Beat Bad Breath with These Tips from Gum Disease Treatment Expert,

PART 3

This four-part article series provides a number of important tips for maintaining good oral

health and for eliminating the bacteria that cause bad breath.

Welcome to the third installment of this four-part article series on the various tricks and tips for

helping to permanently abolish bad breath, or halitosis. Previously, in Part 2 of this series, a gum

disease treatment specialist discussed the following essential habits to develop – habits that go

towards maintaining a high standard of oral health and hygiene, which should in turn minimize the

numbers of smell-producing bacteria in your mouth:

# 1: Brush and floss more frequently and thoroughly.

# 2: Brush your tongue or make use of a tongue-scraper.

# 3: Swill your mouth out with anti-bacterial mouthwash.

# 4: Avoid pungent foods like onions and garlic.

If you’re confident that you do maintain an excellent standard of oral hygiene, but suspect that you

still have bad breath even when you avoid pungent, smelly foods, you might find the answer to your

problems in the next three tips, which we shall be presenting in this article…

Bad Breath Buster # 5: Quit Smoking

We won’t even talk about the nasty things smoking’s known to do to your oral health (yes, gum

disease, stained teeth and oral cancer are some of them)… instead, we want to focus on what it does

to your breath, because there are few things worse than getting intimate with a smoker when

you’re a non-smoker. There are three ways smoking makes your breath nasty:

1. The stench of smoke itself is evident on your skin, hair and breath. 2. The heat of the smoke actually chars or at least permeates the soft tissues in your mouth,

causing a really unpleasant smell to linger, even after brushing. 3. The chemicals in smoke cause xerostomia, which is a condition also known as “dry mouth.”

The impediment of healthy saliva production, affects your mouth’s ability to clean itself and to fight against bacteria, which is why one of the symptoms of xerostomia is halitosis.

There’s really only one solution to halitosis caused by smoking, but even gum disease treatment

specialists are sympathetic to the fact that it’s not easy to simply quit smoking.

“You have to accept the challenge that lies ahead and that you may not be successful the first,

second or even twenty-second time around,” says the gum disease specialist. “However, with

dogged determination, you can figure out a cessation method that works for you and eventually,

you’ll get it right. I find it helps people to remember what smoking does to their presentation. It can

make smoking unappealing if you know your habit really puts off the people around you.”

Bad Breath Buster # 6: Chew Sugar-Free Gum

Chewing gum (definitely sugar-free) is an excellent stimulator of saliva production, which is really

good for oral health.

“Not only does saliva wash away food debris that could encourage bacterial growth, but it also

contains anti-bacterial properties,” explains the gum disease specialist. “Additionally, saliva helps to

return the PH balance of your mouth to neutral after a meal. This allows the enamel in your teeth to

remineralize and strengthen after being softened by the acid naturally present in many of the foods

and beverages we eat.”

So, instead of sucking on a sugar-packed mint or sweet after a meal, choose sugar-free gum.

Bad Breath Buster # 7: Get Prompt Treatment for Gum Problems, such as Gingivitis

and Gum Disease

Good gum health is fundamental for pleasant breath. Unfortunately, according to the CDC, the vast

majority of Americans suffer from gum problems, from mild gingivitis to full-blown gum disease.

Since gum disease is actually a bacterial infection of the gingiva, it’s understandable why one of the

key symptoms of this condition is chronic bad breath and even an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

“If your gums are inflamed, swollen and bleed easily, and/or if your teeth are discolored, loose, have

visible whitish deposits on them and feel uncomfortable when you eat, it’s fundamental that you see

your dentist right away,” says the gum disease expert. “Prompt treatment is crucial if you are to

prevent the tooth loss that results from gum disease.”

Stay Tuned for Part 4

Stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part article series (coming next week) to learn

some final tips for preventing chronic bad breath or halitosis.