Dental Health Care

Secrets of a fresh breath.

Few are those who have not suffered at one time or another, from bad breath. Some rules of hygiene can help reduce these annoyances.

Bad breath, otherwise known as halitosis, is not a mysterious phenomenon. We know precisely its immediate cause: it is due to the presence of sulfur compounds including hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercantile, which give the breath a smell of rotten eggs. A device even exists to quantify the presence of these compounds, altimeter which there is little evidence, however, useful in practice.

First charge: bacteria.

Nine times out of ten, causing bad breath is mouth. It is believed that bacteria accumulate in the furrows dug by the papillae on the posterior part of the language. It is these bacteria that produce extremely volatile sulfur compounds that escape into the exhaled air. The presence of these bacteria also explains the stench morning. Saliva is less abundant during the night, they tend to accumulate. The mere fact of getting up, drinking or taking his breakfast is usually enough to eliminate the smell and they are responsible.

The remaining question is why some people produce an abundance of sulfur compounds and other not. The poor condition of the gums, the presence of large cavities or treatment faulty valve can cause the accumulation of bacteria and food debris. So if you feel that your breath has changed suddenly so unpleasant, the first step is certainly going to visit your dentist to check the condition of your teeth and gums and to treat any cavities. It will also give you advice on hygiene, especially if you have periodontics, gum inflammation resulting in the formation of pockets between the teeth and gums, which accumulate food debris.

Brushing the tongue.

But most bad breath develops without specific cause, even among people with proper dental hygiene. One can hardly advise that some rules of hygiene. Brushing your teeth after every meal, use the floss in the evening to remove food debris between teeth is the minimum. But it is also recommended to brush the tongue, especially its posterior part, where the papillae are most pronounced, to eliminate bacteria. The tongue scrapers, available in pharmacies, can also be employed or a small spoon. Gums, inner cheeks and palate should also be brushed in order to expel the bacteria.

Mouthwash refreshing to essential oils (eucalyptus, mint ..) are just a few minutes mask the stench. Baths antibiotics, chlorhexidine-based, for example, are not recommended in regular use because of side effects. They criticized in particular to increase the risk of oral cancer. These baths can not replace the care of dental hygiene.

Avoid dry mouth.

Chewing gum, lozenges and other sprays also have a masking effect very ephemeral. But the former have the interest to salivate. We know that a dry mouth increases the risk of bad breath.

Some diseases or therapies can reduce the secretion of saliva. This is also the case of tobacco, which brings also its peculiar odor.

In case of insufficient salivation, it is necessary to ensure regular drink or absorb some foods, which sweep the deposits on the tongue.

Fishy.

Other causes of bad breath are well known. A rare genetic peculiarity, recently identified, the trimethylaminuria, causes a fishy odor. Unfortunately there are no really effective remedies. Some diseases commonplace, such as ENT infections are causes of bad breath.