Is Bad Breath A Sure Sign Of Gum Disease?

The answer is no! While bad breath is a possible sign of gum disease, other common causes crop up as well. For example, tonsil stones can cause bad breath. Tonsil stones are created when decaying food debris collects in the crevices of the tonsils and becomes compacted into what are referred to as "stones." You can have bad breath from tonsil stones without having any gum disease at all.

Post-nasal drip can also cause bad breath, as the discharged mucous provides a rich food for the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath, helping them to multiply rapidly. Again, this sort of bad breath isn't by itself a sign of gum disease.

However, the most common cause of bad breath is a lack of adequate oral hygiene. Improper brushing and flossing, or simply too little of it, can leave large amounts of plaque still stuck to and growing on your teeth and gums. If this growth is allowed to continue unchecked, the anaerobic bacteria has the opportunity to burrow down beneath the gum line, where they form unwelcome pockets of bacterial colonies, ones that are devilishly hard to reach and clean without the help of specialized tools.

Anaerobic bacteria give off a smell much like sulfur, and it is exactly that smell that's most closely associated with bad breath. Occasional bad breath may merely be a signal that it's time to brush again, but persistent or chronic bad breath can be an early warning sign of gum disease.

If you have chronic bad breath as well as tender or inflamed gums, there's a good chance that you are experiencing some level of gum disease. It's important to see your dentist as soon as possible to seek treatment, not only for social reasons, but your overall state of health.

Get Rid Of Bad Breath

If you want to get rid of bad breath, it depends to some extent on the cause of the problem. If you have any doubts, or the problem seems chronic, it would be wise to consult your dentist or physician to ensure that the bad breath is not symptomatic of other problems that should be addressed. For instance, you could have periodontal problems (gum disease), and even diabetes can cause breath odor.

Having said that, generally the causes of bad breath are well known and can be addressed by applying the following admittedly general advice. These are appropriate to the most common cases of bad breath, such as that which is caused by mouth bacteria creating a smell as it breaks down food consumed.

Firstly, if bacteria are responsible for the smell, wouldn't removing or killing the bacteria alleviate the bad breath problem? This is not a practical answer, as the bacteria are naturally occurring and required by the body to pre-process food before it passes to the stomach. However, if we discourage the extent of activity of the bacteria by various means and this will reduce the problem.

The bacteria thrive on protein rich foods, so reducing the amount of meat consumed and increasing instead fruit and vegetable intake is a benefit and lessens bad breath. You may also want to consider this action for general health reasons.

A dry mouth is possibly the most common reason for having a noticeable problem with the bacteria. The bacteria are anaerobic, which literally means without oxygen, and saliva provides oxygen, so a lack of saliva encourages growth. Saliva can be reduced if you breathe through the mouth, as for example when you sleep, and this causes “morning breath”. Other mouth drying activities include missing meals, drinking alcohol and not drinking enough water to stay hydrated.

If you are in the habit of eating foods rich in garlic, onions or other strong smelling fare, then the answer to reducing a bad breath problem should be fairly obvious. The smell is basically of a sulfurous nature, and is transferred to the blood, then to the lungs, where it is exhaled. The smell will stay until expelled from the body.

Pay close attention to your dental hygiene to help get rid of bad breath. It's worth brushing not only your teeth but also the surface of your tongue and the roof of your mouth to reduce odor. Daily flossing will remove food and debris, and should help get rid of the problem.

Bad Breath Remedies to use at Home

Having bad breath will create many problems for anybody in life. If you have bad breath, there are various things in life that you will probably not enjoy, like close contact with a loved one and even the taste of your food. Bad breath remedies are obtainable for those who would like to cure their chronic bad breath, and if you are one of those people who either cannot afford to see a physician or reject to visit a doctor about some bad breath, here are some bad breath remedies that you may want to use at home to assist you cure your bad breath.

