The Bad Breath Blog

We all know that gulping down a tall glass of water can do wonders to our health, but sometimes H2O doesn’t satisfy your craving for something bubbly. Before you reach for your drink of choice, you may be surprised to find out that not all carbonated beverages are created equal – especially when it comes to the health of your mouth. Bad breath is often a nasty side effect of sipping on a can of soda, but your entire mouth may be taking a hit. Here are the best and worst carbonated beverages on the market and why you should skip it or grab it:

Sparkling water
Sometimes it isn’t the sugary taste you’re craving, but the bubbly sensation. Carbonated water is basically just that – fizzy water. However, the consumption of seltzer water doesn’t increase enamel erosion, and in fact the minerals in the water actually offer a protective coating on the teeth. Carbonated water can also help improve gastrointestinal problems, which often cause bad breath. These beverages can sometimes help digestion and make sure that food is moving through your system properly. If you’re going to sip on carbonated water, skip the flavors, as they are considered potentially erosive. 

Cola
Cola is one of the most acidic beverages on the market, most colas have a pH level close to vinegar. Not only will this erode your teeth, but it can cause major stomach issues. Cola is one of the top best-selling beverages on the market, but this beverage has countless bad effects on the entire body. A 12-ounce serving of cola contains an average of 39 grams of sugar and can wreak havoc in your mouth. The sticky syrup of cola can stick around in your mouth if you’re not washing it down with water, leading to bacteria accumulation, halitosis and tooth erosion.

“Tooth loss, periodontal disease, and gingivitis can be problems, especially with a high phosphorus intake, particularly from soft drinks. All kinds of bone problems can occur with prolonged calcium deficiency, which causes a decrease in bone mass,” according to Elson M. Haas’ “The Detox Diet: A How-To & When-To Guide for Cleansing the Body.”

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Our mouths are the gateway to our health, and one of the first things a person notices about one another – keeping it fresh and clean is important. If you’re going on a first date, heading to a high school reunion or sitting down for your first class in college, having a great smile can boost your confidence and even make you look younger. As we age, our teeth naturally get yellow because of all the food and beverages that attack them. Whitening your teeth can make you feel more comfortable in your skin, but you don’t have to use harsh chemicals to peel off the layers of nasty yellow to make that happen. Teeth whitening begins with your diet and regular regimen of oral health care, but there are many great products that will help give your pearly whites the natural shine they once had!

Keep it fresh
Apples, carrots and celery are great natural teeth whitening remedies. The abrasiveness of these fruits and veggies work like a toothbrush to lift stains and cleanse the teeth – who knew a teeth whitener could be so inexpensive? The starch-like compound found in these types of produce can work wonders if you work them into your daily diet. Other veggies like spinach, lettuce and broccoli work to protect your teeth against harsh stains because they contain mineral compounds that form a film over the teeth. You may think that seems like a bad thing, but this film actually protects your teeth against food and drinks that will stain them. These healthy foods will also help fight against bad breath - double whammy!

Get out that floss
“People underestimate how important staining is that happens in between the teeth,” Arthur Glosman, a dentist in Beverly Hills told The Huffington Post. “If you just floss, you can remove so much of the staining that’s in between the teeth that your teeth will already look whiter.”

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Most people are striving for good physical and mental health, and with the new year upon us, many are taking this time to reevaluate their routine to look and feel better. Committing to good oral health care is the perfect New Year’s resolution for young and old because it is an essential part of becoming a healthy person. Our mouths are the gateway to our health, and bad breath, cavities and other issues make it apparent that we are not taking good care of ourselves. The California Dental Association urges people young and old to practice good hygiene this year.

Make it a family effort
Resolutions and goals are always easier when you have someone to share them with! Why not make it a goal for the entire family to get better about their oral health? Parents should encourage their children to be brushing their teeth for two minutes, two times a day, along with flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash if children are old enough. If parents begin encouraging these practices when kids are young, it’s much more likely that the practice will just become a natural part of their daily routine. Maintaining such routines will help combat bad breathand other diseases like gum disease later in life. The CDA suggests replacing your toothbrush every three to four months or when the bristles show signs of wear because worn-out brushes aren’t able to properly clean the teeth and mouth of food particles.

