Happy National Fresh Breath Day!

There’s one aspect to socializing many never really think about, and if ignored can be surest way to guarantee your next invite will end up “lost in the mail.”

So what is this social faux-pas that can ruin just about any good party? Well, it’s no more than the quality of your breath. Rest assured, though, as quickly as bad breath can ruin a good night out, correcting it can be just as simple. So, aside from your regularly scheduled cleaning, which keeps tartar, gum disease, and bad breath in check, try a few of these measures to make sure you’re the center of conversation at the party, instead of your breath:
While good oral hygiene and fresh breath are important for everyone, a recent study shows that for couples, it matters a lot. In fact, 60 percent of U.S. adults with partners say that their partner’s oral health — the state of their teeth, gums and breath — plays a big role in their level of intimacy.

While for some folks, chronic bad breath is a symptom of a larger health problem, the rest of us who simply experience a little morning dragon breath, or the occasional post-dinner stinkiness, can usually freshen things up pretty quickly.

Of course, there are scores of commercially available toothpastes, mouthwashes and dental floss we can use to keep our teeth, gums, and tongues in tip-top shape. But there are a number of other ways to make our mouths smell nice.

TODAY consulted oral hygiene experts who shared the nine best ways to keep your breath smelling fresh.

1. Brush and floss correctly.

For starters, make sure you’re nailing the basics of brushing and flossing. You don’t want bacteria, or worse, plaque and tartar in your mouth.

“We tell our patients to brush two or three times a day, with a thorough brushing and flossing at least once, but preferably twice a day,” says Dr. Thomas M. Wall, a dentist in Washington DC.

Though he says recommendations for each patient differ, he tells most to use a soft, ADA-approved toothbrush and toothpaste with fluoride.

Flossing, too, is crucial.

“A toothbrush will cover all the areas around the teeth except for where the teeth actually contact each other so you have to floss in between to break up the plaque and food debris, which can cause bad breath.”

2. Use a tongue scraper.

You should scrape your tongue every day. Tongue scrapers play a role in eliminating plaque and food debris, Wall says, and can be found in most drug stores and health food stores.

3. See your dentist twice a year.

Keep up with dental cleanings and be sure to get annual X-rays of your teeth.

“Bad breath can be caused by cavities, root absorptions, and lots of other conditions that are found in the mouth,” says Wall. “There’s no way to know what’s going on in there unless a professional looks in your mouth and takes X-rays.”

4. Drink more water.

A number of the culprits that cause bad breath can be dealt with by simply bumping up your water intake, says Dr. Gigi Meinecke, spokesperson of the Academy of General Dentistry.

One is acid-reflux, which a 2012 Tufts University study suggests can be alleviated by drinking more water.

Another is post-nasal drip, says Meinecke, which she says is a more common cause of halitosis than most people know. Increasing water, she says, helps loosen up secretions in the back of the throat, thereby freshening up the area.

A dry mouth also contributes to bad breath. Dry mouth happens when there isn’t enough saliva in the mouth. It’s why we get morning breath. It’s especially common in people who take certain medications. “There are over 400 prescription and over-the-counter medications that list dry mouth as a side effect,” says Meinecke. Drinking more water moistens the mouth and helps things run smoothly.

5. Eat more crunchy, raw foods.

“Crunchy vegetables have a low-water content, so if you’re eating them, you have to produce more saliva in order to get it down your throat,” says Meinecke. “Increasing saliva in your mouth and having more salivary flow is good.”

6. Consider a saltwater gargle.

Meinecke says gargling with saltwater could benefit anyone who has crypts, or pockets, in their tonsil area. “Those crypts get junk in them and they get schtunky,” says Meinecke. Gargling with saltwater could help dislodge anything that’s become stuck, she says. But don’t go overboard with the salt.

Use one teaspoon of salt in six ounces of water.

7. Chew gum.

Chewing sugarless gum can help freshen breath and not only because gum comes in fresh minty flavors. “Chewing gum increases salivary production,” Meinecke says, which moistens the mouth..

 

 

 

Professional Breath Control in San Ramon, California

Professional Breath Control to help you determine what the root cause is and how it can be treated.

Unpleasant breath can harm interpersonal relationships — whether personal or professional — in ways that affect, and sometimes impair, the lives of those who suffer from conditions such as halitosis. There are many causes of unpleasant breath. If your breath smells stronger than you would like, Dr. Khandaqji and his Professional Breath Control staff can help you determine what the root cause is and how it can be treated.

 

FROM

agoGina Vivinetto
TODAY

www.today.com/health/its-national-fresh-breath-day-celebrate-these-9-tips-t37276

http://on.today.com/1KfvOrZ