Good Oral Hygiene Is Best Breath Freshener
Although halitosis was long thought to be an incurable affliction, in recent years researchers have learned that bad breath can be treated, not simply camouflaged.
The breakthrough came in recent years as scientists began to prove that, contrary to popular belief, bad breath rarely, if ever, stems from the digestive tract, but is due instead to excessive buildup of bacteria on the tongue, teeth and gums.
Such bacteria is normally present in the mouth, but it can also drip from the back of the nose onto the tongue or become trapped because of poorly fitting crowns, natural gaps and diseased gums.
As with most body odors, the decomposing bacteria create noxious smelling gases, including hydrogen ulfide, which smells of rotten eggs and is one of the main culprits in halitosis.
Wiping out bad breath therefore almost always depends on reducing the levels of bacteria in the mouth.
The first line of attack requires professional dental help to identify the cause of the problem and to scrape built-up bacteria--in the form of plaque--from the teeth.
Your dentist or hygienist will also teach you good techniques for home tooth brushing, tongue scraping and flossing to remove bacteria on a daily basis.
But you can also hamper the creation of odor-causing bacteria in the mouth by drinking plenty of water throughout the day to keep saliva levels up.
Saliva helps wash bacteria out of the mouth and, because it is slightly acidic, discourages bacterial growth.
It is especially important to drink liquids first thing in the morning, because salivation is much reduced during sleep.
Green tea may be a good alternative to water then or at any time of the day. Japanese scientists have recently found that it has considerable antibacterial effects, especially around the gums.
Between meals, eating raw carrots and celery will clean the teeth and gums and dislodge bacteria clinging to their surfaces, as will chewing gum. Although gum as we know it is a thoroughly modern product, the principle has been around for thousands of years.
The chewing of mastic, a resin from the pistachio tree, is even referred to in the book of Genesis as a way of freshening the breath.
Sugar-free gum containing xylitol, a natural sweetener with antibacterial effects, is a good choice because unlike gums with sweeteners such as sorbitol, it stimulates extra saliva flow.
Alcohol, on the other hand, should be avoided. It lowers saliva levels by dehydrating the body and acts directly on cells in the cheeks--drying them out and causing them to secrete protein, which becomes food for the bacteria.
For this reason, alcohol-containing mouthwashes should also be avoided.
Full-fat dairy products such as milk and yogurt are best swapped for low-fat and fat-free versions to help reduce mucus buildup in the mouth, which slows saliva flow.
You can freshen your breath through diet as well.
Parsley and green drinks such as spirulina and wheat grass are rich in the odor-absorbing green pigment chlorophyll, and cloves, fennel and anise seeds are age-old breath fresheners.
Only by dealing with the causes, and not masking the symptoms, can bad breath be truly eliminated.
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Amanda Ursell, a dietitian and nutritionist, is a London-based freelance journalist. Her column appears twice a month. She can be reached at amanda@ursell.com.
