What is oral hygiene?

Cleanliness of the oral cavity; teeth, tongue, gums, and the area below the tongue is termed as oral hygiene.

What is bad breath?

Foul smelling breath caused by mainly two things; food and bacteria, is called bad breath. Foods cause temporary bad breath while bacteria cause chronic bad breath.

Why saliva plays an important role in the fight against bad breath?

Saliva keeps the odor under control because it helps to wash away the food particle. Salivary glands slow down the production of saliva during sleep allowing the bacteria to grow inside the mouth.

How to control bad breath?

Keep the mouth moist by drinking plenty of water.

• Stress also produces bad odor, so avoid stress and be relax.

• Get sunlight, exercise and sleep.

• Avoid spicy foods and those which leave residues or get stuck in teeth (meet, cheese, sweets, chocolate etc.)

• Don’t smoke.

• Clean the tongue with a tooth-brush/tongue cleaner, that removes away bacteria that builds on the tongue.

• Use anti-oxidant tooth pastes and antiseptic mouthwash.

• Chewing sugar-free gum may also help to control bad odor.  

Article Submitted by- Dr. Ankur Chaudhary BDS

E-mail: bharat_chk2@rediffmail.com