer many other treatments. This website is designed to bring up the best info possible about the range of treatments a dental professional can offer you. We will be looking at dentures, tartar removal, tooth replacement and much more. While no one who contributes to this site is a trained dentist, everyone is extremely interested in researching and writing about this topic. Thank you for checking out this site.

3 Ways to Help You Combat Halitosis

Dentist Blog

Bad breath can make a person feel anxious, embarrassed or even worried when mingling or hanging out with their friends or colleagues. Although different factors may cause this condition, compromised oral hygiene tops the list. Halitosis usually develops when the bacteria living in the mouth break down the food particles into sulphur compounds. If you introduce some lifestyle changes and use the right home treatments, you could easily fight halitosis and prevent the psychological distress it causes. See what you should do to give this oral condition a smart knockout:

Scrape or Brush the Tongue

Most of the bacteria that cause halitosis live on the tongue. Although you should brush your teeth often, you may not eliminate the food particles that form a layer in the mouth. The bacteria on the tongue multiply at night, and that's why you should scrape or brush your tongue in the morning.

Teeth-brushing isn't enough if you want to eliminate halitosis. When brushing or scraping your tongue, start from the back going forward. A tongue scraper would be more effective, and you can get it from your dentist or any of the reputable drug stores or supermarkets in your area. However, watch how you use the scraper, since applying excess pressure could damage your tongue.

Avoid a Dry Mouth

As people age, their mouths get dry, making them vulnerable to halitosis. Drink a lot of clean water daily to hydrate your mouth. Avoid coffee and alcohol, since they promote the growth of the halitosis bacteria and minimise the amount of saliva you produce. Such beverages have a diuretic effect associated with bad breath. Medications and severe health issues such as Parkinson's and lifestyle diseases like diabetes may cause a dry mouth, but you should see a dentist if the condition persists.

Check What Goes Into Your Mouth

If you don't eat healthy food, it may be hard to fight halitosis. However, even some of the healthy recipes such as garlic and onions could also cause halitosis due to the sulphuric compounds they produce. If you often eat an oniony or garlicky diet, ensure you chew some sugarless gum, floss your teeth or brush your tongue to eliminate bad breath.

However, bad breath due to onions and garlic is different from microbial bad breath. If you often ingest animal products like milk and butter and protein-rich foods like meat or fish, the microorganisms causing halitosis would find your mouth a favourable breeding ground. Foods that help fight halitosis include vegetables, parsley, green tea, fresh fruits, cherries, citrus and melons, ginger and probiotic yoghurt.

Bad breath is a common problem across the world, but you can control how worse it gets or how it affects your self-esteem and overall health. Since the home techniques you try may not 'kill' halitosis, visit your dentist to get it diagnosed and treated. Don't underestimate halitosis since it could also be a sign of an underlying health condition.

Share  

18 March 2020