HOW TO OVERCOME BAD BREATH

Almost everyone has suffered from bad breath from time to time. When you cat, pieces of food get caught between your teeth and on your tongue. They break down and give off foul-smelling gases like hydrogen sulphide.

Although bad breath can be embarrassing, it's easy to fix. These tips should help freshen your breath. If they don't, your bad breath may be a sign of illness you shouldn't ignore.

Keep your mouth clean. Brush your teeth with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day. Brush well along the gumline and over all tooth surfaces. To remove food and plaque from between your teeth, floss every day. Curve the floss around each tooth to cover the side surfaces.

Don't forget to clean your tongue. It's a huge source of bacteria and odor. If brushing your tongue is uncomfortable, use a special tongue scraper or the side of a spoon to gently scrape that sticky, germy film off your tongue. Either way, be gentle.

Dentures are a common source of bacteria and bad breath. If you have removable dentures, braces, or plates, keep them squeaky clean. Remove and brush them each night, and soak them in a disinfectant solution. Your dentist can tell you the best kind to use.

Beware of mouthwash. Antiseptic and deodorant mouthwashes and sprays only cover up breath odor temporarily - for about 10 minutes to an hour at most.

Mouthwashes containing alcohol can throw off your mouth's natural chemical balance and dry it out, which can cause bad breath. Swish and gargle only if your dentist recommends it.

These homemade mouthwashes may improve your breath with- out drying out your mouth:

• Mix some Listerine or Cepacol and olive oil. Gargle and spit out three times a day.

• Rinse with a mixture of half hydrogen peroxide and half water ( don't gargle ).

Prescription mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine seem to be effective in preventing gum disease. In studies, this germ-killing mouth rinse reduced bacteria by 50 percent. If you aren't able to brush and floss properly because of a physical disability, this rinse may help you avoid dental problems.

See your dentist. Get regular dental exams and talk to your dentist about any problems you're having, like ill-fitting crowns. Twice-yearly checkups and cleanings will keep your mouth healthy and sweet-smelling. If you have tooth decay or gum disease, both causes of bad breath, your dentist can fix the problem.

Shy away from certain foods. A spicy lunch, such as garlic chicken, liver and onions, fish, or a pastrami sandwich, can give you "death breath" by afternoon. But did you know eating meat makes your breath more pungent than eating fruits and vegetables ? Once the chemical compounds in certain foods get into your bloodstream, your lungs excrete the odor. Breath sprays or mints won't cover it up. Alcohol, coffee, and tobacco ( either smoked or chewed ) are also causes of bad breath.

Serve up nutritious meals. Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, rather than foods loaded with sugar and fat.

And don't forget calcium - it helps build strong teeth. Skim milk and other low-fat dairy products are good sources. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, and nuts are also high in calcium.

Eating yogurt or drinking buttermilk that contains active cultures will also douse bad breath. The active lactobacillus bacteria make it hard for other odor-causing bacteria to grow.

You can halt "hunger breath" by not skipping meals. If you skip meals, diet, or fast, you aren't supplying your body with enough nutrients, and it will begin to break down your internal supply of protein for energy. This process creates an odor you exhale from your lungs.

Drink lots of water. Saliva constantly washes anything out of your mouth that can cause bad breath. As you get older, your salivary glands produce less saliva. If your mouth is too dry, it generally gives off a bad odor.

Make sure you drink lots of water, at least six to eight glasses a day, but don't constantly rinse your mouth. You may be washing away any saliva that will help fight bad breath.

Suck on hard candies, especially lemon drops. Eat lots of oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits. To stimulate the flow of saliva naturally, ear high-fiber foods, like celery, and chew sugarless gum or parsley.

Dry mouth can also be caused by sinus or throat infections, exercise, stress, mouth-breathing, talking, and certain medications, such as antihistamities, antidepressants, and anticoagulants.

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