Bad breath.

How do you cure bad breath?

You can reduce bad breath by thoroughly cleaning your tongue.

Since most people overlook cleaning their tongue starting to do so on a regular basis will often be the single most beneficial treatment for bad breath that a person can initiate.
Remember the tests we initially performed and the one where we discovered that the smell of the anterior portion of a person's tongue is usually less offensive than the smell found emanating from the posterior part? The reason for this is related to the fact that the anterior portion of the tongue is somewhat self-cleansing and therefore less likely to harbor large numbers of odor producing bacteria. Many tongue movements cause the anterior portion of the tongue to firmly brush up against the hard palate. This friction produces a cleansing action, thus preventing any significant bacterial accumulation.
The posterior portion of the tongue in comparison only gently rubs up against the soft palate during tongue movements. This soft palate contact does not provide enough friction to produce any significant cleansing. This means that it will primarily be the posterior aspect of the tongue that will be found to harbor the bacteria that cause bad breath, and thus the posterior tongue is the most important area to clean.
What is the proper way to clean your tongue?

 There are various methods by which you can clean the posterior aspect of your tongue but each of them has the same goal, to scrape away the bacteria and debris that has accumulated on the tongue's surface.

When cleaning your tongue, no matter which method of tongue cleaning you choose to use, you should try to clean as far back on your tongue as possible. Don't be surprised if you find you have an active gag reflex. Gagging is a natural reaction, but with time this reflex should decrease.

How to clean your tongue using a toothbrush or a tongue brush.

Your toothbrush or a specialized tongue brush can be used to clean your tongue. To do so, start as far back as possible and then make brush strokes using an outward motion, towards the front of your mouth. You need to use some pressure but of course not enough to irritate your tongue.

As a way of improving the effectiveness of your tongue brushing efforts you can employ a toothpaste which provides either or both of the benefits listed below. Since the toothpaste ingredients that can provide these benefits are the same ones often included in the formulations of mouthwashes, we have placed a more detailed discussion about these agents on our mouthwash page

Toothpastes that neutralize volatile sulfur compounds.

Since it is the malodorous volatile sulfur compounds (VSC's) produced by anaerobic bacteria which are the actual cause of bad breath a toothpaste which contains VSC neutralizing agents such as chlorine dioxide or zinc can aid in making an improvement in the quality of a person's breath.
 

Toothpastes which have antibacterial properties.

If the toothpaste your are using contains antibacterial agents such as chlorine dioxide or cetylpyridinium chloride your tongue brushing efforts will both dislodge and kill off odor causing bacteria.

How to clean your tongue using a tongue scraper.

  While cleaning your tongue with a brush can be satisfactory many people find that scraping their tongue with a tongue scraper is more effective. As an added benefit, some people find that they have less of a tendency to gag when using a tongue scraper rather than a brush.
You can easily experiment with the idea of cleaning your tongue by scraping it. To do so take a plain old everyday spoon (smaller is usually better than larger), invert it, and then go ahead and give tongue scraping a try. Place the spoon on the posterior portion of your tongue and then draw it forward. Be thorough but also gentle. Don't scrape so hard or vigorously that you irritate your tongue.
If tongue scraping seems to be a good technique for you then investigate those tools that are sold which have been specifically designed as tongue scrapers. You will probably find that they will clean more effectively than your spoon does.
 

Online sources for Bad Breath products:

TheraBreath.com - Offers a full line of alcohol free oral care products specialized for the treatment of bad breath. TheraBreath mouthwash, toothpaste, and toothgel are formulated with chlorine dioxide and zinc. Developed by the founder of the California Breath Clinics.

How do you cure bad breath?  What types of mouthwashes can help to cure bad breath?

Mouthwashes, when used in conjunction with a regimen of effective tongue cleaning, tooth brushing, and flossing, can play an important role in the treatment of bad breath . You should not however rely on a mouthwash to be an effective cure for bad breath entirely on its own.