“Removing plaque from the mouth keeps teeth and gums healthy, and the best way to do that is by brushing and flossing,” CDA President Lindsey Robinson, a pediatric dentist, said. “It’s important to brush with a fluoride toothpaste as fluoride reduces bacteria levels in the mouth. It also remineralizes tooth surfaces to make them stronger.”

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Eating a clove of garlic a day has various health benefits. It has been shown to possibly assist with joint health and the thinning of blood, and contains antioxidants and increases the absorption of iron and zinc. The sulfuric compounds and phytonutrients in garlic have great powerful effects on the body; however, one of those effects is bad breath.

Halitosis – or bad breath – may be unsavory to many people, but it’s no reason to eliminate garlic from your diet. Simple fixes, like chomping on a sprig of parsley can quickly get rid of the bad breath followed by garlic. If you don’t have parsley nearby, there are other things that will help.

“The same sulfuric compounds in garlic that benefit your health circulate to the lungs and are exhaled with your breath, leaving you with dragon mouth for several hours,” Sheryl Barringer, Ph.D., a professor of food science and technology at Ohio State University told Women’s Health Magazine. “Research suggests that sipping milk before or during garlic eating also decreases the amount of odor coming out of your mouth.”

Drink up
Staying well hydrated is key in keeping your breath smelling fresh and clean, but there are several options to wash the mouth of the garlic aftertaste. Slurping down plenty of water is the best way to get rid of smelly breath because it washes down any excess food in the mouth and helps with saliva production.
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Having a good night’s sleep is pertinent for a healthy mind and body, but there are some issues that keep us up at night. Do you ever have to get up in the middle of the night to get some water? Suffering from dry mouth can cause pain and discomfort throughout the night and during the day, and it can also be a sign of other illnesses.

During sleep, the body is able to restore itself, but if you are waking up in the middle of the night to drink water, this restoration is being interrupted and can cause you to be groggy throughout the day. This can hinder work, weight loss, and increase stress and the probability of sickness. All because of your dry mouth symptoms!

What are the symptoms?

Although “dry mouth” is pretty straightforward, there are other symptoms that you may have as well. You may also have trouble swallowing, chewing and speaking without taking a sip of water. Other people may have cracked and sore skin inside the mouth, and you may have a sandpaper-like tongue.

What is causing it?

There are many reasons why you may be having dry mouth, some that are easily preventable and others are a larger issue that should be taken seriously. If you feel like you’re suffering from post nasal drip, this could be directly related to dry mouth. With this illnesses, the mucus becomes thick, which can sometimes make it challenging to breathe through the mouth.

“The sensation of post-nasal drip is not usually caused by an increased amount of mucus coming from your nose or sinuses,” Dr. Robert Dolan told EverydayHealth. “It is more likely to be caused by the mucus becoming too thick or by irritation of your throat. In my experience, the three most common causes are allergy, gastric reflux, and medications that cause dryness.”

Preventing post nasal drip entirely depends on where it is coming from. Oral medications and natural nasal sprays can combat this issue if it doesn’t stem from a larger illness.

What to change?

Are you a smoker? Do you eat unhealthy foods? Do you commonly drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages? These are all causes of dry mouth! Without having to change much of your lifestyle to combat bad breath, you can try to cut back on the amount of unhealthy things you intake. If you’re a smoker or an avid coffee drinker, make sure that you drink a glass of water afterwards to moisturize the mouth. Drinking a substantial amount of water each day will help eliminate dry mouth. Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet can help dramatically as well. Because these items have a large amount of water in them, and vitamins and minerals, they keep the mouth healthy.

What does dry mouth lead to?

Dry mouth can lead to various other oral health issues such as tooth decay, bad breath, a lack of taste and mouth sores. Since the bacteria in our mouths have no chance to get flushed down by saliva – which is what normally happens – it just stays in our mouths and causes these issues. Mouth sores are more common because when there is no protective layer of moisture, there is a much higher risk of cuts and infections.