Brushing & Flossing

Brushing and Flossing Apparently, the major of the bad breath remedies is to take good care of your teeth. If you are not able to take good care of your teeth, subsequently you most likely will not really wish to heal your bad breath since that is the number one reason of bad breath anyplace. When you fancy trying out some bad breath remedies please ensure that you begin with the apparent thing and taking good care of your teeth.

Avocado

Avocado is probably not known much of the bad breath remedies. Having avocado will facilitate most people to relieve the chronic bad breath that ails them and everyone around them, but not eating too much avocado. It is not hard to get rid of bad breath with avocado and it is easily found in the produce aisle of any grocery store in your local community.

Cut Protein Intake

Proteins are one of the problems if chronic bad breath is in question. Consume less steak and chicken and fresher fruits and vegetables and you will certainly notice an increase in the number of people that are coming close to you. This is one of the most accepted bad breath home remedies out there, and if you eat suitably then you will make sure that you reduce your bad breath.

Drink Enough Water

When you drink enough water, you will simply cure your bad breath if it is not some more complex health problem. Having a dry mouth will escort to bad breath and of the more common bad breath remedies water is one of the biggest ones. You should drink water out of a glass or eat fruits and vegetables, as they are packed with the water and that is a good one of the many bad breath remedies.

Free Yourself from Bad Breath

When you know you have a bad breath, and it's keeping you from socializing or interacting with other people because you fear that your bad breath will blow people away; then get rid of these fears. You are not the only one suffering from it. It is a very common problem and can be caused by very minute problems like not cleaning your teeth properly, digestion problems, smoking, and more. In medical terms it is known as halitosis.

Causes of Bad Breath:

Some of the main causes of bad breath are:

• It is caused by a particular type of bacteria which resides on the soft tissues in the mouth, mainly the back of the tongue. These bad breath bacteria reside under a blanket of mucous. Dead bacterial cells produce sulfur gases which causes the bad odor. Unfortunately, no mouthwash can clean these bacteria, no matter how frequently you use it, and toothbrushes are also of little help.
• Food debris which accumulates on the back of the tongue cause bad odor.
• Poor oral hygiene also leads to bad breath. If you do not wash your mouth properly after eating, the food particles in you mouth can rot and start to smell. They begin to collect bacteria which cause the bad odor.
• Our teeth attract bacteria containing plaque very easily, so if we do not brush our teeth regularly and thoroughly, large amounts of bacteria get accumulated, which results in bad breath.
• If you have periodontitis then you may often experience bad breath, as the bacteria get accumulated in areas that are not cleaned easily, such as deep pockets around teeth.
• Drinking alcohol and smoking.
• The decrease in saliva may also be the cause. When you are sleeping, the flow of saliva almost stops. Thus the reduced cleaning action of the saliva allows bacteria to grow, causing bad breath
• Bad breath is also seen in people who are dieting. The fact is that when you are not eating, the saliva decreases and bacteria growth increases; causing bad breath.
• Dehydration will lead to dryness of the mouth, and the reduced cleaning action of the saliva will allow bacteria to grow, causing bad breath.
• Other infections in our body, especially in the sinuses, lungs, or throat can also cause bad breath.
• Diabetes mellitus, kidney failure and malfunction of the liver.
• Metabolism disorder is another factor causing the odor.
• Gum infection which may cause a metallic breath odor.
• You may also experience bad breath when fasting, as your body is not provided with fuel in the form of food, and so fat and protein will begin to break down resulting in bad odor.

Treatments:

It is advisable to go to your dentist for your treatment. The various treatments involve:



• A complete oral examination and health history. The dentist may ask you to have an "odor-meter" test done. This test can accurately measure the volatile sulfur gases and the extent of a halitosis problem.
• Periodontal disease and cavities would be treated.
• If there is an impacted tooth it would need to be removed, and other oral infections would be treated.
• Good oral hygiene is a must. Mouth washes and toothpastes are effective in managing oral odor. You must ask your dentist for a product that may be helpful to you.

