Bad breath, or halitosis, is a problem of great concern to many people.  The word “halitosis” comes from the Latin “halitus” (breath) and the Greek suffix “osis” (condition or pathologic process).

There are many causes of bad breath, but with careful study of the problem the cause can usually be determined and treated.

Causes

• Dehydration is a primary cause of bad breath.  Drink enough water to keep the urine pale at all times.  Early morning halitosis is often caused by dehydration.  There is no flow of saliva during sleep, which allows putrefaction of the oral epithelial cells which have flaked off, but have not been removed by the flow of saliva.

• Disorders of the oral cavity are felt to cause 56 to 85 percent of all cases of bad breath.  Poor oral hygiene, plaque, caries, gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontitis, “hairy tongue,” and oral carcinoma have all been known to cause bad breath.  Proper dental care, frequent flossing and brushing of the teeth, and brushing of the tongue are adequate to control bad breath in most cases.  The American Council Dental Therapeutics believes that mouthwash does not substantially contribute to oral health and the Food and Drug Administration has required the manufacturers of mouthwash to stop using advertisements claiming that their product is effective in destroying the bacteria that cause bad breath.  Toothpaste is pleasant to use for oral hygiene.

• Breathing through the mouth causes bad breath by decreasing the amount of saliva due to evaporation.  Such conditions as enlarged adenoids, nasal infection, hay fever, and a deviated nasal septum encourage mouth breathing.

• A foul smelling discharge associated with sinusitis may cause bad breath.  Treating the sinusitis will cure the bad breath.  Adenoids, pulmonary abcess, bronchiectasis, empyema, peritonsillar abcesses, tonsillitis, etc. and numerous systemic diseases may also induce bad breath.

Treatment

• Brush the tongue carefully.  The tongue is often coated with food particles or debris and should be cleaned.
• If you suspect that you have bad breath you may use a simple test.  Touch the back of your hand with your tongue and smell the hand.  The odor will give you the answer.  Another test is to cover the mouth and nose with both hands and exhale strongly, smelling the breath.
• Detergent foods such as apples, carrots, celery, etc., help in cleansing the teeth and removing odor-causing bacteria from the mouth. 
• Some people believe that outdoor exercise, such as walking, brings more oxygen into the lungs, diluting and removing odorous substances in the system and decreasing bad breath.
• Halitosis has also been called “heavy breath.”  Reports of food allergies inducing heavy breath have appeared in the medical literature.  A trial period of elimination of the most common allergy-producing foods may be worthwhile.
• The therapy of true halitosis lies in reducing in the diet the intake of fatty aromatic substances, particularly the milk or butter fats.
• Avoiding constipation will help reduce bad breath.
• Taking charcoal tablets by mouth will also help reduce bad breath caused by constipation or oral factors.  Let the charcoal tablet dissolve slowly in the mouth.
• Thyme tea may be quite helpful in cases of bad breath caused by gastric disturbances

Maintaining proper oral hygiene levels and keeping our teeth clean will result in healthy strong teeth. If you have a healthy mouth, half of the problems with your body will automatically disappear. If you have a healthy mouth it will mean that your gums are pink and they do not bleed, you do not suffer from bad breath constantly and the teeth are clean and free from decay and cavity. Visiting a dentist at regular intervals is very important, but apart from that you can even practice other hygiene methods at home to heave a healthy mouth. Below is list of thing that you should and you shouldn’t do.

Do’s

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day or preferably after each meal with a toothpaste containing fluoride. Brushing regularly will keep your teeth clean and reduce the chances of decay. But use a soft bristled brush, a brush with hard bristles may be rough on your gums and can make them bleed.
2. Floss once a day at bedtime. Toothbrush cannot reach in the tiny corners between teeth and by flossing we can make sure that the corners and crevices remain as clean as the rest of the teeth.
3. Use a mouthwash on a daily basis, and preferably one that has fluoride after consulting your dentist.
4. Use a tongue cleaner every day and keep the tongue clean. It is important to have the tongue as clean as the rest of the mouth.
5. Eat a healthy diet, eating a healthy diet will ensure that we get enough calcium which is vital for the health of our teeth.
6. Chewing medicated chewing gum is also not a bad idea.
7. Drink enough quantity of milk to get your daily requirements of calcium, if you are allergic to milk and milk products take calcium supplements.

