Prevention

Bad Breath (halitosis)

Causes:

The majority of bad breath problems begin in the mouth.

Bad breath that is of oral cavity origin can be traced to a sulfur compound produced by bacteria. Dead and dying bacterial cells release this sulfur compound which gives the breath an unpleasant odor.
Bacterial plaque and food debris accumulate on the back of the tongue. The tongue's surface is extremely rough and bacteria can accumulate easily in the cracks and crevices. Large amounts of sulfur compounds can be produced in this area, making it a frequent site of origin for bad breath.
The tooth attracts bacteria containing plaque and if not cleaned regularly and thoroughly, this can result in large accumulations of bacteria which result in bad breath.
People who have periodontitis often experience bad breath because of bacteria accumulating in areas that are not cleaned easily, such as deep pockets around teeth.
Fortunately, treatment is very effective for people who have bad breath of mouth origin.

Other reasons for bad breath (other than the mouth) are:

infections, especially in the sinuses or lungs
diabetes mellitus (acetone smell to the breath)
kidney failure (can produce a fishy odor)
malfunction of the liver
disorders of metabolism (foul, fishy odor that comes and goes and may be difficult to diagnose)
fasting (when the body is not provided with fuel in the form of food, fat and protein will begin to be broken down; the result is bad odor from the waste products of this metabolism)

If your bad breath continues once potential oral health problems have been treated, see your doctor to rule out any other causes.

Oral health treatment:

Treatment begins with a complete oral examination and health history, you may have an "odor-meter" test done. This test can accurately measure the volatile sulfur gases and the extent of a halitosis problem.
Periodontal disease and /or cavities should be treated and repaired.
Oral infections must be eliminated or impacted teeth may need to be removed.
Good oral hygiene must be stressed, including cleaning the teeth and tongue. Once the oral infection is treated and cured, mouthrinses and toothpastes may have some effectiveness in managing oral odor. Ask your oral health professional for a product that may be helpful to you.

Bad breath sufferers should feel encouraged to seek treatment because of the high success rate in managing the problem.

Keep your smile for life!

If you are an adult this part is late for you, but this section is just in time for your children nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or the other young ones in your life. The time to begin caring your teeth is before you have them. And the stuff to begin with is water. As your body is making your teeth a healthy diet, good health care and fluoride in your food and water do the most for making teeth strong, cavity resistant and attractive. You can not change your childhood, but you can give your child a healthy start. Contact your local water provider and ask if the fluoride content is 1 ppm (part per million). This level is safe, and when children get fluoride in their food and water before their teeth erupt, those teeth are strengthened from the inside and for the life of the tooth - as soon as teeth come in. That is when you begin brushing your child's teeth. When you can not reach all surfaces of all teeth with the brush - that is the time to start flossing.

Loss of teeth with age is not inevitable. With a little time and effort you can prevent most cavities or gingivitis. Though starting proper care of your smile early is better than starting later, taking care of yourself always has benefits.

Brushing:

To brush properly use a brush with soft bristles and do not press the brush hard against the teeth. Hard bristles or too much pressure can wear the teeth down. Light pressure is more comfortable, cleans well and helps your teeth last longer. When you brush do not imitate what you see in toothpaste and toothbrush commercials. They usually show bad technique! Do not move the brush side to side, but up and down. Use a tooth paste with fluoride to strengthen the enamel. And better still, use a fluoride toothpaste labeled "tarter control". A tarter control toothpaste slows the change of plaque into tarter, so your teeth will stay cleaner longer. Only use a dab of paste on the brush about the size of a pea. More is actually less effective.

Mouthwash:

Generally mouthwashes are not an important part of oral hygiene. If mouth odor is caused by food (e.g. the infamous garlic), then something in the mouth will not affect it. You eat the garlic, absorb the volatile compounds and then some of them evaporate from your lungs. Other causes of mouth odor can be from diseases of the kidneys, liver, or diabetes. More often mouth odor is from problems in the mouth (e.g. poor hygiene, gingivitis) or sinuses (e.g. post nasal drip, sinus infection). Good general health care, dental hygiene, and visits to your dentist are the best things you can do. Sometimes the irritation and drying effects of the alcohol present in most mouthwashes can make problems worse.
As for as reducing plaque, only two mouthwashes have been proven effective. One is Listerine, which can help some, but contains alcohol. The really effective one is, which is only available by prescription is chlorhexadine based.

Flossing:

The idea with flossing is to remove the plaque which forms between your teeth and which is not reached by your toothbrush. Use a floss which is comfortable for you (waxed, unwaxed, string or ribbon); it is the daily use, not the type which matters. The best approach is to floss before each brushing. It is extremely important to use the right technique. Technique is more important than floss type, and actual knowledge of what is happening during the cleaning/flossing procedure is even more important. See our demonstration.