First of all, the child’s tendency to put every object into his or her mouth is among the most common of the teething symptoms. When chewing at an object, the pressure in the gums will be alleviated soothing the child and reducing discomfort; in order to make sure that the infant does not chew all sorts of objects around the house, you can provide him or her with a rubber chewing ring for instance.

Both parents and doctors often disagree when it comes to the teething symptoms, and these differences of opinion are generated by the fact that the so-called symptoms may drastically vary from child to child. Irritability is often associated with the increasingly sore gums as the teeth are ready to break through the skin. Every child reacts in a particular way to the experience: he or she may learn to live with the discomfort, or be irritated every time a tooth erupts.

Starting with three or four months of age the baby may start drooling more than usual; teething and drooling are closely connected, so this is a clear sign that the infant is going to have his or her first tooth. Cough is another of the teething symptoms associated with drooling, as many children will gag and cough because of the extra saliva. Unless there are other signs to indicate a cold or flu, there is no reason to worry about.

It is this same drooling that may lead to the appearance of rashes in the mouth area, as the skin is kept constantly wet. Wiping the chin and the mouth several times a day will help, with the mention that you need to do this very gently so as not to irritate the skin even further. You may notice cheek rubbing or ear pulling as other teething symptoms; such manifestations are frequent when the molars erupt and some of the pain may travel to the cheeks and the ears. You will notice that the child will get back to normal as soon as the molars break through the gums.

By: Muna wa Wanjiru

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It has been found that the causes range widely but 85-90% of all the causes originate from the mouth itself.

The seven most common causes of bad breath are:

1. Accumulation of Food Debris: Accumulation of food debris on or between the teeth or over the surface of the tongue is the most common cause for bad breath. Bacteria act on these food particles and produce products which give off the foul odor.

2. Tooth Decay: The decaying of tooth or Dental Caries is an important causative agent of bad breath. The bacteria act in a putrefactive manner on the tooth which leads to its demineralization causing bad breath.

3. Dryness of mouth (Xerostomia): Saliva is a natural mouthwash and shows extensive anti-bacterial action. When saliva production in the oral cavity is decreased, it leads to plaque accumulation which favors the growth of odor causing organisms.

4. Gum Diseases: Gum disease and periodontal disease also play an important role in causing halitosis.

5. Smoking: The accumulation of nicotine, tar and other foul smelling substances in mouth causes typical bad breath in smokers known as smoker’s breath.

6. Severe Dieting: Severe dieting causes numerous health hazards including bad breath. The foul odor is due to ketoacidosis which is caused due to prolonged starvation.

7. Extra-oral sources: Although, it’s most commonly found that the source of bad breath is the mouth itself, there are also many conditions in which extra-oral sources are to be blamed such as diabetes, infections of respiratory tract and kidney dysfunction.

Another important aspect of halitosis that should be considered is Halitophobia or delusional Halitosis which is prevalent among quarter of the people who seek professional advice for Halitosis. Halitophobia is the fear of having bad breath which drives these people to seek professional advice.

Now, let us look at the remedies of bad breath which should help banish your bad breath.

It might sound obvious but the best way to keep bad breath at bay is by brushing your teeth regularly. Not just brushing often but brushing correctly is the key. So, learn to brush correctly and regularly.
As we had mentioned earlier, tooth decay is an important causative agent of Halitosis and it needs to be addressed. Tooth decays are generally treated by fillings or Root Canal Treatments.
Dry Mouth (Xerostomia) decreases the saliva production and the causative agent for the condition needs to be rectified. Drinking plenty of water and chewing sugar-free gum helps a lot.
Avoid tobacco chewing or Smoking which leaves their products in the mouth and cause bad breath.
Using a mouth wash may hide your bad breath but does not mean that the condition has been treated.
Bad breath which occurs when you are hungry is normal and should go away after you munch on something.
Rinse your mouth after every meal.

By: Cristian Stan

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By: Michael Singer -

Technorati Tags: bad breath product, causes bad breath, morning breath

The tongue and cheeks contain numerous fissures which are devoid of oxygen, or nearly so, and it is there that the major causes of halitosis reside. The offending creatures are gram negative anaerobic bacteria that thrive in the moist oxygen-free conditions within these fissures. They quietly decompose food that has penetrated the fissures, releasing as they do so obnoxious evil smelling sulfurous gases.

Not only that, but the bacteria and the rotting foods form a white/yellowish fur on your tongue that also adds to the smell. In order to cure halitosis you have to kill these bacteria and remove the fur. Since the bacteria are anaerobic, you can kill them by introducing oxygen to their habitat. This is not easy to do with buccal and lingual fissures, and simple opening your mouth to the air will not suffice.