These are some oral hygiene tips that you must follow to get rid of bad breath:

• Use floss at least once a day
• Watch your diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid alcohol and smoking.
• Do not skip meals as decrease in saliva will cause bad breath.
• Always clean your orthodontic appliances at least once each day. Pieces of food and germs can collect on these appliances and cause bad breath.
• Have regular dental checkups.

If you are not sure if you have bad breath, the best thing is to ask your friends for their honest opinion. Follow these routines and you will be free from bad breath!

Why to cure Bad Breath

How will you feel if your sweetheart will refuse a kiss at the end of a day? We all get up in the morning with an awful smelly bad breath. Most of us solve this problem by simply brushing their teeth, but for the rest, unlucky ten percent of the population, the smell stays all day long. In this article I will give you the short story of my bad breath problem and the solution I have found.

Actually for me, it all started with my wife. She was the first person who told me that my breath is unbearable. Thanks to her I have solved the problem and saved myself lots of unpleasant moments. Well, she is a very direct person and she simply pointed out that it's her or the bad breath.

I was very surprised at first, but then I have started to notice the behaviour of people around me. It is hard to describe you my feeling when I saw someone turning his head a way while talking to me. It was the first time I was aware of the reaction of someone to the smell. And this feeling has led me to find a solution to the smell problem.

The second cause which motivated me was that I love my wife very much, understood her suffer and would hate to loose her.

First I thought that the solution will be very complicated that I will have to go through some kind of or throat surgery procedure, to eliminate the bad breath problem. But a couple of days and a few medical opinions later I knew this is not the way to cure bad breath. I have found, finally, that the answer is actually very simple.

The solution, which worked for me, was combined of two layers: tongue and gums. First your gums must be healthy. If they are swell or bleeding it will lead to a very bad breath situation and there is no need to go into details here. You could use special toothpaste if it’s a swell or dentist treatment if it’s a gum problem. Simply cure your gums. The tongue is the second ingredient. It has lots of bad breath causing bacteria. They must be removed, use any tongue cleaner you find and keep it clean.

That’s it. These two steps gave me back my life. I can kiss my wife when I come back from work. I can talk to everyone with out them turning their heads. I really feel better happier and self-confident like never before.

Some Bad Breath Remedies

Bad breath (Halitosis) is widespread and quite common. You have probably discretely stepped away from friends or colleagues with bad breath. But it can also be a shock to realize that others, for the same reason, may be edging (discretely) away from you!

How can you know if your breath is offensive?

Try this simple bad breath (Halitosis) test:
Lick the inside of your wrist and wait 4 seconds. Now smell your wrist. If you don't like what smell, your breath does not smell good either.

What causes bad breath?

• Not enough water in your body, dehydration.
• Gum or tooth problems/ disease
• Intestinal/ stomach disorders, yeast infection
• Use of medications
• Stress

Remedies for Bad Breath (Halitosis)

1. Water - yes, water! Many people suffer from chronic dehydration because they don't drink. Drink the 8-12 glasses of water a day that the body needs. This common form of dehydration causes much common bad breath. You can improve your breath - and give a big lift to your health - simply by drinking enough water.

2. Recently eaten food that hasn't been brushed out can quickly smell bad. The "cure" then is to simply brush or floss. For gum disease and decay you must visit your dentist. And for improved oral hygiene, put a few drops of Oil of Oregano on your toothbrush or to swish it in your mouth as a mouthwash. Did you know that Oil of Oregano is antibacterial/ anti viral/ anti fungus and anti parasite? It seeks out these health impediments everywhere in the body. At the first signs of infection, Oil of Oregano is your great first line of defence.

3. When you are under too much stress your digestive system doesn't circulate enough oxygen (the energy goes into a fight or flight mode). This makes your digestive tract a breeding ground for the wrong bacteria - and for bad breath as well. Be sure to introduce deep, relaxed breathing throughout your busy day.

4. Eat raw parsley, chew on anise seed or cardamom, nutmeg or fennel - they're natural breath fresheners that don't just mask odors, but actually freshen the breath.

5. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and whole grains; avoid white flour products like white bread and pastas, as well as sugared juices and sodas.

