5 ways to Prevent Mouth Odour

5 ways to Prevent Mouth Odour

Mouth odour medically known as Halitosis is an extremely embarrassing condition caused by a group of anaerobic, sulfur-producing bacteria that breeds beneath the surface of the tongue and often in the throat and tonsil area. These anaerobic bacteria assist in digestion by breaking down proteins into amino acids, and in the process they excrete waste as odorous and bad tasting compounds that cause bad breath.

CLEAN YOUR TONGUE ... Regularly

If you do not brush your tongue, be sure that you will develop mouth odour over time. Notice the white coating on your tongue; it becomes the host for many smelly bacteria. It is thus very important for you to remember to gently brush your tongue daily, including the back of your tongue, with your toothbrush. If your brush is too big to reach the back of your tongue, you can get a smaller brush or something called a ‘scrapper’ to help you reach back there and properly clean the surface of your tongue, removing bacteria, food debris and dead cells that you might not have been able to remove by only brushing your teeth.

STIMULATE YOUR SALIVARY FLOW

A dry mouth gives the perfect environment for the group of anaerobic bacteria that causes mouth odour. Avoiding a dry mouth by stimulating the flow of saliva in your mouth will help you get rid of mouth odour. This can be done by chewing gum, lozenges or mints that are sugar free. The ones that contain Xylitol, a non-sucrose sweeter, are best because they help you avoid cavities.

DRINK WATER REGULARLY

Drinking water regularly refreshes your mouth and stimulates salivation. It also helps you to wash down food particles off your mouth. You should have a bottle of water handy to drink from time to time throughout the day, to keep your mouth from getting dry. Remember that dry mouth is a perfect environment for anaerobic bacterial growth.

MAINTAIN GOOD DENTAL HYGIENE

This is a no brainer! At least twice a day, you should brush your teeth especially in the morning when you wake and at night before you sleep. This is rule number one to maintain good dental care. It is very important you don’t forget to brush your teeth at night because while you are sleeping little or no saliva is being produced, which creates the perfect environment for anaerobic bacteria to thrive throughout your eight hours of sleep. After eating, the food particle left in your mouth feed the anaerobic bacteria. Brushing your mouth before you sleep will help remove these food and plaque in your mouth. Use toothpastes that contain fluoride with soft brushes. You should also try to brush within the range of 1 – 2 minutes.  Alcohol free mouthwashes and dental flosses can also be used after meals, especially after meals that contain onion and garlic, dairy foods, meat, fish, refined and processed sugars, coffee and juices, and heavily processed foods that contain refined carbohydrates like cookies, cakes, sweets and ice cream which provide the ideal breeding environment for these bacteria.

EAT FIBROUS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Eating fibrous fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, oranges, and potatoes is a perfect way to help moisten the mouth and remove the bacteria, thus helping you get rid of mouth odour. Remember the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Well in this case, we’ll modify it to, “An apple or orange a day keeps the bad breath away”.