HALITOSIS- How to stay away from bad breath

Bad breath is not uncommon, but it is also not an untreatable problem. We can get rid of bad breath using a number of remedies. One should not be under-confident or ignore the problem due to the shame factor. Rather, should seek immediate medical attention. As soon as you try to solve any health problem, better are the chances of treating the problem without any negative effects.

Chronic halitosis is the result of not maintaining proper oral hygiene. These days individuals are quite aware and are concerned about their oral and physical health.
A patient with halitosis, when aware of his/her bad breath, may get conscious and as a result may appear under-confident, which can hamper the social behavior and response of the individual.

Secondly, if patient somehow manages to maintain confidence, he cannot control the response of others he is standing in front of, in his work places or the social gatherings.

Thirdly, if there is chronic halitosis, it will surely be accompanied with periodontitis (pyorrhoea), which according to the oral conditions, may be visibly identified from a distance. Of course your first impression would not be good.

Periodontitis slowly loosens the roots of all teeth. It is even worse than having a cavity as a cavity affects single tooth but periodontitis affects the complete oral cavity. If you are suffering from periodontitis (pyorrhoea), schedule an appointment with your Dentist, and have the treatment as soon as possible. The longer you ignore it, worsely it will affect your oral health.

Important tips for alleviating Bad breath/ Halitosis -
1. Brushing twice daily (morning after you wake up, and before going to sleep) using proper brushing techniques. Simply brushing won't help if you are unaware of the brushing technique.

2. Avoid food that imparts strong smell to the oral cavity like onion and garlic.

3. Cessation of any form of tobacco, smoking habbit or alcohol, as neither of them are good for our health but surely contribute in causing oral cancer and also physical deterioration.

4. Drink ample water to maintain water balance and also regulate the flow in oral cavity. Water cleanses the oral cavity by flushing away the fermenting food particles.

5. Maintain your salivary flow- Notice if you feel your mouth dry, ie less amount of salivary flow (Xerostomia). Reduced salivary flow is also one of the main contributing factor for halitosis as saliva cleanses the oral cavity and has anti-bacterial properties. If that is the case, there are chances that it may be an emergency, immediately consult your dentist.

Chewing sugarless gums may prove to be of great help as they increase the salivary flow rate.

6. Regular flossing- To avoid the deposits between the tooth which may further result in bacterial action on the remnant of food particles. Many people do not consider flossing as essential as brushing. Try flossing out between some of teeth, you can smell the stinking foul smell from the floss. You’ll never want that putrid smelling thing in the oral cavity from where you ingest your food and drinks. Floss regularly!!

7. Regularly clean your tongue using tongue scraper/ Brush- as tongue is a hairy structure and tends to trap the remnants of food particles, which after fermentation by microorganisms present in oral cavity imparts bad smell.

8. Use mouth rinses as prescribed by the dentist. But not regularly, like other medicines/drugs it has its side effects.

9.Rinsing everytime after you eat /drink something.

10. Have a balanced diet- Eat a low carbohydrate, protein rich diet with good amount of seasonal fruits and vegetables included. This will favor you in multiple ways- keep you healthy, keep your teeth healthy due to cleansing action of fiber-rich diet and thirdly maintain a healthy gut. Gastrointestinal problems also result in bad breath.

11. If you already have dental prostheses, either fixed or removable, take special care for the hygiene of your oral cavity including the prostheses. Many a times prostheses serves as the creep for collection and fermentation of particles.

Keeping these points in mind, you will definitely get rid of bad breath. Of course it's not good to be over-concerned, but it’s really good to be aware and vigilant :).

In short I would like to conclude- Maintain proper oral hygiene, not ignoring it to the extent, that others start ignoring and avoiding you. Morover, ignoring the problem catapults you to the path of developing serious oral health problems.

Hope that this information helps you.

Dr. Richa Singhania