6. Chew your food well and do not drink fluids with your food. Take no food two hours before bedtime and try to not take food for 12 hours after dinner.

Remember - fresh, clean breath is a reflection of good health, and health is an ongoing process. Stick with it! Follow my suggestions, and keep a log of what you do and the effects you see. This simple tracking process can help you pinpoint what is truly effective. You will be inspired by your own success!

Myths about Halitosis, Bad Breath

Until recently, most treatments have been generally unsuccessful in resolving bad breath conditions. Common treatments such as mouthwashes, mints, chewing gums, mouth sprays, and intestinal cleansings otherwise known as colonics, are simply inadequate. There are many websites offering “magic” breath products. Of course, these are a waste of money.

Serious, persistent, chronic bad breath is now very much treatable. Unfortunately there are many myths surrounding the causes of halitosis and its proper cure. The following are the most common misconceptions about halitosis and how to treat it. I answer these questions all the time.

Here are the most common myths:

1. Halitosis comes from the stomach.
Only in extremely rare cases does this occur. Cleansing the intestines offers no benefits in treating halitosis.

2. Halitosis comes from the lungs.
Only rarely does this occur and can be a manifestation of a serious disease.

3. Halitosis is a hereditary problem.
This is absolutely not true. Certain conditions that can contribute to a bad breath condition can be hereditary, but there is no halitosis gene that can be passed on to an offspring.

4. Mouth washes and breath mints can help a breath problem.
This is not true. They only mask the problem for a few short minutes at best. Alcohol based mouthwashes in fact will worsen the problem because they dry out the mouth thus increasing the volatilization of breath odors.

5. Internal breath fresheners can help my problem.
These do absolutely nothing for a chronic halitosis condition.

6. Brushing my teeth more will help eliminate my breath condition.
This is also not true. Excessive brushing can dry one’s mouth, thus increasing the halitosis problem. Excessive brushing can also damage the teeth and gums over time. It is very difficult to remove the specific odor causing bacteria with brushing and flossing alone, and most patients we see at our centre tend to have very good oral hygiene.

7. Halitosis is caused by foods.
Foods such as onions, garlic, or cauliflower can induce certain odors but these are only transitory, and can be easily eliminated by avoiding that particular food. The odors they produce also are not of the “sulphur” type commonly seen in true halitosis conditions, and generally are not as offensive.

8. There is no treatment for halitosis.
This is absolutely not true as we have been 99% effective with thousands of patients. Patients can treated via telephone and product sales via the internet.

Your Tongue & Bad Breath

While you may know that the bacteria in your mouth is the cause of 90 percent of bad breath, you may not realize the majority of smell-generating bacteria are sitting on the back of your tongue.

What's more, the majority of the over 60 million people diagnosed with oral malodorous are not aware of the single best method to improve their breath--the simple act of scraping the tongue.

Tongue cleaning has been practiced for centuries and recent literature has shown it leads to a healthy oral environment. Clinical research has created a renewed interest in tongue cleaning, since evidence has shown that infection-causing bacteria-the primary cause of bad breath-increased tenfold after a week of not cleaning the tongue.

A recent scientific study on the effectiveness of scraping the tongue found that scraping it twice daily for seven days had a significant effect on the levels of bacteria in the mouth and also decreased bad breath.

The subjects in the study added tongue scraping as a part of their normal daily oral care routine of brushing their teeth and using a mouth rinse.

"Since most people brush their teeth and use a mouth rinse, it is clear the missing link for truly clean breath is scraping your tongue," explained Kristy Menage Bernie, Registered Dental Hygienist. "Some people mistakenly believe that brushing your tongue will have the same effect as scraping but the reality is to have a clean mouth and fresh breath, you need to brush, floss, scrape and rinse, in that order, and make sure you use a well-designed tongue scraper that is safe and effective.