A mouthwash's ability to be effective in helping to improve a person's breath is related to two factors:

A) The antibacterial properties of the mouthwash.

If a mouthwash has the ability to kill bacteria it can play a part in helping to reduce the total number of anaerobic bacteria which are present in a person's mouth. Since these bacteria are the ones which produce volatile sulfur compounds, which in turn are the actual cause of bad breath, the fewer of them that are present the better.

B) The neutralizing action of the mouthwash on volatile sulfur compounds.

The ingredients of some mouthwashes possess the ability to neutralize volatile sulfur compounds and/or the compounds from which they are formed. Volatile sulfur compounds themselves are the malodorous substances that actually cause bad breath. If a mouthwash can help to decrease the concentration of these compounds in a person's breath then the more pleasant that person's breath will be.

Some of the different types (and different components) of various over-the-counter mouthwashes that have been reported as being effective in the treatment of bad breath are listed below. As a way of increasing a product's effectiveness, some mouthwash formulations contain a combination of these agents.

A) Mouthwashes containing chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite.

Many dentists consider mouthwashes containing chlorine dioxide, or its parent compound sodium chlorite, to play an integral role in the treatment of bad breath. Research has suggested that chlorine dioxide's mechanism of action is twofold:

• Chlorine dioxide is an oxidizing agent (this means that it releases oxygen). Because most of the bacteria that cause bad breath are anaerobic (meaning they prefer to live in environments devoid of oxygen), exposure to an oxidizing agent can help to control their numbers, and thus reduce a person's bad breath.

• Chlorine dioxide also has an affect on the level of volatile sulfur compounds found in a person's breath. It both neutralizes those volatile sulfur compounds which oral bacteria have already created, and it also degrades those precursor components from which these compounds are made. The net effect is that the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds found in a person's breath will be lessened, and as a result their breath will be more pleasant.

B) Mouthwashes containing zinc.

Research has demonstrated that mouthwash products containing zinc ions can produce a decrease in the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds found in a person's breath. This action is presumed to be related to the ability of zinc ions to bind to the precursor compounds used by anaerobic bacteria to create volatile sulfur compounds.

C) "Antiseptic" type mouthwashes.

"Antiseptic" mouthwashes (i.e. Listerine and its generic equivalents) have been suggested as suitable products for the treatment of bad breath. The effectiveness of these products is related to their ability to kill the anaerobic oral bacteria that produce volatile sulfur compounds. These products have not been shown to have a neutralizing effect directly on the volatile sulfur compounds themselves.
Antiseptic type mouthwashes are often criticized as not being the best choice for the treatment of bad breath. This criticism stems from the fact that these products can contain significant levels of alcohol (often around 25%). Alcohol is a desiccant (a drying agent) and therefore can have the effect of drying out the tissues of the mouth. As our discussion about xerostomia explains, a state of mouth dryness can compound a person's breath problems.

D) Cetlyperadium chloride mouthwashes

The compound cetylpyridinium chloride is sometimes included in the formulation of mouthwashes. It serves as an antibacterial agent, thus helping to control the number of anaerobic bacteria that are found in a person's mouth.

Can breath mints, lozenges, drops, sprays, and chewing gums help cure bad breath?

Just like mouthwashes, breath mints, lozenges, drops, sprays, chewing gums, etc... on their own are typically not the most effective means by which to improve one's breath. However, when these products are used in conjunction with diligent tongue cleaning and tooth brushing and flossing they can be valuable adjuncts, especially when they contain agents (such as chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite, and zinc) which have the ability to neutralize volatile sulfur compounds.
As an added benefit, the use of mints, lozenges, and chewing gum typically stimulates the flow of saliva in a person's mouth. As discussed previously, saliva can have a cleansing and diluting effect on the bacteria and bacterial waste products found in a person's mouth, and therefore can help to curb bad breath.

How should a mouthwash be used to get the most benefit from its antibacterial properties?

