Should I use mouthwash to control bad breath?

 

Commercial mouthwash available in your drug store, usually contain a formulation consisting of flavor, alcohol, and antibacterial agent.

Several types of mouthwash have been shown to reduce malodor in clinical trials, including 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinses and Listerine.

There is a possibility that if the cause of you bad breath is because of bacteria in your mouth, that using a good mouth wash you could control the bad breath. You should use a mouth wash if possible to take good care of your teeth and gums, since with the brushing we are only cleaning 30% of our teeth and gums, a powerful mouth wash would get ride of the hidden bacteria in the gums and tongue that sometimes can cause bad breath.

Practical tips for young children and spouses with bad odor

Children should brush their teeth properly at least twice a day using clean brush motions. In case of small babies, you can also use clean cotton swabs or a piece of cloth.

Check for bad odor every day and in case of any problems, contact your dentist immediately. A nightly gargle with Sodium chloride solution may help reduce teeth infection.

Spouses: A case of bad mouth can create a difficult situation in any marriage. Bad breath can ruin personal relationship as someone with an acute sense of personal hygiene will never tolerate a spouse with bad mouth. Especially true during times of personal intimacy!

A bad smelling mouth must be sorted as soon as possible

Is it possible to prevent bad breath by cleaning your teeth properly?

 

Proper brushing (several minutes every time, making sure to stroke properly, massage the gums and get everywhere), flossing (or a similar method of cleaning between adjacent teeth and gums), and periodic visits to the hygienist are of prime importance in having fresh breath.

Although if there are other stomach problems, or intestinal problems is possible that you might still have a bad breath, but obviously it will increase if you don’t brush your teeth after every meal, use a proper mouth wash and floss.

So, no matter what the problem is you should always keep the best possible care of your mouth and teeth, it will certainly help you reducing the halitosis problem, if not to solve it completely.

Most common herbals to reduce bad breath are:

1. Parsley (Petroselinum sativum): It has been used to correct bad breath traditionally to minimize odors associated with garlic and onion intake. Eat fresh as dried parsley is not effective.

2. Sage (Salvia officinalis): It is used for sore throat and gingivitis; it dries excess secretion such as mucus from sinus infection.

3.Thyme (Thymus vulgarus): It used as a mouth rinse to kill fungus, bacteria and virus, strong antiseptic, good for colds and flu.

4. Clove (Eugenia aromaticum): It is good for bad breath caused by rotting food in mouth, used in old time mouth wash and powders, herb can be drying.

5. Myrrh (Commiphora molmol): It is used for bad breath, infections of mouth, teeth, throat and sinus, long history of use for gum disease and toothache.

6. Echinacea, Purple Coneflower or Snake root (E. angustifolia, E. purpurea, E. pallida, and E. tennessiensi): This herb besides helping to boost the immune system also increases salivation, and act as a mouth rinse. It has been used for sore throat and gingivitis.

7. Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctora): It is good for sore throat, mouth and gum abscess, good mouthwash and stimulates immune system.

8. Spilanthes, Toothache plant (Spilanthes oleracea): This herb is antifungal and antibacterial, it good for thrush, pyorrhea, gingivitis and toothache.

9. Frankincense (Boswellia carterii): This herb is antibacterial, used topically for sores, increases circulation, used for toothache.

10. Goldenseal, Oregon Grape and Barberry are good topical lotions for mouth rinse and sore throat infections.

11. Chew some cardamom seeds to sweeten your breath. The aromatic flavor in cardamom is a breath freshener.

12. Add 1 lemon juice with some sugar and salt to a glass of water and drink it often.

13. Parsley is a great food to neutralizer. Its leaves are rich in chlorophyll, nature’s own deodorizer. Chew some leaves for fresh breath.