Prevent Bad Breath By Eliminating The Triggers

Bad breath simply comes and goes for some people. Perhaps we only wake up with bad breath in the morning or eating certain foods, like onion or pizza. These are more obvious triggers for bad breath. But the bacteria that release the volatile sulphur compounds of bad breath find a great breeding ground in tongues that are coated or lined with cracks. Mucous and phlegm also contain proteins, and these bacteria exist to break down proteins. So if you suffer from phlegmatic nasal conditions, there's a good chance there is an associated increase in bad breath.

However, despite any existing conditions like fissured tongues or excess phlegm, that are more difficult to change, there are things we can avoid to minimize bad breath occurring.

Dry Mouth
Saliva keeps bad breath at bay because it is rich in oxygen. The bacteria that lead to symptoms of bad breath are anaerobic bacteria, meaning they live in an environment that does not have oxygen. When you have a dry mouth you're creating an environment that is more similar to their 'home', one that has little oxygen. So the bacteria thrive, and so does bad breath.

This is a problem for people who sleep with their mouths open, in particular. Breathing through your mouth all night dries out your mouth so you wake up with less-than-pleasant morning breath.

Certain Foods
Certain foods that are high in protein like meat, and for those who are lactose intolerant, dairy
If you don't digest dairy products well, the bacteria have more of a chance to digest the proteins in milk and produce the volatile sulphur compounds that result in bad breath.

Not flossing
Floss after a meal, especially if you've eaten meat, the bacteria in your mouth have ample time to break down the meat proteins stuck between your teeth.

Acidic foods and drinks like coffee
Acidic foods and drinks create an environment in which bacteria will multiply faster

Alcohol
Even if it’s in a mouthwash, alcohol will dry your mouth out, and then you have all the bad breath problems associated with a dry mouth

Sugar
Sugar is food for bacteria. Enough said!! And this is why even mint flavoured sugar products won't make your breath smell any better.

Important Things About Bad Breath

- In most cases (about 90%), bad breath comes from the mouth itself.

- Despite public opinion, bad breath rarely comes from the stomach.

- Most people can smell other people’s breath, but have trouble smelling their own. So, if you think you have bad breath, you might or you might not. Bad taste is usually not a good indication. The best and simplest way to find out is to ask an adult in your family or a close friend.

- In the mouth, the most common source of bad breath is the very back of the tongue. Food debris, dead cells and postnasal drip can accumulate there, and the breakdown of the proteins by the resident bacteria causes foul odor. The second most important cause is bacteria breaking down protein between your teeth. By the way, the gases and other molecules that the bacteria produce are toxic and can harm your gum as well.

- Bad breath usually increases when the mouth is dry. Chewing sugarless gum for 4-5 minutes at a time can be helpful.

- The generalization that mouthwashes work for only a few minutes is wrong. Try gargling right before bedtime for best results. Some researchers recommend alcohol-free mouth rinses.

- Eating a hearty and healthy breakfast cleans the mouth and back of the tongue, gets the saliva flowing, and is probably good for you.

- In the large majority of cases, bad breath can be dramatically improved or eliminated.

- Children can have bad breath from postnasal drip, dental plaque and transient throat infections.

10 Tips to have a Fresh Breath

Bad breath is experienced by most people at some time. It may simply be “morning breath” but can be a persistent chronic condition which affects a person’s everyday life and confidence.
It is almost always caused initially by poor oral hygiene leading to a build up of excess bacteria in the mouth and which gives off smelly gases.

View Top 10 Tips below that will help keep your breath fresh and clean!

1. Keep your tongue clean
Gently brush it with a soft nylon toothbrush after you brush your teeth.

2. Drink More Water!
The drier your mouth, the worse your breath gets

3. Keep Calm
Stress makes your breath worse!

4. Avoid breath mints and/or gum that contain sugar
These actually make your breath worse

5. Don’t try to kill the odor of bad breath with another odor
This is what most of the ‘Big Name’ oral care companies would like you to believe works

6. Blow your nose more often
Your breath gets worse when you have a cold, allergies, or post-nasal drip

7. Don’t use mouthwash with alcohol or toothpaste that has sodium lauryl sulfate
Do you have any idea how many oral care products contain these two ingredients? Here’s a hint, just about all of them