The bacteria which cause bad breath lie both on the surface and also deep within the layer of plaque which accumulates on and around your teeth, gums, and tongue. An antibacterial mouthwash will not have the ability to significantly penetrate into and through plaque on its own and therefore is most effectively used after your brushing, flossing, and tongue cleaning efforts have removed and broken the plaque layer up. Rinsing after you have cleaned allows the mouthwash to get at any of the free floating bacteria you have dislodged. It also allows the mouthwash to have an effect on those bacteria not dislodged during your cleaning efforts but which have been freshly exposed.
When you rinse with mouthwash it is best that you gargle it. As you gargle make an "aaahhh" sound. This will extend your tongue outward and allow the mouthwash to contact more of the posterior portion of your tongue, precisely the location where the largest accumulation of bad breath producing bacteria usually reside.
All mouth rinses should be spit out after gargling. Children should not be given mouthwash because of the possibility that they may swallow it.

How to clean dentures.

Your dentist should provide you with specific instructions regarding suitable methods for cleaning the dentures they have made for you. Since dental plaque will form on your dentures just like it does on teeth, gums, and tongues, usually a dentist's recommendations will include instructions about thoroughly scrubbing your dentures with a toothbrush or specialized denture brush, both inside and out. After scrubbing your dentures you might place them in whichever antiseptic denture soak your dentist recommends.

Drink plenty of water.

Making sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day will help to control bad breath . If you become dehydrated your body will try to conserve moisture by reducing your salivary flow, thus minimizing saliva's cleansing and diluting effects on the bacteria and bacterial waste products that are the cause of bad breath.
Drinking adequate amounts of water daily can be especially important for those persons who suffer from xerostomia (chronically dry mouths).

Rinse with water often.

Rinsing with plain water can reduce bad breath for brief periods of time. Rinsing will both dilute and partially remove the bacterial waste products that are the cause of breath odors.

 Stimulate the flow of saliva.

You can help to minimize bad breath by stimulating your body's salivary flow. This is because saliva has a cleansing and diluting effect on the bacteria and bacterial waste products that cause bad breath.
A way to stimulate your mouth's flow of saliva is to chew on something. When you do your body will think it is getting a meal and will subsequently increase the flow of saliva. (Saliva is an important element of the process of food digestion.) You might choose to chew on cloves, fennel seeds, or a piece of mint or parsley.
Chewing gums, breath mints, and lozenges can also be a way of stimulating salivary flow. If you elect to use one of these products make sure it is sugar-free. Sweets can promote the growth of the types of bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Clean your mouth especially well after eating proteins.

The bacterial waste products that are the common cause of bad breath are produced when oral anaerobic bacteria digest proteins. After you eat a meal or snack which is high in protein make sure you clean your mouth promptly and thoroughly so to minimize the quantity and period of time these foods are available to the bacterial which live in your mouth.

Bad Breath Test

Bad breath can be a taboo that's too embarrassing to talk about but according to our report, over 60 million of us have it. Even legendary lover Clark Gable reportedly suffered from a severe of a case of halitosis. So strong in fact, that Vivien Lee had to turn away several times during their infamous kissing scene in "Gone With the Wind." Frankly my friend if you had had one these little babies, your co-star would have appreciated it. Its called "Breath Alert." Blow into this gizmo for three seconds and it will give you a reading from one to four. One means no odor, four means dragon breath. Carol Benson of Tanita, is one of the makers of "Breath Alert," and she says this little gadget can become your best friend. "Unless you have a good friend that's smelling your breath or a device like this, you just don't know." But before you go running for the mouthwash or grab those Altoids, we wanted to know does breath alert really work? Dr. Tony Dailley of San Francisco's Center for Breath Treatment says he found too many false positives when he tested Breath Alert. "We found it wasn't very accurate." "Extra" invited him demonstrate by comparing the Breath Alert to a contraption Dr. Dailley says measures those sulfur compounds much more accurately ... a machine called the Hallimeter. The Breath Alert was accurate, not accurate enough though, he says, to use with his patients. Maybe so but it seems a lot people out there are gonna be breathing easier with Breath Alert.