There are substances that release oxygen, and these can be used in preparations such as toothpastes, mouthwashes and chewing gums. The oxygen is released as the preparations penetrate the tongue and cheeks and kills of the bacteria. To increase their effectiveness, toothpastes should be used with tongue scrapers, both to remove the fur or plaque on the tongue, and to force the oxygenating substances into the fissures. The cheeks should also be brushed with a soft-bristled brush.

It is important that when you find an effective treatment, you continue to use it as a maintenance treatment, or the condition will recur. You will not be aware of this until your partner averts their face when you get too close, or somebody with whom you are conversing takes a few steps back when you speak. Occasional use of a mouth spray, or chewing specially prepared gum is generally enough, once you have successfully removed the bulk of the bacteria.

Keep in mind that the causes of halitosis are not always bacteria, and that just under 10% of cases are for other reasons. If using recommended treatments has no effect then get professional advice since bad breath can be a symptom of a much more serious condition than just a foul smelling by-product of bacterial degradation.

Halitosis is an antisocial condition, and one that you are unaware that you have until you either notice the reaction of others, or somebody tells you. It’s like any form of body odor – people, including your friends, will talk about you among themselves but will be too embarrassed to mention it to you.

It’s important, then, that you know what causes that bad breath smell, and what the causes of halitosis are, because you will then understand the importance of the remedial treatment, how to follow it properly and why the condition can easily recur if you stop caring for your oral hygiene.

By: pnisbet

Technorati Tags: bad breath odors, bad breath smells, causes of bad breath

These bacteria make their homes in the surface of the tongue and in the throat where they are responsible for assisting us in digestion. They help by breaking down proteins found in certain specific foods, mucous or phlegm, blood, and in diseased or ‘broken down’ oral tissue.

When certain conditions identified as the causes of bad breath are present, these bacteria break down proteins at a much higher rate than normal. This also means that they release higher levels of waste products than normal.

The proteins in foods contain two major amino acid components – cysteine and methionine. Both of these amino acids are dense with sulfur, an extremely odorous substance. When bacteria metabolizes proteins, these sulfur components of amino acids are released as Hydrogen Sulfide, Methyl Mercaptan, and other odorous bad tasting compounds. Together, these compounds which are the causes of bad breath are known as volatile sulfur compounds.

Now, one thing you should know about these bacterial causes of bad breath is that they are anaerobic, which literally means ‘without oxygen.’ In other words, they thrive in places where the environment contains ZERO oxygen.

You might ask why bacteria that supposedly live without oxygen could survive in the mouth where oxygen can flow freely through. Well, for the simple reason that these bacteria are smart little critters. Smart in the sense that they don’t exactly expose themselves to the oxygen-rich parts of the mouth and instead choose to hide in places where oxygen couldn’t get to them.

And where are these places? The back of your tongue, under layers of plaque, beneath food debris, and other such convenient hiding places.

So if you are wondering why you still have bad breath even though you regularly scrape your tongue and use mouthwash, then wonder no more. These bacterial causes of bad breath don’t live on the surface of your tongue. Instead, they live in between the papillae located in the back of your tongue where oxygen couldn’t get to them.

In addition, mouthwash does not normally get rid of these bacterial causes of bad breath. And make no mistake that having these bacteria in your mouth is a normal occurrence. Everyone has some type of bacterial flora in the mouth, since, as already mentioned, these microorganisms actually help in digestion. They only become a problem when these bacteria go on overdrive and release more volatile sulfur compounds, causing bad breath to be expelled.

By: Milos Pesic

Technorati Tags: bad breath solution, causes of bad breathe, eliminate bad breath

Within the tongue and throat surface a harmless bacteria lives that assists with food digestion by breaking down proteins in some foods. In some cases the bacteria accelerate this process and this causes an excess of amino acids that are high in Sulfur and it is when the harmless bacteria meets the amino acids that the halitosis and bad tasting compounds are released.

Chronic bad breath causes

There are many possible causes of halitosis but two I’d like to focus on here are for those whose chronic bad breath is due to dry mouth. In this condition the mouth lacks saliva and because saliva contains oxygen which keeps your mouth fresh and healthy the bacteria that causes bad breath are able to thrive.

The bacteria causing chronic bad breath also thrive on foods that are high in proteins such as meat, fish, dairy foods and surprisingly coffee. If your diet is high in these food types it is making the problem worse.

Coffee, whilst not a high protein food contains acids that stimulate the bacteria that causes bad breath to reproduce and creates a bitter taste and foul breath for many, most acidic foods will have the same effect.

