Preventing Halitosis

Preventing Halitosis (bad breath) is something we all conscientiously do. It is a matter of taking action. Our mouth doesn't naturally clean itself…wouldn't that be nice if it did?

There are several steps you can take at home to help prevent halitosis (bad breath). The following are things you can do to help prevent bad breath:

1. Control Sulfur – The bacteria living in your mouth actually produces sulfur gases. Pure sulfur can actually kill you, so it isn't exactly a good thing. Sulfur is in oxygen's chemical period on the Periodic Table of chemical elements. If you have a Periodic Table of chemical elements handy, you can look it up. Sulfur has 16 protons and oxygen has 8 protons. Living things can actually survive on sulfur in absence of oxygen since it is so similar to oxygen. Morning breath especially is filled with bacteria that have been busily emitting sulfur gases while your mouth remained closed during the night. In order to rid yourself of this "morning breath", you can take a trip to the bathroom and rinse with mouthwash or even brushing your teeth and tongue will do the trick.

2. Routinely use toothpaste and mouthwash that contains zinc compounds or a stabilized chlorine dioxide that will help to break down the odor-causing sulfur chemicals.

3. Be diligent about good oral hygiene and learn how to brush your teeth properly. Most of us probably do not brush for a long enough period of time. We should also be brushing each tooth as well as brushing all of the surfaces of each tooth, this takes time. A quick once on top, and bottom just won't be good enough. When you miss and don't brush teeth, bacteria remain on them. Young children under age five will need adult assistance to brush their teeth properly.

4. Brush AND floss in between meals. Food particles can get lodged in between teeth and when we don't remove these particles, bacteria will settle in on them.

5. Scrub your tongue as a regular part of your oral hygiene

6. Get regular dental checkups so that oral problems can be detected early on and treated quickly to prevent problems that may lead to halitosis

7. Immediately make a dental appointment if halitosis persists after normal home dental care.

Ask your physician or your dentist about other things you may do to prevent bad breath.

Throat infections can also cause bad breath, so if you have a scratchy or sore throat that persists, especially if you have a fever with it, get checked out by a health professional.

No one likes the embarrassment of having bad breath and we certainly do not like to smell it on someone else, so learning how to prevent halitosis is important for everyone.

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