When it comes to personal hygiene, without question one of the most common and unpleasant qualities is bad breath. Having breath that smells can be very unpleasant for others and make you significantly less attractive to the opposite sex. What most people don’t realise however, is that in over 90 per cent of cases, bad breath is caused by poor standards of oral hygiene and easily treated.
The smell itself is caused by decaying bacteria or food matter that is stuck between the teeth and in the grooves of the tongue. This releases nasty smelling sulphurous chemicals which are carried out on the breath. These bacteria and chemicals can easily be stopped with more effective brushing and flossing. If you are unsure about the proper oral hygiene methods you can ask advice from a Central Leeds dentist who can instruct you how to properly clean your teeth.
The two most important factors are brushing twice a day for three minutes with a suitable brush held at a 45-degree angle to the teeth. This removes bacteria and food from the surface of the teeth, helping to prevent bad breath. Flossing the gaps between the teeth removes other debris that is hard to reach with a normal brush and cleans below the gum line.
Other dental hygiene tools may be used such as inter-dental brushes or mouthwash but it is always a good idea to consult your dentist before using these products. In some cases mouthwash can remove some of the saliva production from the mouth making the problem worse.
Tags: bad breath, brushing and flossing, decaying bacteria, oral hygeine
