 Somewhere in the common public consiousness are myths and legends about bad breath and halitosis. For the most part, these are based on only partial fact, or just a poor understanding of the facts of bad breath. Below are five common myths about halitosis,
Myth 1: You are able to recognize your own bad breath. It's commonly believed that it's possible to smell one's own breath by holding your hand over your nose and mouth. Haven't most people tried to do this at some time? Actually, it is practically impossible to know how your breath smells to others. There are two reasons for this. First, your nose and your mouth are not separate, but are connected by a passageway in the back of your throat. Second, your nose tends to filter out your own smells.
To learn if you have bad breath, try any of these three methods. First, just ask a trusted friend to tell you if your breath is bad. Second, you can visit your dentist and ask them to use a halimeter, which is an instrument to test your breath. Finally, you can take a sample using a cotton swab or a spoon from the surface of your tongue at the back. After waiting for the sample to dry a few minutes, you can smell it to get an idea of how your breath smells.
Myth 2: Bad breath starts in the stomach. This myth is partly true, but it isn't the whole story. Bad breath can result from some problems in the stomach, such as trouble with digestion, or dieting or eating habits. Most of the time however, bad breath results from decaying food that is stuck in the gums or teeth, or bacteria growth on the tongue, gums or teeth.
Myth 3: You can eliminate bad breath with brushing and flossing. This seems like it might be true, but in many cases, people do not floss or brush correctly. Usually, people brush their teeth too fast, and leave food particles or bacteria on tooth or tongue surfaces. Many people ignore brushing or scraping the tongue, so while brushing teeth can help, cleaning the tongue can be even more effective in removing bad breath causes. In addition to brushing and flossing, you should brush the tongue or use a tongue scraper to get rid of bacteria at the back of the mouth.
Myth 4: Mouthwashes can stop bad breath. The fact is that most mouthwashes provide only a mask for bad breath, just by adding a temporary sweet smell. This might take care of bad breath in the short term, but doesn't provide a lasting treatment. The only proven cure for bad breath is to follow a program of daily oral hygiene, and eating a good and balanced diet.
If you do want to use a mouthwash, chose one that includes chlorine dioxide or “stabilized chlorine dioxide.” This ingredient will kill off the bacteria that causes the sulphur smell, similar to rotten eggs, of bad breath, and won't dry out your mouth.
Myth 5: Bad breath is the result of specific foods. This is a simplification of the real facts. It is true that in th short term, bad breath can be caused by certain foods that are high in sulfur, including cabbage and onions. The way it really works is that food gets digested in the stomach, where nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream and taken to the lungs. When we exhale, this is the source of bad breath. Sometimes you may even notice that exhaled breath can smell like foods eaten. Avoid foods high in sulfur to avoid bad breath afterward.
Serious and long term cases of bad breath usually are not the result of just digestion unless the diet contains a lot of high sulfur foods, or if you are on a low carb diet. More often, a chronic problem with bad breath is caused by the decay of food in the mouth, and the resulting bacteria left i the teeth, gums and on the tongue. This is easily corrected with proper oral hygiene. By brushing and flossing correctly at least twice a day, cleaning your tongue when you brush, and eating a healthy and balanced diet, you can cure the problem of bad breath.
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