Bad breath can make a person feel insecure when talking to the other person. Bad breath can also be a sign of dental and gum health problems. For this reason, maintaining oral health must be done to avoid this condition.
Bad breath that feels annoying can be caused by various factors. Starting from the influence of the food consumed, the application of an unhealthy lifestyle, to the effects of various diseases suffered.
Recognizing Signs of Bad Breath
In addition to a bad smell when talking, there are some signs of bad breath that you can look out for. These signs can include a dry mouth, a bad taste in the mouth or a sour taste in the mouth. You can also feel a lump on the top of your tongue.
Generally, bad breath can occur because of food debris in the mouth which causes bad breath-causing bacteria to develop between the teeth, gums and tongue.
In addition, there are several oral and dental conditions that can cause bad breath. Such as gum disease, fungal infections of the mouth, dental caries (cavities), and dry mouth.
Benefits and Types of Mouthwash
After brushing your teeth and using dental floss, it is recommended to clean again the remnants of food left in the oral cavity by using a mouthwash. The use of mouthwash helps to clean the remnants of food in the mouth to the maximum compared to brushing your teeth alone.
Other benefits of using mouthwash are also obtained, such as:
- Reduces acidic conditions in the mouth.
- Provides mineral intake to the teeth.
- Prevents the formation of dental plaque.
- Prevents inflammation of the gums.
- Helps prevent cavities.
- Prevent bad breath and make breath fresher.
The benefits of this mouthwash can be obtained based on the type of mouthwash you choose. In mouthwash for cosmetics, for example, you will feel the benefits related to controlling bad breath. While therapeutic mouthwash, can overcome bad breath, as well as overcome other problems related to dental health.
This is due to the presence of active ingredients in therapeutic mouthwash. The active ingredients commonly used include peroxides, fluorides, cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorhexidine and essential oils. The mouthwash containing chlorhexidine and essential oils can overcome plaque and gingivitis.
The essential oils found in mouthwash include eucalyptol or thymol. Mouthwash containing eucalyptol is able to make your breath fresher, because of its aromatic benefits. Likewise, mouthwash containing thymol can function as an antiseptic and antifungal to support oral health. Not only that, mouthwash that contains essential oils is also able to fight germs that cause dental plaque to the biofilm layer.
The benefits of mouthwash will be obtained if you use it regularly, after brushing your teeth and flossing. In order to maintain oral and dental health, it is recommended to regularly consult a dentist every 6 months to prevent tooth decay from early on.
To benefit from mouthwash, you can rinse your mouth with the product mouthwash for at least 30 seconds, then remove it from the mouth. After cleaning the mouth using mouthwash, it is recommended not to eat, drink, or rinse your mouth with water for 30 minutes. Eat, drink or rinse with water after using mouthwash can reduce its effectiveness. As for the benefits of using mouthwash can be felt by people of all ages. However, its use is not recommended for children under the age of 6 years.
In preventing bad breath, you are advised to regularly maintain oral hygiene, maintain a regular diet, avoid consuming food or drinks with a strong aroma, increase consumption of water, and avoid alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.
However, if you experience bad breath accompanied by other symptoms such as sores in the mouth, pain or difficulty swallowing, broken teeth, prolonged dry mouth, white spots around the tonsils, fever or feeling tired, consult a dentist immediately.