KissMeGoodnight
eRomance Series:
My Breath Stinks:
How to Get Rid of Bad Breath...NOW!
You
Have Bacteria in Your Mouth
Are
you surprised to learn that your mouth is a favorite destination
for bacteria? Consider the environment
you offer: one hundred percent humidity, warmth, and a steady
source of food. What more could a bacterium want? As a matter
of fact, it is said that the average human mouth is host to
more than five hundred different kinds of bacteria, of which
only about fifty have been named. In addition to the foregoing,
at any given time your mouth also plays host to over one hundred
different kinds of fungi, viruses, and even protozoan organisms,
which is just a fancy term to denote single cell life forms.
All
these life forms live together in what appears to be a
complex ecosystem. Some organisms prefer to live on your tongue,
while others thrive between your teeth or in pockets between
your teeth and gums. As a matter of fact, you do want some
of the bacteria to stay in your mouth as they are rather beneficial
and actually protect you from harm. The one bad kind of bacterium
that can be found in your mouth is the dreaded Streptococcus
Mutans, which uses any kind of sugar left in your mouth to
actually attack your teeth and cause the cavities that require
the dental hygienist’s intervention.
Another rare case of bacteria causing havoc is the dreaded
Vincent’s Stomatitis, also known as “trench mouth”. While the
latter name refers to the fact soldiers who fought and lived
in the trenches during the time of World War I were highly
susceptible to this illness. It makes it appear as though this
infection is no longer of issue, but in fact even today, this
disease affects adolescents, teens, and even twenty-something
year olds. The root cause of Vincent’s Stomatitis is a bacterial
infection that inflames the gums and then causes progressively
worse ulceration of the gums and the inside of the cheeks.
Left unchecked, the illness may spread to the lips and beyond.
It appears that oral hygiene is a powerful weapon in the fight
against this disease.
Another dental disease that more of you may be familiar with
is gingivitis. Long since been a staple in the admonishments
to brush and floss your teeth regularly, gingivitis can occur
when bacteria are allowed to accumulate in the mouth, especially
in those tiny spaces between teeth and gums. At the onset,
you might find that your gums bleed rather easily when you
are brushing your teeth or flossing them.
As you can see, you have a lot of bacteria in your mouth that
may mean you harm. While some bacteria are absolutely essential
to properly digest your food and to keep the bad bacteria in
check, an overwhelming amount that is allowed to accumulate
without checks and balances will soon wreak havoc. To deal
with bacterial in your mouth is not as hard as it may sound.
As a matter of fact, there are three simple steps to take that
will ensure that beneficial bacteria will abound while harmful
bacteria are kept to a minimum:
Brush
and floss your teeth regularly. Morning and evening
brushing and flossing will go a long ways to keeping your teeth,
gums, and mouth healthy, clean, and odor free. By removing
food particles from tiny spaces between the teeth and gums,
you are cutting down on the amount of bacteria that accumulate
in your mouth overall. Additionally, such proper dental hygiene
will prevent tooth decay and other periodontal diseases from
taking root in your mouth.
Scrape
and brush your tongue regularly. It is hard to believe,
but there are some bacteria that love to live and thrive on
the back of your tongue. To get rid of these, you will need
to scrape the back of your tongue periodically to simply collect
and dispose of them. In addition to the foregoing, it is important
to also brush the back of your tongue to combat the accumulation
of bacteria there.
Drink
plenty of water. If you become dehydrated, your saliva
production will be inhibited. The result is less fluid that
will wash the inside of your mouth and dispose of the harmful
bacteria there. Drinking water will have a two-fold benefit:
first and foremost, it will flush harmful bacteria away from
your mouth, while secondly ensuring that enough saliva can
be produced to keep your mouth healthy. #
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KissMeGoodnight
: 2006
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