Don’ts

1. Don’t eat food with too much sugar in them. Excessive sugar can decay teeth.
2. Stay away from excessive coffee or soft drinks. Coffee and soft drinks have a high content of caffeine in them which can discolor your teeth.
3. Do not smoke excessively. Apart from all the other health hazards that smoking causes, they also damage your teeth and gums. Smoking also makes your breath smell bad.
4. Children should be kept away from mouthwashes. If children are allowed to use mouthwash they might swallow it which can present other health hazards.

Following these simple guidelines can ensure proper oral hygiene. Those with braces need to take extra care. They need to ensure that they follow up all their appointments at the orthodontist. They should also stay away from certain food items that may be sticky or crunchy. Children especially should visit an orthodontist regularly so that any early problems can de detected and worked upon. Maintaining oral hygiene will ensure that we have shiny white teeth and healthy gums. It ensures that our natural teeth would last long into our life. But apart from that it can also prevent a host of dental illnesses and problems that can cost us plenty of money for treatment.

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft toothbrush

• Massage carefully your gums around the teeth with the soft bristles. Use a rotating motion that doesn’t pull your gums away from the teeth

• Brush your tongue ( the top part )

• Floss your teeth as thoroughly and as regularly as you
  

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  brush them. Dentists usually have no preferences between waxed and unwaxed flosses. Either kind is good. If you have a dental bridge or other permanent dental appliances that make it difficult to use regular floss, try any of several brands of “super” floss. One end is stiff for easy threading between tooth and gum. Another part is fluffy, like a miniature bottle brush, to clean out hard-to-reach crevices. The third part is regular floss.

     You should also have your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year. During those cleanings ask the hygienist to show you how to brush and floss most effectively.

     Diet helps in the battle against halitosis (bad breath). Parsley and peppermint, for instance, are natural breath sweeteners, while onions and garlic often foul the breath.

     Though mouthwashes won’t get at the causes of bad breath, they can momentarily freshen the breath. If your bad breath persists, it could be due to a gum or sinus infection or a stomach upset. Also, infected tonsils often cause bad breath.

How is bad breath caused? Well, the congregation of excess bacteria in your mouth can trigger a bad odour in your mouth so when you take care of your mouth, your aim should be getting rid of all of that bacteria. These tips below stream out the things you can do to avoid bad breath.

1) Brush twice a day

Once as soon as you wake up and once before you go to bed. This way you are clearing your mouth of any bacteria especially at night, after your meal. At night, your mouth can hold amazing amounts of bacteria so brushing reduces the amount. Use a soft tooth brush so that your gums don’t recede or you won’t hurt yourself.

2) Use a tongue scraper or a tongue cleaner and a floss

A lot of bacteria stays on your tongue which can cause a lot of bad breath so to clear out all of that bacteria, use a tongue scraper or a tongue cleaner to take off the yellow gunk that may stay on your tongue at times and will get rid of the bacteria. Using a floss every now and then will make sure that bacteria doesn’t stick in corners too.

3) Avoid the spice and pick the mints

Spicy food, onions and garlic are the lords of leaving bad odour in your mouth so you can easily combat this by finishing a good Indian takeaway with parsley, mint or the best is fennel seeds. This way your mouth is temporarily masked of any smell and then you can go home and brush up.

4) Saliva stops smell

Saliva is really good because it flushes out the bacteria out of your mouth throughout the day. A dry mouth means that there is no saliva to push out all of those bacteria so your mouth can smell. This is why sometimes in the morning after a good night’s sleep, your mouth can smell because there is not a lot of saliva being produced when you are asleep. Water is a good way you can constantly keep flushing out the bacteria and the other benefit is that you can keep your saliva flowing to clean out your mouth of any bacteria. But watch out, alcohol and coffee won’t do you any favours because all they do is dry out your mouth further and probably accentuate the smell.

