Imagine, sitting next to colleague in the office who has bad breath? It would be a horrible experience wouldn’t it? Or what if you had bad breath and your friend’s point it out to you! It would be humiliating for you.
Bad breath, which is medically known as Halitosis, is caused by a group of anaerobic bacteria that produce sulphur, which is responsible for the foul odour. They usually are found beneath the surface of your tongue.
To combat with bad breath, we got in touch with experts who explain how halitosis is caused and how you can deal with it.
How to check if you have bad breath
Sadly, most of us have no idea if we have bad breath or not, unless someone points it out for us. However, there are ways you can figure it out for yourself. After flossing, smell your dental floss, sounds gross but can’t help. If your breath smells like rotten eggs then you know for sure that your breath stinks. You can also use a tongue scraper. If the gunk accumulates on the scraper and it stinks, you’ve got bad breath.
5 reasons why you suffer from Halitosis
1)Bad oral hygiene– Most obvious reason for bad breath is poor oral hygiene. If you don’t brush regularly then bacteria starts to build up in your gum and tongues. And when you eat, these bacteria feed on the food and after eating they release a gas (think of it as a bacteria fart), which is responsible for the foul odour.
4)Acid reflux– One of the most unknown reasons why you have suffer from bad breath is because of acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when your stomach contents, the food you have eaten, tends to come back in the oesophagus. This makes your odour smell like vomit.
5)Miscellaneous reasons– Sometimes bad breath could be symptoms of diseases such as diabetes, liver disease and bronchitis.
How to beat it
1)Oral care routine– A good oral routine is essential in dealing with bad breath. Brush twice a day and floss before sleeping.
2)Stay hydrated– Drink water and stay hydrated to prevent dry mouth. You can also opt for sugar free chewing gum, mint or lozenges.
3)Eat fruits– Best way to remove toxic bacteria from your mouth is by eating fruits. They act as a natural cleanser for your mouth.
4)Scraping your tongue– Most of us never scrape our tongue after brushing or flossing. It is one of the most efficient ways of removing bacteria from your tongue and keeping it clean.
