Curing Halitosis

RoxanneA

Halitosis more commonly known as bad breath happens to be one of the most widespread complaints affecting at least 25% of the population. Bad breath can be the result of what one has consumed, practising poor oral hygiene or it being on account of having terrible allergies and other medical conditions. The offshoot of which unfortunately is bad breath.

Not only is having bad breath unpleasant for the individual who suffers from it, but it is an extremely embarrassing condition to have. It can lead to depression and the affected having poor self esteem. Many relationships both professional and social have been ruined by this. One can be diagnosed either with transient or persistent bad breath. In the instances were bad breath is transient it can disappear once the individual flosses, brushes his teeth and if they so desire use mouth wash. The use of home remedies can also eliminate the presence of foul smelling breath. On the other hand, where bad breath is persistent or chronic it is more serious and may need medical intervention.

If we take a closer look one may find that the tongue, gum, nose, tonsils and stomach are all connected and one or all of the listed body parts may be responsible for the halitosis. In instances where the mouth is a suspect proteins trapped inside which are processed by the bacteria are known to be the culprits. Astonishingly enough there are 600 known types of bacteria to be found in the average mouth. The tongue as dental surgeons have reported happens to be the bedrock for a great majority of mouth related concerns. The largest amounts of naturally occurring bacteria are found there. Odours which come from the tongue are said to be produced mainly by the breakdown of proteins into individual amino acids which in turn leads to the production of detectable foul gases. Where the gum is concerned, bacteria growing on the gum line when removed are not proven to have any connection to foul odours and halitosis. The tonsils and stomach are to a lesser extent found not to be responsible for overall bad breath.

It is important that once bad breath is detected one takes measures or precautions to rectify the problem. This can be done in several ways and may include home remedies, natural remedies and in the more extreme cases medical intervention. Home remedies for the prevention of bad breath includes brushing your teeth after every meal, flossing once a day, gargling with baking soda dissolved in warm water. This solution may also be used for cleaning the tongue. It has been said that drinking a cup of unsweetened tea or drinking methi seeds can help to cure halitosis. Chewing sunflower seeds or a clove after a meal and having a glass of water is found to be one of the best natural remedies. Not surprisingly eating yogurt for up to six weeks uninterrupted is guaranteed to cure to a greater extent the problem of halitosis.

More interesting home remedies include drinking pineapple juice, squeezing lemon in a glass and gargling, rinsing the mouth with hydrogen peroxide or peroxil before brushing and the intake of foods rich in zinc which includes oysters, shellfish, pine nuts, pecan nuts, liver, cashew nuts, Parmesan cheese and eggs. If after trying one or more of these methods one finds that the breath is still offensive it may be time to seek medical advice. It should be noted that the use of mouthwashes or chewing gum provide only temporary solutions to bad breath. All it does is mask the smell and in many cases make it worse. Once one is seen by a practitioner measures will be implemented in an attempt to fully address the problem being experienced by the individual.