5) Chewing gum is good

The main point of chewing gum isn’t to get the fresh minty smell but even though it does cover up bad breath with minty smells, it is temporary. What chewing gum does is that it stimulates saliva to fight the bacteria.

6) Choose the right mouthwash

Buy those mouthwashes that fight bacteria, not just the ones that mask the smell caused by bad bacteria in your mouth. You can get these by looking carefully in the right shops or by contacting your dentist to give you the mouthwash that specifically says it combats bacteria.

7) The dentist is there to help

If you have any issues, contact your dentist and don’t forget visiting your dentist at least twice a year. Bad breath can be caused by gum diseases or other mouth problems so it might not be able to go away that easily. Your dentist is always ready to help you.

There are many health benefits of lemons that have been known for centuries. The two biggest are lemons’ strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and their use as a weight loss aid because lemon juice is a digestive aide and liver cleanser. Lemons contain many substances–notably citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene–that promote immunity and fight infection.

These are well-known health facts about lemons. But there’s so much more to this little yellow fruit. Here are 7 lesser known health benefits you may find useful. Whether used in the form of juice, teas, drinks, dressing, poultices or in the bath, take advantage of lemons’ natural healing power.

Sniff Away Your Anxiety

Research has shown that lemon balm has a calming effect and therefore may be able to help remove fatigue, exhaustion, dizziness, anxiety, nervousness, and tension. It is also believed that inhaling lemon oil helps in increasing concentration and alertness. It can therefore be used as a room freshener in offices to increase the efficiency of the employees. If you’re feeling tense sprinkle a few drops of lemon balm essential oil on a handkerchief to inhale.

Cold and Flu Got You Blue?

When you have a cold, the healing power of lemons works both internally, by supplying urgently required vitamin C to your defense cells, and externally, through the application of its antiviral properties to the virus on the mucous membranes in the nose and throat.

At the first indication of a cold – a runny nose or sore throat –try to give your body as much immune-boosting vitamin C as you can so that the virus is eliminated before it gets a chance to take hold. Drink the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water every 2 hours.

If you have a sore throat, add the juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon of sea salt to 1 cup lukewarm water. Gargle three times a day for 1 minute to diminish the burning sensation. If it’s a case of tonsillitis, gargle every 2 hours for at least 30 seconds with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon. Tilt the head back to allow the antibacterial and antiviral properties of the juice to flow into the back of the throat. You can swallow the juice when you have finished gargling thereby benefiting from an immune-boosting vitamin C shot.

Cure Corns and Calluses

Lemon poultices applied overnight are a good home remedy for corns and calluses. Place a slice of lemon on to the corn, bandage and fasten. Dabbing the affected area with lemon essential oil also helps accelerate the healing process. Take care to only use the undiluted oil on the callused area using a cotton ball or Q- tip, as it is too strong for un-callused skin.

Hexed with Halitosis?

Lemons can help freshen breath that has gone sour after consuming certain spices, alcohol, cigarettes, or that is caused by insufficient salivation. To keep breath fresh, thoroughly rinse your mouth several times a day with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water. Chewing on a lemon slice after every meal will also help.

Put Insomnia to Rest

Several studies have found that lemon balm combined with other calming herbs (such as valerian, hops, and chamomile) helps reduce anxiety and promote sleep.

Save your Stomach

Drink the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon in a glass of lukewarm water after each meal. The lemon acid will stimulate the production of stomach acid and the activity of stomach muscles.

Say Goodbye to Varicose Veins

Lemon oil has vessel-strengthening properties that can help fight varicose and spider veins. For spider veins, take 2 to 3 drops of lemon oil every day and mix in a small bowl with jojoba, avocado or almond oil and massage the affected area.

For varicose veins, add 6 drops of lemon oil to 1 ½ oz wheat germ oil, and 2 drops each of cypress and juniper oil. Use this mixture daily for a gentle massage of the legs from bottom to top, in the direction of the heart. For a vein and vessel-rejuvenating bath add 8 drops of lemon oil to a warm bath. Also add 4 drops of cypress oil blended with 1 tablespoon of honey. Soak in the bath for 15 minutes and when you come out, pat your skin dry – don’t rub it.