Practicing good dental hygiene is usually enough to keep bad breath away, at least in most situations. In rarer instances, such as when bad breath is ...
Practicing good dental hygiene is usually enough to keep bad breath away,
at least in most situations. In rarer instances, such as when bad breath is caused by some internal illness, more drastic measures need to be taken.
The most basic element in practicing good dental hygiene is the toothbrush. Toothbrushes have been in use for decades. Although the first products that our ancestors used years ago are not much different from the basic toothbrush that we have now, today's toothbrushes are much more effective in cleaning the teeth. Technology has also paved the way for the creation of more complex devices such as electric toothbrushes, mechanized tongue cleaners and dozens of toothpastes and mouthwashes that can help get rid of bad breath in a flash.
Fifty years ago, the electric toothbrush was first introduced to the public. The main improvement of this innovation over the traditional manual toothbrush was that it could make much more brush strokes than the manual brush. In fact, the first models were able to make about 5,000 brush stokes per minute, compared to the measly 250 to 300 strokes that an average person can do with a manual toothbrush. With this very high speed, food particles that are otherwise left stuck in between the teeth and the gums are easily dislodged and cleaned out. The improvement is astonishing, but manufacturers were certainly not satisfied. Today, there are some electric toothbrushes that can reach speeds of more than 30,000 strokes per minute. These more powerful devices allow you to spend less time brushing while leaving your mouth more squeaky-clean than ever.
Another essential item in the maintenance of fresh breath is the dental floss. Despite the incredible improvements in the electric toothbrushes of today, brushing still has not replaced the practice of flossing at least once a day. Flossing can remove food residues that even the most modern toothbrushes cannot reach. Today, there is a very large selection of dental flosses that you can choose from. Some can be so thin that they can reach unimaginably tight spaces between your teeth. Some even have flavors. You can also choose between the waxed and the unwaxed varieties.
Tongue cleaners are also important in keeping away bad breath. Unfortunately, not many people use these products simply because they are not aware of the vital role that tongue cleaning plays in the prevention of bad breath. People sometimes use their toothbrushes to clean their tongue, but if you want a more effective gadget, you should take a look at tongue scrapers and brushes specifically designed to clean the tongue.
The process of cleaning the tongue is very simple. Basically, you're just supposed to brush the surface of the tongue from the back to the front. Try to reach as far back as you can because this is where most bacteria and food particles accumulate. For people with a strong gag reflex, this may be a challenging in the beginning but you will eventually get used to it. Make sure that you press hard enough to get the bacteria off, but not too carelessly as to chafe your tongue.
Dozens of tongue cleaning products are offered in health shops all over the country. If tongue brushes or scrapers do not sound very appealing to you, you can also try one of the tongue spray products available today. These can kill the bacteria in the tongue while leaving a pleasant smell in your mouth.
Mouthwashes have always been popular as a solution for bad breath. However, these products in fact are nothing more than a quick fix to your problem. There are very strong mouthwashes that can keep your breath smelling fresh for hours but they don’t really address the root of your bad breath problem, which is the oral bacteria, or some other underlying reason.
In addition, a lot of the mouthwash brands today contain alcohol, and this can actually exacerbate the problem. It may freshen up your breath at first but in time, the alcohol in the mouthwash will dry up the inside of your mouth, allowing the nasty-smelling bacteria to thrive freely in your mouth.
Despite these limitations, mouthwashes are actually pretty handy especially if you need to have fresh breath in an instant. Just make sure that the brand you purchase is completely alcohol-free, and if possible choose one that contains chlorine dioxide. This chemical is very good in killing oral bacteria without actually drying out the inside of your mouth.
Of course, we can't forget about the toothpaste. It's actually hard to find a toothpaste that doesn’t work because most of them are actually pretty effective, especially the more popular brands like Colgate and Crest.
These modern products and devices are all very useful in keeping your breath fresh but not one of them will work well if used by itself. The best way to go about it is to use all the abovementioned tools, combined it with a healthy diet and sufficient water intake, and you will definitely have fresh breath at all times.