8. Drink plenty of water when taking prescription medications
Many of these medicines make your mouth extremely dry

9. Stop Smoking
It will give you bad breath in a nanosecond, but may only take 20 years to kill you!

10. And finally, The Best Way to Eliminate & Prevent Bad Breath
Use Clinically Proven Oxygenating Oral Products.

Halitosis - A Foul Smell From Your Mouth

Halitosis also known as bad breath is one of the problems which many people face. It gives out a disgusting feeling when you encounter such a person with bad breath. The origin of the word halitosis is derived from a Latin word. Bad breath as we must have learnt in school is that, if we do not brush our teeth properly they will rot due to the bacteria.

Rotten food in your mouth just makes things worse. But this cannot be the only reason for bad breath. The lung abscess at the time of bronchitis also causes bad breath. Some of the serious illnesses give out different kinds of odor. Conclusions have been drawn for the bad odor is due to poor digestion too.

Saliva plays a very important part in keeping the odor under check. Saliva regulates the odor by washing away food particles and other unwanted junk which creates bad breath. Morning breath usually smells as the salivary glands become sluggish leading to a bad breath. This would help if you have a proper breakfast and the people who skip their breakfast please beware.

Certain foods also cause bad breath such as onions, coffee, and garlic. Too much spice also creates bad odor. Some of these smells may not leave your breath even after 72 hours of digestion. So reducing the intake of these products may help in some form and you may have a much tolerable breath.

Some of the common and basic things or rules you can follow to have a good breath are:

* Brush regularly
* Use dental floss or mouthwash, if that helps
* Go to your dentist at least twice in year to get a thorough check up
* Clean your mouth after eating or drinking milk products
* Chew sugar free gum to moisten your mouth
* Eating fresh and fibrous vegetables would also help
* Drink plenty of water or fluids (which excludes coffee, tea and other sugar added drinks)
*Avoid alcoholic drinks to prevent bad breath

Facts About Bad Breath

We have all had an experience where you have been required to speak to someone and you have been unable to concentrate on their response because of their bad breath. The medical term for this condition is known as halitosis and there can be a number of causes for it. However, the end result is always the same and it can be described as the presence of foul smelling gases in exhaled air.


So, what causes this to happen? Well, there are two main types of halitosis and one is easier to explain than the other.

1- The first type is called transient bad breath and this can be caused as a result of a number of factors. Having a dry mouth, which can be due to thirst, stress or nerves, can cause bad breath as can certain food stuffs. Strong smelling food such as garlic, onion or other heavily spiced dishes can linger on the breath of the person who consumed it. Smoking is another factor which can cause bad breath and poor oral hygiene is a sure way to halitosis.

Saliva is able to kill a certain degree of bacteria in the mouth but it does need to be helped by the use of toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash. The most common form of transient bad breath is commonly known as morning breath. This occurs as a result of your mouth remaining relatively still for a long period of time and so your saliva production is slowed drastically and the bacteria build up overnight. Brushing your teeth in the morning removes the bacteria and so removes the odor.

2- The second type is the chronic bad breath which is a more serious condition and it is persistent and difficult to treat. It can affect up to 25% of the population and is caused as a result of certain types of bacteria being produced in excessive amounts.

For many, bad breath is seen as something comical and people who suffer from it are ridiculed and avoided. However, for the sufferers themselves it can cause real psychological difficulties. Many find it difficult to form relationships and even to speak to people as they are conscious of the odor. They can become very depressed and withdrawn.

For those whose bad breath is of the transient type, many things can be done to rid yourself of it. It is known that the majority of smells come from bacteria produced by food debris which is trapped in the mouth. Following a good oral hygiene routine, including brushing and flossing these pieces of food and so prevent the bacteria from building up. Using mint flavored mouth washes, chewing gum and lozenges can mask the problem briefly but do not rid the cause permanently. However, if you are on the go they can be beneficial until you are able to clean your teeth thoroughly.