Bad Breath, or halitosis as it is officially known as, is one of those conditions that the sufferers rarely know they have. Not only that, but it is extremely offensive to others.
If you suffer from bad breath the signs should be obvious to you, even if you cannot smell your own breath. Have you ever noticed anyone taking a step or two back from you when your are speaking? Have you ever tried to kiss a girl or a boy, and noticed them reluctant? This may not be due to them not liking you, but more to the smell of your breath.
Halitosis can be extremely damaging both to your opportunity for romance, and for employment in a position that involves speaking to others. The problem with bad breath is that if you have it, you don't know it unless somebody tells you. You can't smell it yourself and your friends are not doing you a favour by not mentioning it. However, how do tell a friend that they have bad breath? Have you every tried it? It's even more difficult than telling them they have body odour.
Let's assume that you have cottoned on the fact that people tend to stand well back when you talk to them. That in itself may not always be a clue, but if they are standing close to you when you open your mouth, then take a few paces back, you should realize that it is not just to able to see you better. It's because your breath stinks. That's right - it stinks! There's no other word for it, so do something about it.
Before you can sure that you are able to eliminate it you need to understand the cause. Cleaning your teeth won't stop bad breath. It will help, but not stop it. I deliberately do not use the word 'cure', since bad breath is rarely a medical condition. It may be sometimes, but generally is a matter of oral hygiene. Note the word 'oral'. Not 'dental' but 'oral'. This is because halitosis arises from the mouth and throat, not the teeth - unless yours are rotten, in which case it can contribute.
Bad breath comes from bacteria that are lodged in your gums, tongue and cheeks. There are several types of such bacteria, but all emit gases that produce the bad breath that everybody can smell when you talk. These gases are normally sulfur compounds, and the bacteria that produce them are very difficult to dislodge. Mouthwashes are not always effective against them, since they need physically removed.
Vigorous brushing of the teeth will remove bacteria from the spaces between them, but gums, cheeks and your tongue also need brushing. Your tongue is best cleaned using a tongue scraper, which is a ribbed spatula that you pull down over your tongue, preferably coated with a paste containing anti-bacteriological ingredients. Two or three pulls down your tongue will be enough to clean it.
The same applies to your cheeks, though a soft toothbrush will do. Soft brushing with anti-bacteriological paste will clean your cheeks, and you can also use the soft brush on your tongue. A mouthwash can help if it is not too alkaline, since bacteria can take up residence at the back of the tongue, and farther down.
If you have halitosis or bad breath - there is no difference - good oral hygiene will help. However, if you use properly formulated anti-bacteriological pastes on a spatula designed to scrape your tongues and cheeks, you will not find it difficult to cure your halitosis problem. If you are unsure how to cure bad breath try it out and you will be delighted with the results. No longer will your girlfriend or boyfriend draw away from you when you try kissing them.
Bad Breath CurePeter is interested in many aspects of personal fitness and health, and you can find more information on this anti-social condition called halitosis, or bad breath, on his webpage http://www.welshhealth.com/oral/halitosis.html
This condition is easily controllable given the proper treatment and advice. You can also find advice on other problems and health issues in general on http://www.welshhealth.com