Dental Floss

Mouth Wash

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Decongestant: any one of a few drugs which help reduce mucus build-up

Halitosis: the medical term for bad breath

Post nasal drip: the flow of mucus from your nasal passages down the back of your throat

2torial #0761: Learn2 Cope with Bad Breath Ya think Valentino ever had bad breath? In one old mythological tale, when a young woman pleased three spirits who lived in a pool of water they bestowed favors upon her. One of these favors was sweet breath, so we know that bad breath has been a problem for quite some time! Today it's still one of the banes of our existence-- embarrassing rich and poor, young and old alike. Fortunately, we understand a bit more about it now than we did hundreds of years ago, and know a few tricks to help with this most unfortunate difficulty. For most of us, bad breath can be traced to one or more of the following problem areas; the mouth, the stomach, and the nasal passages. If you have a problem with any of these areas, there's a good chance you have bad breath at least some of the time. Some of us, however, attend to all of these areas and still can't lose that persistent odor. Despair not! Even as we speak, dental science is working harder than ever to fully understand bad breath, and help long-suffering married couples. There's a lot of money to be made in curing halitosis, and that seems to be the best incentive of all to find and market a real solution. In the meantime, we've got some instructions for you that'll help eliminate your breathy odors now. Clean up your mouth Good dental hygiene is very important for any number of reasons, but for some, bad breath tops the list. Dentists have to deal with bad breath all day, and quickly become experts on the problem. Get a dental cleaning at least twice a year. Not only will this keep the amount of plaque in your mouth down, but it'll also reduce the amount of bacteria and other nasty stuff that lives at your gumline. Keeping your gums in shape will reduce mouth odors, and let you keep your teeth longer. Brush your teeth at least twice daily. Brushing frequently throughout the day greatly reduces the amount of debris that lies rotting in your mouth. All that stuff that's caught between your teeth doesn't smell very nice after a short time, and it's gross besides. Brushing your teeth before going to bed is also very important, giving you a clean mouth for the hours of sleep ahead, not to mention preventing a night of bacteria working on your teeth. Floss, floss, floss! Dentists always tell us that flossing between our teeth is important, but lots of us don't do it. How many more of us would floss if we knew that flossing would improve our breath? Flossing regularly is the best way to remove debris from between your teeth, and keep your mouth clean. If you don't believe this has an effect, just smell the floss after it's been used--you'll become a flossing convert! Don't just brush your teeth--brush your whole mouth. Brushing your tongue may seem strange to some, but it's a good thing to do. Plaque and other bacteria grow on your tongue, as well as your teeth, and bad breath results. The back of the tongue is an especially wonderful environment for nasty stuff to grow, and should have special attention paid to it--stick your tongue out in the mirror and look at it to note the buildup. The only problem is that many of us gag when brushing this area, and need a special scraping tool (no kidding) to scrape our tongues with. Ask your dentist where to order one of these handy gadgets. Use a mouthwash for short-term help, especially in the morning. Get one that "kills germs" in any flavor you want. Pay attention to your upset stomach How your stomach feels has a direct bearing on how your breath smells. An upset stomach, or even an empty one, can be a source of bad breath with all that acid churning around in there. "Graze," don't gorge. Since "grazing" is in nutritional vogue right now, keeping a bit of food in your stomach is completely understandable. Have a small snack an hour before you meet that special person, and give your stomach a chance to calm down. Chew antacid tablets before that big meeting. Using antacid tablets or liquid will help neutralize stomach acids, and improve your breath. These generally work pretty fast, and are mint flavored, so they're good in emergencies. Worship those mints! Breath freshening capsules are now sold at just about any large drugstore, or supermarket chain. They're sold under a few different names, and generally contain parsley extract in vegetable oil. They come in small plastic boxes of fifty or one hundred, and are unfortunately a bit pricey. If you can find some on sale, buy a few boxes--they work pretty well. Keep your nasal passages clear Post-nasal drip is a known cause of bad breath. Basically, mucus from your nose is finding it's way down the back of your throat, and smelling bad. If you have hayfever, or other seasonal allergies, this can be a real difficulty. Use a decongestant to reduce the amount of mucus your body produces. You'll find decongestants sold as allergy tablets in any drugstore, and many supermarkets. Start with the least powerful ones available, and take them as infrequently as feasible--you may build up a tolerance before long, and have to increase the dosage anyway. Clear your passages with menthol. Lozenges and topical cold rubs containing camphor or menthol are great ways to clear your passages instantly. Unfortunately, cold rubs are messy and inconvenient to use, especially before that important merger meeting. Luckily, lozenges are generally also breath fresheners, as well as being convenient, quick and acceptable. Make sure you're healthy If your dentist says that your mouth is clean and healthy, but your bad breath persists, there's a small chance that a medical condition may be causing the problem. Respiratory tract infections and diabetes, as well as liver and kidney ailments have been known to cause bad breath, and can be checked by your doctor. -end- Learn More!