BAD BREATH 2

Welcome to the second part of the guest post on bad breath by Dr. Prisca.

                 

Before I proceed, who noticed that mouth odour was trending on twitter at a point? Well I did, and what a coincidence that I wrote about it. I screen grabbed some of the tweets to show you other people's opinion on bad breath.

 

                                           

                                 Prevention of Bad breath

  Bad breath can be prevented by doing the following:

1.Practice good oral hygiene:

  i. It is important to rinse your mouth with water regularly especially when you wake up in the morning.

 ii. Brush twice a day ( after breakfast in the morning and after dinner at night) with a fluoride toothpaste. Please note that small amount of fluoride toothpaste should be used for  children to reduce the amount swallowed)

 iii. Floss in between your teeth once a day

                                       

 iv.  Clean your tongue properly, especially the back of the tongue.

2. Change your toothbrush after an illness, also regularly every 2 to 3 months.

3. Visit your dentist regularly for proper examination.

4. Take sugarless gum or fruits that require proper chewing such as apple, they stimulate saliva production which is needed to moisten the mouth and wash away dead cells that accumulate on the tongue and gums. If not removed, the cells decompose and can cause bad breath.

5. Stay hydrated always by drinking plenty of water.

6. The use of antiseptic mouth washes reduces bacteria load thus preventing cavities.

How to treat bad breath 

 The elimination of bad breath depends majorly on its cause, however the following are important in eradicating bad breath:

1. Proper teeth brushing and tongue scraping.

2. Use of antiseptic mouthwash to reduce bacteria that can cause bad breath.

3. The use of mints whether cosmetic or antibacteria.

Note that this only provides a temporary freshness of breath but cannot eliminate the bad breath for good.

                                      

4. If the bad breath was a result of another condition such as diabetes. The dentist reaches a conclusion after proper mouth examination then refers you to a physician.

 I am sure a lot of us don't mean to keeping using that old toothbrush but we always forget to buy another one. This week, let toothbrush be number one on your shopping list that way you won't forget.

Nobody likes to hear that they have bad breath but it is worse not to know you have it. If you have a friend that has bad breath, you can tell the person politely or if you know you have it, the earlier you start treatment the better. 

Laughter is the best medicine, but people with nice breath laugh more.

Feel free to share with us any other method that has worked for you or someone you know, in the comment section.

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