Natural Remedies for Bad Breath: Essential Oils and Herbs
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The benefits of tongue scraping and other oral care practices
Many smokers suffer from bad breath from time-to-time. Heavy smokers are usually more frequently affected, but occasional smokers also get bad breath. Studies suggest that smokers experience a deterioration in sensitivity, so you may not even realize you have bad breath or be able to smell it on yourself.
The role of oral hygiene in preventing bad breath
Large stones damage the tissue, which results in swelling, inflammation, and infection.
These compounds are given off when food and bacteria accumulate in the furrows at the back of the tongue. The good news is that this can be temporary, as a result of eating garlic or raw onions, drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes. But in three quarters of cases some kind of dental problem is found alongside the halitosis. The patients might have gums which are swollen, sore or infected or be suffering from a coating on the tongue.
Tongue scraping is a practice that involves using a tongue scraper to remove bacteria and debris from the surface of the tongue. The tongue harbors a significant amount of bacteria, which can contribute to bad breath. Tongue scraping helps remove this bacteria and can improve breath odor.
Smoking or chewing tobacco-based products also can cause bad breath, stain teeth, reduce your ability to taste foods, and irritate your gums.
When you do not notice a drastic improvement in your breath after taking the above self-care steps, you need to seek professional help. Professional care for bad breath will include the following steps.
Brush your tongue, cheeks, and the roof of your mouth. Most bad breath bacteria live on the tongue. So brushing or scraping the tongue can make a big difference in your breath.
The first thing many people do if they suspect they have bad breath is to reach for the mouthwash. The mint or clove flavouring does of course, disguise the smell for a short time, and many mouthwashes also contain antiseptic. The idea is to eliminate the bacteria that leads to foul-smelling compounds. For a time this can work. But there has been some debate concerning containing alcohol and whether it does or doesn’t exacerbate dehydration. A very dry mouth can cause breath to smell worse.
It is important to note that while natural remedies can be effective in freshening breath, they should not replace proper oral hygiene practices.
Kidney disease – about 31 million people in the United States or 10% of the population have chronic kidney disease[vi]. Kidney disease refers to the gradual loss of kidney function and it can be a complication of many other health conditions. How does kidney disease cause halitosis? These organs filter out different minerals in the blood and send healthy blood back to your body and heart. Kidney failure impairs the ability of this organ to filter out minerals and they accumulate in the bloodstream. As a result, you experience a metallic taste and bad breath.
After you eat, let your food digest before performing physical activity or lying down. This can allow the contents in your stomach to digest while your LES stays closed.
To prevent bad breath in children, it is important to establish good oral hygiene habits from an early age. This includes teaching them to brush their teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting the dentist regularly for check-ups. Encouraging healthy eating habits and addressing any underlying dental or respiratory issues can also help prevent halitosis in children.
Ultimately, the bad-breath campaign was so successful that marketing historians refer to it as the “halitosis appeal”—shorthand for using fear to sell product. And, while the modern advertising industry is no stranger to creating a problem to sell its solution, Listerine’s medicalization of mouth odors might just be one of the most successful iterations yet.