Seeking a bad breath cure

It might be possible to effect a cure for bad breath by making a change to your diet but that might not suit everyone. An alternative is to improve the condition within the mouth by changing the environment so that the bacteria are unable to reproduce.

One solution uses stabilized chlorine dioxide that adds oxygen to the mouth using oral rinse or a mouth wash. Increasing the levels of oxygen in the mouth makes the mouth fresher and less hospitable for those bad bacteria.

Rinsing your mouth and brushing your teeth after meals can also help as this will remove plaque and freshen the mouth as well as introducing oxygen into the mouth. It can also help when brushing if you brush both your tongue and cheeks as this will stimulate the surface oxygenating as it goes.

It goes without saying that brushing the teeth first thing in the morning and last thing at night is essential if you are to cure bad breath be it mild or chronic.

By: JohnB

Technorati Tags: chronic bad breath, chronic halitosis, cure bad breath

1. Poor oral hygiene – One of the obvious but often overlook reasons for bad breath. Regular brushing and flossing is a definite must but many people seem to take this for granted. When one fails to exercise proper oral hygiene, bacteria will thrive especially when it gets to feed on food particles stuck in between the teeth or in the back of the mouth and this can very well cause an unpleasant smell in one’s breath.

Try brushing your teeth after every meal to prevent food particles from getting stuck in your mouth. If you feel that doing it after every meal is too much of a hassle, stick to brushing twice a day at the minimum. A lot people brush their teeth only once a day and some don’t even bother to brush at all! And they wonder why they have bad breath? Remember to floss frequently and look to using gum stimulator for a better and more effective flossing experience.

2. Tonsil stones – A medical condition that affects quite a number of bad breath sufferers. They are like these little white balls lodged in the throat pockets and they are formed when sulfur compounds created by bacteria are mixed together with debris in your mouth causing severe bad breath. Tonsil stones have a terribly nasty odor and once they are lodged in your throat pockets, it can be extremely difficult to get them removed.

Less serious cases can be treated by killing the bacteria responsible for producing sulfur compounds using oral care products. Severe ones may need medical attention or a special type of treatment. In fact several Israeli scientists have discovered a highly effective treatment proven to eradicate tonsil stones in a matter of minutes.

3. Gum disease -Harmful bacteria in the mouth can cause plaque to build-up on the teeth which leads to gum disease. Those who suffer from it are likely to have bad breath as well. Again, proper oral hygiene is the key to prevent gum disease from occurring.

4. Dry mouth – One’s inability to produce enough saliva can lead to foul smelling breath. Saliva is crucial for cleansing the mouth and removing dead cells around the teeth, gums, and tongue. There are many reasons that could cause dry mouth such as side-effects from a particular medication, unhealthy salivary glands, smoking and excessive drinking. Try chewing a few pieces of gum throughout the day and consume plenty of water to help increase saliva production.

5. Tongue – Okay let’s say you brush and floss regularly but the quality of your breath is still below par. What could be the reason then? The fact is, even people with healthy gums and teeth are not spared from this condition because the source of bad breath may also extend from the back of the tongue. For this reason, a tongue scraper along with some special ingredients may work wonders to eliminate the foul smelling odor.

By: Tony Reyes

Technorati Tags: causes of bad breath, cure for bad breath, medical causes of bad breath

The term halitosis was originally ‘coined’ by the Listerine company a long time ago. In the 1920’s, i think it was. A lot of folk will experience a certain degree of halitosis at some time in their lives. A dental examination is a good idea for normal instances of halitosis, as only a qualified dentist or possibly a doctor can definitely tell you that you have halitosis. There is a good chance that either you, or someone in your family, suffers from halitosis (chronic bad breath).

If you do not brush and floss on a regular basis, bits of food can stay in your mouth. You then collect bacteria, which can then be the cause bad breath. The great evil which is smoking can also be a major reason for bad breath. If you wear dentures just make sure they are always fresh and clean, and avoid the plaque build-up on them that can cause bad breath. Avoid eating any foods that cause you to have bad breath. I am sure you know which foods I am talking about. On occasion, tonsillitis can also cause bad breath.

For a long time humans have been looking for a remedy for bad breath. And many people have found one. Black tea is a strong remedy against bad breath. One home remedy is to dissolve baking soda in water and cleanse the tongue with this. Another good remedy for bad breath is avocado, which is far better than any mouth lotion or remedies for this condition. Another simple remedy for bad breath, which you probably never considered, is just drink water.

Bad Breath is an embarrassing problem. Bad breath is also a taboo subject to most people. The good news is chronic bad breath {halitosis} is a really treatable condition. Just remember nearly all cases of bad breath are caused by a problem of some type in the mouth.

By: Jamesh

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