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.