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Embarrassing Bad Breath: What to Do About It!

Embarrassing Bad Breath: What to Do About It!

Avoiding getting near someone because you have bad breath? What about kissing someone?  How about even avoiding going to the dentist because you;r embarrassed about your bad breath?

Millions of people struggle with bad breath issues daily. In fact, the “bad breath” industry has made a fortune selling “cover up” products to help people deal with the problem. Years ago, “bad breath centers” popped up all over the U.S. for a short while, until people caught on that bad breath is no mystery and treating it successfully isn’t hard.

Let me first say that bad breath comes from 3 sources: your mouth, your stomach, or your respiratory system. You can eliminate which source is the problem by first covering your mouth and breathing out through your nose. Have someone ( a very BRAVE someone) smell your exhale. If it is stinky, then your bad breath is coming from your lungs, sinuses, or stomach, and you should see your physician. If it’s not, then the source is your mouth.

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Let’s deal with the mouth. Most bad breath from the mouth is caused by bacteria, either due to inadequate hygiene or an infection. Either way, a dental visit is important. Here’s what you can do in the meantime:

1. Brush and floss more frequently. Don’t like to floss? Try the new Sonicaire AirFlosser.

2. Scrape your tongue. Your tongue holds lots of debris, including the bacteria that produce that foul odor. You can buy a tongue scraper at most pharmacies, dry stores, and even large chain stores, like WalMart, Target, and Kmart.

3. Avoid foods that sour your breath. Certain foods have different effects of people’s breath. For me, even though I love garlic and raw onions, I avoid eating then because it affects my breath for DAYS.

4. Stop smoking. OK, I know you’ve been told that a million or so times, but it’s true. People who don’t smoke can smell your bad breath easily, and it’s almost impossible to cover up. I won’t even get into the benefits of quitting because of your oral health and general health.

5. Mouthwashes can help short term by killing about half the bacteria in your mouth for 6-8 hours. However, don’t rinse with water or drink or eat for at least 30 minutes afterwards.

6. Chew some sugar-free gum, especially ones with xylitol. Chewing stimulates your salivary glands and help wash away bacteria and food debris.

7. Dry mouth issues? Hundreds of medications cause dry mouth, and you may or may not be able to switch medications. Use Biotene products that you can purchase over-the-counter. Professional strength products available though a dentist can also help. Sometimes prescription antibiotics are needed.

8. Keep your gums healthy. Spend 90+% of your brushing at the gum line. See bleeding? See a dentist.

Bad breath problems can be resolved with excellent home care and professional help. Start today!

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