Bad breath can be very embarrassing and can also be the source of great anxiety, especially because it is very hard to tell yourself if you are suffering. This can cause many people to rely on oral hygiene products such as mouthwash and breath freshening spray to keep their breath smelling fresh. What they might not realise is that not only do these products not really work but they could even be making the breath worse.
Studies carried out by the Food and Drug administration in the US found that mouthwashes do little more than mask the smell for a limited period, usually little more than twenty minutes or so before it returns. It does not remove the source of bad breath and is even forbidden from claiming as much on packaging in the US. The same can be said for sprays and breath mints, all of which merely mask the smell on a temporary basis.
Furthermore, mouthwashes kill bacteria in the mouth which can cause an imbalance leading to the production of more bacteria in the future. This is because it interrupts the production of saliva which is the body’s natural way of regulating the bacteria in the mouth.
The only way to truly beat bad breath is to improve your general standards of oral hygiene with better brushing and flossing. This removes plaque, bacteria and most importantly food debris trapped in the teeth, which decay releasing the odour associated with bad breath. A Leeds dentist can advise you on the best ways to keep your teeth clean and free from unpleasant halitosis.
Tags: bacteria, bad breath, mouthwashes, oral hygiene
