Tools for the Teeth that Can Help Banish Bad Breath
Tools for the Teeth that Can Help Banish Bad Breath
In most cases, banishing bad breath means improving oral hygiene; notable exceptions to this are breath problems caused by medical conditions, medications, tobacco usage or dietary habits.
Good oral hygiene starts with brushing your teeth: 'Back in the day' our grandparents had a narrow choice of toothbrushes that may have come in different colors but, other than that, were not much different from each other. Over the years, that basic, manual toothbrush has benefited from the experimentation of dentists and scientists and has turned into a tool that brushes teeth more effectively and more easily. Today, the manual toothbrush is still the best selling, most often used toothbrush but it has some stiff, high-tech competition.
The electric toothbrush has been available now for the past 50 plus years and has the singular advantage of automatically performing the basic up and down brushing motion that has proven to clean teeth best. Regular electric toothbrushes perform approximately 5,000 brush strokes per minute which seems like a tremendous speed for a toothbrush but the electric toothbrush too has evolved. The sonic toothbrush was developed in the 1980s and that up and down brush stroke has now reached speeds of 40,000 strokes per minute. What, you may ask, does that tremendous speed accomplish that the manual toothbrush or the electric toothbrush didn't? The answer is, the tremendous speed of todays sonic toothbrush agitates the saliva and water that surround the teeth. This fluid is agitated so forcefully by the super speeds of the brush motion that it actually knocks plaque and food particles loose from areas that the brush can't reach.
Dental floss: Even with the 'sonic' cleaning action of today's sonic toothbrushes, flossing hasn't gone out of style . . . nor is it any less necessary. Flossing removes plaque and food from places between the teeth that even the sonic action of the sonic toothbrushes won't reach. There is an unbelievably wide variety of dental floss available: from unwaxed to waxed with mint, peppermint or no flavoring, from super thin, super strong filament style to tape style and there are dental floss holders to make it a less awkward procedure.
Tongue cleaning tools: Most people either overlook cleaning their tongue or they just don't know about it. However, scraping or brushing the bacteria and residue from food and drink off your tongue is one of the most effective oral hygiene treatments for halitosis. There are several different designs of tongue cleaners available beginning with your own toothbrush. Specialized tongue brushes and tongue scrapers do a better job than a toothbrush.
When cleaning your tongue, clean as far back on your tongue as possible. You may experience a gag reflex but that's normal and you will, over time, overcome it. Use your toothbrush or a specialized tongue brush or tongue scraper (available at most drug stores) to brush your tongue from back to front. Use enough pressure to clean it thoroughly but don't overdo it and irritate your tongue.
If tongue brushing or scraping doesn't sound like the kind of thing you want to do, check out one of the flavored, antibacterial tongue sprays on the market.
Mouthwash: Most stores carry an overwhelming variety of mouthwashes but even the best mouthwash will only provide a temporary “mask” for your bad breath by removing some of the immediate causes, but they really can't be said to “treat” bad breath. The only effective 'treatment' for bad breath is a combination of good, consistent oral hygiene and a balanced diet.
The vast majority of commercial mouthwashes will temporarily cover up your bad breath. These rinses do nothing to treat it and many of them, in fact, that contain alcohol, will actually contribute to your bad breath problem. The net effect of an alcohol-based mouthwash on your breath is negative -- the alcohol is drying out your mouth and creating a great breeding ground for the kind of bacteria that contributes most to bad breath.
Next time you go to buy mouthwash (and if you have a bad breath problem and use an alcohol-based mouthwash), check the labels on the mouthwashes and look for “chlorine dioxide” or “stabilized chlorine dioxide.” Mouthwashes with chlorine dioxide or stabilized chlorine dioxide actually attack that sulfurous, 'rotten egg' smell that oral bacteria leaves behind and won't dry out your mouth.
Toothpaste: Most brand name toothpastes (Crest, Colgate, etc.) are very good at what they do -- clean your teeth and provide a light coating to help protect them -- at least for a while. Some specialized toothpastes now also have chlorine dioxide (mentioned above) added to them.
The best tool: The best tool for managing your breath is a regular, twice daily oral hygiene ritual that consists of all the brushing, scraping and rinsing described above. Add to that a balanced diet and drinking lots of water and your breath should be much less of a problem.