14. Tea made from Fenugreek (methi) seeds is also beneficial in bad breath and bad odor.

15. Mix three parts of peppermint leaves with two parts of water. Grind in blender until solution is thick. Gargle one cup of the solution everyday for one week. Each day your breath will get better. Make fresh concoction every other day.

16. A cleaned colon will often alleviate bad breath.

17. Chew some chlorophyll rich leaves such as parsley.

18. Eating natural supplements of calcium, C vitamins, B-complex and myrrh everyday will help you reduce bad breath

19. To merely cover odor, chew cloves, drink peppermint tea, eat parsley, take chlorophyll, or gargle with barberry tea.

20. Chew food well and drink water between meals to aid in digestion.

21. Take acidophilus or chew uemboshi plums to improve intestinal health.

22. Chewing a very green Guava fruit will help you reduce the intensity of bad breath.

Making your own mouthwash in your home

 

Here are some simple home made mouth wash:

The basic commercial mouthwash may contain up to about 2% of flavor like clove oil or mint, up to 2% of a surfactant to dissolve the flavor and to provide foaming, up to 2% humectants and/or thickener, 25% alcohol, and active ingredients.

Ingredients reported to have an effect in controlling odor include zinc chloride (usually around 0.2%), quaternary ammonium compounds (for example, cetylpyridinium chloride up to 0.05%) and certain combinations of essential oils. The most effective antibacterial agent present in mouthwashes is probably chlorhexidine.

Chlorhexidine containing mouthwashes are good for initial diagnosis and therapy, as well as for post surgery treatment, but are not advised for every day use. Although some investigators have reported sodium bicarbonate reduces bad breath, it is usually ineffective.

How important is flossing the teeth?

 

It is important to use floss properly, following professional instruction. Remember to floss around the ends of the teeth at the ends of each row.

A clean mouth would be a more difficult environment for the bacteria of the bad breath to survive, so flossing you teeth every day will help you keeping your teeth clean and the bacteria away.

Children would probably have problems flossing, since it requires a delicate control of the fingers they don’t have yet. One of the great advantages of using floss is that you can smell the floss directly following each passage between the teeth, and clean the smelly areas more diligently

How effective are sprays and breath mints?

 

Sprays and regular mint candies are considered to be relatively ineffective in combating bad breath. Don’t be fooled by the burning sensation – it is your own cells in pain, not the bacteria.

Although mints and chewing gum can give you a fresh sensation in your mouth, if you are truly suffering bad breath and halitosis the smell will still be there. The mints and chewing gums have them for your pure pleasure. To attack the bad breath you will have to attack the bacteria in your mouth, brush your teeth after every meal, use mouth wash as well and follow doctor recommendations if the normal remedies are not effective.

Don’t forget that breath mints could have added sugar and damage your teeth, be careful with what you chew and put in your mouth,  the sugars in some sweets and chewing gums might only serve as food for bacteria, a complete mouth hygiene is the best always.

Causes of Bad Breath

 

The majority of bad breath problems begin in the mouth.

• Bad breath that is of mouth origin can be traced to a sulfur compound produced by bacteria. Dead and dying bacterial cells release this sulfur compound, which gives the breath a bad odor.

• Bacterial plaque, debris and food waste accumulate on the back of the tongue. The tongue’s surface is extremely rough and bacteria can reside easily in the cracks and crevices.
• Large amounts of sulfur compounds can be produced in this area, making it a frequent site of origin for bad breath.

• The tooth attracts bacteria containing plaque, debris and if not cleaned regularly and thoroughly, this can result in large accumulations of bacteria which result in bad breath.

• People who have Periodontitis disease often experience bad breath because of bacteria accumulating in areas that are not cleaned easily, such as deep fissures around teeth.

Fortunately, treatment is very effective for people who have bad breath of mouth origin.

Other reasons for bad breath are:

• Sinus or respiratory infections

• Diabetes related acetone smell

• Fishy odor in case of kidney disease

• Liver problems

• Digestive disorders

• Dieting and fasting related foul odors