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Getting a healthy smile along the way…

By Katherine D. Flood

Most people think that simply brushing their teeth is enough to retain fresh breath, and make positive impressions on others. We have all gone through it, and/or seen others go through it: brushing teeth before an interview, using breath spray like it is hair spray, chewing gum, etc. Is all that enough?

Obviously not! Why else would women escape to the bathroom all the time? Now granted, some women do use the bathrooms as a discussion area, but there is much more to it than that. Why do companies spend millions promoting gums, mints, and sprays? If you only brush your teeth in the morning, you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice. Even if you brush your teeth before bed, you almost always wake up with an unpleasant or outright nasty odor in your mouth.

The suggestions I outline below will help you fight bad breath and increase the attractiveness of your smile and the health of your teeth. After completely brushing your teeth, floss them. Many people ignore or skip this step,

which is a mistake. Some people are comfortable using the typical string-like floss.

Unfortunately, you inevitably miss a few teeth and the process requires some fairly tight hand maneuvers. If you are comfortable with this method, stick to it! Otherwise, I recommend the suggestion below Most stores offer gum stimulators in their Health and Beauty sections. They basically look like small sticks with teardrops on the end of them. Similar to flossing, you just insert the tip of the "teardrop" between your teeth, push it up until it is snug with your gums, and then bring it back down. It will stimulate your gums and remove excess tartar that gets deposited in those regions. Besides helping you with your bad breath battle, it will make your next dental visit less painful.

After flossing, you absolutely MUST rinse out your mouth to flush tarter and kill bacteria that are lingering in your mouth. Do this for at least 90 seconds, so you get the maximum benefit. Make sure that you use a mouthwash that does not contain drying agents. The Bad Breath Report offers advice on how to create a super-powerful mouthwash using two household ingredients. These steps will not solve your problem permanently. However, if you incorporate them into your morning and evening routines, much of the problem will dissipate, and become more manageable.

Want Some Life Saving Advice? Ask Your Dental Hygienist About Understanding and Eliminating Bad Breath

Do you ever worry that you’re the only one in the room with bad breath? Well, guess again. Nearly 40,000,000 Americans commonly suffer from bad breath, also known as oral malodor or halitosis. Yet, it is a curable condition that is generally caused by strong foods such as onions or garlic; poor oral health habits; or medical problems such as stomach disorders, an excessive postnasal drip, or bacteria in the mouth. Once you discover the source of the problem, there are a number of ways to keep your mouth free of unpleasant odors. Oral malodor can be divided into two distinctive categories transitory and chronic. Transitory refers to food-related malodor that can last as long as 72 hours. Virtually everyone suffers from this condition at one time or another. The second category, chronic, is generally related to oral or general medical problems.

There are three basic sources of bad breath. The first is simple: an unclean mouth.

Routine cleaning of teeth and gums will help prevent the build up of plaque a soft, sticky, almost invisible film made up of harmful bacteria and in turn help prevent bad breath. Carefully brushing at least two-to-three times a day, flossing daily, and rinsing your mouth vigorously to remove any loose foods is essential. However, research has found that simply keeping teeth clean is not enough to eliminate oral malodor. Tongue deplaquing with tongue scrapers tools exclusively designed for use on the tongue is as essential for fresh breath as regular brushing. Tongue scrapers provide even pressure that forces bacteria, food debris, and dead cells from the pits and crevices in the tongue that a toothbrush cannot remove. Second, medical problems can keep breath from smelling fresh. Research studies have found that bad breath has been linked to conditions such as diabetes, stomach disorders, or sinus infections with excessive postnasal drip. Common drugs and medications also can affect breath odor.

Third, lifestyle habits play a major role in the prevention of halitosis. For example, smoking and chewing tobacco can affect breath odor.

Just as important to oral health and fresh breath as consistent home care and healthy lifestyle habits is oral health care delivered by a qualified oral health care professional. Regular oral health care appointments, which include a complete prophylaxis teeth cleaning above and below the gum line are essential to maintaining good oral health and fresh breath, so visit your dental hygienist every six months, or as often as she or he recommends. In addition to helping patients understand the connection between oral health care and overall health, dental hygienists educate patients about proper oral hygiene and treat periodontal disease

to prevent the condition from advancing and complicating other diseases.

For more information about proper oral health care, as well as brushing and-flossing instructions, please talk to your registered dental hygienist.

visit the ADHA Web site, at www.adha.org, or call

ADHA’s consumer hotline toll free at 1-800-847-6718.

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Getting a healthy smile along the way…

By Katherine D. Flood