Tic Tac, Anyone?

If you think the air smells minty fresh on August 6, you are probably right. That's because August 6 is National Fresh Breath Day! That's right, there is now a day set aside each year to help make us all aware of our breath.

Carol Meyer, President of PBC - Personal Breath Consultants - and a Registered Dental Hygienist, created National Fresh Breath Day in 1997 to make us all aware how important fresh breath is to our health and our image. August is National Smile Month, so it seemed only right to dedicate one day to learning more about our breath - what causes bad breath and what we can do to avoid getting bad breath, also known as halitosis.

Halitosis is generally caused by volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) in your mouth. VSCs are the by-products of bacteria in your mouth, and 80% of the time, they are responsible for bad breath. There are many things that affect the amount of VSCs in your mouth, including dry mouth, hormonal changes, tongue bacteria, and stress.

There can also be physiological causes for bad breath, but once you take care of the underlying problem, the bad breath should go away, provided you have a healthy mouth.

When choosing toothpaste and mouth rinses, stay away from those containing alcohol and artificial coloring, as the alcohol will dry your mouth and make halitosis worse, and artificial colors are simply something we don't need. Rather, look for products containing one or more of the following: stabilized chlorine dioxide or zinc. Chlorine dioxide eliminates VSC production for three hours or longer. A natural way to cleanse your breath is drinking plenty of water. Herbs, such as peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, parsley, basil, and cloves will also leave your breath pleasantly-scented and approachable.

For more fresh-breath hints, visit www.floss.com.

Source: www.floss.com