Relieve the Causes of Bad Breath

By Sandra Rouse - 2007-11-03 - Viewed 729 times. Find more articles like this in our Asthma and Bronchial category.

Small - Big

Email article       Print

Ninety percent of bad breath is caused by anaerobic bacteria. The bacteria grow in the mouth, especially at the back of the tongue.

To find the right solution to relieve the symptoms of bad breath, you must determine the cause.

Some causes of bad breath include: improper oral hygiene, medical prescriptions which cause dry mouth, and food trapped between the teeth.

To relieve the causes of bad breath, you should have a breath health regimen in place.

The first step is to determine whether your oral hygiene practices are good. There are proper techniques for brushing and flossing. If you are not sure that the technique you perform is the right one, check with the oral hygienist in your dentist's office.

Next, you should make sure you schedule visits with your dentist twice a year. It is important to have your teeth cleaned professionally. Also, your dentist will be able to tell if you have problems or may forsee a potential problem. They can give you advice on the preventative steps you can take.

Brushing and flossing are the basics of a good breath health regimen. You should go a step further. Anaerobic bacteria are the cause of most bad breath. These bacteria live on and around your teeth and gum line. They do not need oxygen to thrive. They love protein from the food you eat. When you brush and floss you remove the bacteria from your teeth and the gum line.

The next step is to brush or scape your tongue. And, if you are like me, scraping the tongue can cause you to gag. There are scrapers on the market for this purpose. Most are inexpensive so you can experiment until you find the one that suits you.

Rinsing your mouth should be part of your daily routine. Most people use a mouth wash purchased at a store. A simple rinse remedy is to dissolve about a quarter teaspoon or less of salt in lukewarm water and gargle. You may rinse your mouth only once a day and that is probably in the morning. It is a good idea to also rinse your mouth before going to bed. Since the mouth is usually closed while sleeping and anaerobic bacteria do not need oxygen, rinsing at night might be more effective.

Dry mouth is another cause of bad breath. It can be caused by some medications such as Norvasc. Norvasc is prescribed for high blood pressure. Your doctor may be able to prescibe another medication. If not, drink plenty of water to keep your mouth moist. Your salivaa will help reduce the bacteria in your mouth.

Using a mouth freshener or breath mint will relieve short-term causes of bad breath. Short-term bad breath is caused by eating certain foods such as a hamburger with onions. The mouth freshener will work but you may have to use it more than once. These odors tend to stay in the body for about 24 hours.

Do not give up the foods you love. But be aware that you may have bad breath. This can cause embarrasment when you are interacting with others.

Proper attention to your breath health regimen will help you relieve the causes of bad breath.

Sandra researches and writes about topics that affect our daily life. Read more about breath health at

You can print this article by clicking the printer icon at the top this of page.

Ask, answer questions or add more facts concerning "Relieve the Causes of Bad Breath" below.
Your comment will NOT show up right away, it will be sent for approval before it will appear here. Please bookmark this page so you can check back for possible replies and answers to your questions.