Why do I have bad breath? (Part 1)

This is a common question and concern and not only to adults but to the young as well. I shall tackle this question, but not its entirety. I shall talk about the few possible causes and how to negate them.

Bad breath (halitosis) can be caused by and not limited to the following, poor oral hygiene (poor brushing), dental decay, ingested food and dry mouth. The most common cause is poor oral hygiene and this the cause I shall talk about right now.

Our mouth (oral cavity) has several structures, the teeth that sit in bone, gums, tongue, salivary glands and is the opening to the throat for food and air. Therefore the mouth is very important to our survival and is a channel for a myriad of things. As we eat drink and breath, residue of our food gets stuck in the mouth. It gets stuck to our teeth, gum area especially between the teeth and on our tongues. The longer this residue, plaque, stays on the teeth the worse it becomes. The plaque hardens to become calcular deposits (tar tar) which is hard to remove with a brush. This is not great for your teeth, gums, bones and breath.  So the first mode of defense is regular brushing of teeth.

We need to brush our teeth at least 2 (two) times a day with the most important times being in the morning after eating breakfast and at night before going to sleep. Brushing more than 2 times a day is even more advantageous. The right way to brush is also very important, it’s not just a matter of sticking your tooth brush with toothpaste in. There is a desired duration of 2 to 3 minutes and brushing in a circular or up and down motion. Only then will your teeth be clean. People forget to brush their tongue which harbours a lot of food after eating and forget to floss daily.  After brushing your teeth, it is advised to brush on top of the tongue as well and to floss.