Halitosis, or bad breath, actually affects over 80 million people. It’s characterized by an unpleasant taste and odor in the mouth and is most often caused by bacteria in the mouth resulting from decaying food particles or poor oral hygiene habits. There are other conditions that can cause halitosis, such as dry mouth, liver or kidney problems, diabetes, stress, smoking, changes in diet, aging, and even hormone fluctuations.
A common denominator in many of the most common causes of bad breath is a high-sulfur environment. Even the bacteria that live in our mouths produce sulfur compounds. So, the key to eliminating any issues with bad breath you may be experiencing could be as simple as reducing the amount of sulfur in your mouth.
Focus on the Tongue
One of the biggest culprits of biofilm and bacteria that cause halitosis is the tongue. If you aren’t cleaning your tongue thoroughly every time you brush your teeth, this could be causing your bad breath. If you’ve just been brushing your tongue with your toothbrush a bit each time you cleaned your teeth, we have an even better way to clean your tongue that will completely change your oral hygiene routine for the better!
Take a spoon from your kitchen drawer and drag it along the surface of your tongue to remove the biofilm that has accumulated there. When you see just how much of the (natural and normal) slimy bacteria are on your tongue, even after brushing it, you’ll be amazed (and possibly grossed out).
If the idea of using a spoon is too weird for you, there are many tongue cleaners on the market designed just for this purpose. The best way to keep your tongue clean and bad breath at bay is to follow these three steps:
- Scrape your tongue clean using a tongue cleaner or a spoon.
- Brush your tongue using toothpaste and a toothbrush after brushing your teeth.
- Rinse your mouth out with water or mouthwash to get rid of any lingering biofilm or bacteria left from cleaning and scraping.
For more oral hygiene tips or to schedule an appointment, call us today at (425) 374-1991.
