Simple measures can help put a muzzle on bad breath

Some simple measures can help put a muzzle on bad breath, according to an article in the June issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Bad breath can be caused by food particles in the mouth, dry mouth, or a health problem. Mayo experts offer these tips to help prevent it:

Brush your teeth or use mouthwash after you eat. Brushing is the more effective of the two. If you use mouthwash, make sure you swish it around in your mouth for 30 seconds before you spit it out.

Floss your teeth at least once a day in order to remove decaying food.

When brushing your teeth, brush the back of your tongue, too, or scrape it with a tongue scraper.

Drink water to keep your mouth moist. When your mouth gets dry, there isn't enough saliva to wash away dead cells. You can also chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy to help stimulate saliva production.

Don't eat foods - such as onions and garlic - that encourage bad breath. These foods contain oils that are transferred to the lungs and exhaled.

If you have dentures, clean them daily to get rid of food particles and bacteria.

If these simple measures don't improve your bad breath, see your doctor or dentist. Persistent bad breath may be a sign of periodontal disease, an abscessed tooth, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, certain kinds of oesophageal problems, and other health conditions.

《梅奥门诊健康通讯》6月号上刊登的一篇文章提到，有几种简单的方法可防止口臭。

导致口腔异味的原因包括口中的食物残渣、口腔干燥及健康问题。梅奥门诊的专家们提出以下几种防止口臭的方法。

饭后刷牙或用漱口水漱口。刷牙比漱口水的效果好。如果用漱口水，要保证漱口水在口中漱半分钟，再吐出来。

每天至少用牙线清洁牙齿一次，以清除残留在牙缝间的腐烂食物。

刷牙时，还要刷刷舌根，或用刮舌器将舌头刮干净。

多喝水以保持口腔湿润。当口腔变得干燥时，口中便没有足够的唾液将坏死细胞冲走。你也可以嚼无糖口香糖或含无糖硬糖来促进唾液分泌。

不要吃易导致口腔异味的食品，如洋葱和大蒜。这些食品中所含的油会转移到肺中，然后被呼出来。

如果你戴假牙，要每天清洗，以清除假牙上的食物残渣和细菌。

如果这些简便方法不能消除你的口腔异味，最好去看医生或牙医。持久的口腔异味可能是某种疾病的征兆，如牙龈病、牙床脓肿、慢性鼻窦炎、后鼻漏、慢性支气管炎或某些食道疾病及其他健康问题。