Nobody likes having a close quarters conversation with someone who’s just had garlic and onions for lunch.  Fresh Breath Day was created to promote fresh breath and to help us appreciate oral hygiene and its importance. It is observed annually on August 6^th and Dr. Joy Lunan and her staff hail this day as a day dedicated to fighting bad breath.  

50% of the bacteria in your mouth contribute to bad breath. There are many kinds of chewing gum, mints, and other breath enhancers on the market to help freshen your breath, but you can’t constantly be chewing on something. Therefore we must address the causes of bad breath so that you do not have to rely on breath enhancers all day.

There are several causes of bad breath:

*Foods – onions, garlic etc.

*Tobacco products.

*Poor dental hygiene – Brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes and don’t forget to brush your tongue!

*Dry mouth – Make sure you are drinking plenty of water.

*Infections on your mouth – bacteria causing infections just smell bad period. 

*Nose and throat issues – Seasonal allergies can bring on infections or chronic inflammation in the nose, sinus or throat that can contribute to postnasal drip and potentially cause bad breath.

*Medications – Some meds can indirectly produce bad breath by contributing to dry mouth.

*Some diseases including gastric reflux – These conditions can cause a breath odor because of the chemicals they produce.

Aside from your regularly scheduled cleaning appointment with Dr. Joy Lunan, which keeps tartar, gum disease and bad breath in check, try a few of these measures to keep your breath as fresh as it can be:

*Replace your toothbrush at least every 3 months – An old toothbrush is an ineffective toothbrush.  It will hamper your efforts to remove plaque and food debris from your teeth which both attract and generate bacteria that cause bad breath.

*Floss – This one is simple. Just do it. 

*Try a tongue scraper – There are many versions on the market and they’re super cheap.  Find one you like and use it once a day.  Even after what you think is a thorough home cleaning, you’ll be amazed at how much debris a tongue scraper removes from your tongue.  Less debris and bacteria means fresher breath.

*Stay hydrated – Drinking water throughout the day promotes saliva production and it’s your mouth’s natural defense against the germs that cause bad breath.  Sugar free gum can also help promote saliva without adding sugar into the mix.

*Cover it up in a pinch – try eating some fresh parsley.  Parsley appears to have antibacterial and antifungal properties that can help keep your mouth clean.  Yogurt and celery also work in a similar fashion.

Why not offer mints around the office today – just don’t single out that one person who loves the onions and garlic and lunch or it could end badly – and spread the joys of Fresh Breath Day!     Call us at Dr. Joy Lunan’s office for an appointment today. We would be                   glad to help you or someone you know “freshen up”.

                                          (203) 598-7920