What is halitosis?
Halitosis means bad breath, a problem that many people face eventually. It is estimated that approximately 40% of the population suffers or will suffer from chronic halitosis at some time in your life. There are many causes of this evil, including inadequate oral hygiene (lack of proper brushing and lack of flossing), gingivitis, to certain foods such as garlic or onion, tobacco and alcohol products, dry mouth (caused by certain drugs for disorders and lower production of saliva during sleep), systemic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, problems with the liver and kidneys.
How do I know if I have halitosis?
One way to know if you have bad breath is to cover your mouth and nose with your hand, exhale and feel the breath. Another way is to ask someone you trust as is your breath. But do not forget that many people have this problem when they wake up in the morning, as a result of lower production of saliva during the night, allowing acid and other substances to deteriorate inside the mouth. Measures such as brushing teeth, and tongue, and floss before bed and get up often help eliminate morning breath.
How to prevent bad breath?
Avoid foods that cause bad breath and note the following: brush thoroughly twice daily and floss daily to remove plaque and food particles that accumulate every day (brushing your tongue also helps reduce bad breath) remove the denture before bed, and clean it well before putting it in the morning and visit your dentist regularly to make a review and cleaning of your teeth.
If your bad breath persists even after a good brushing and flossing, see your dentist, as this may be an indication of the existence of a more serious problem. Only the dentist can tell if you have gingivitis, dry mouth or excess plaque, which are the probable causes of bad breath.
Copyright 2007 Colgate-Palmolive
No comments:
Post a Comment