Finding a bad breath remedy is not a problem because not only are stores lined with products designed for help with halitosis-our friends and families tend to have endless home remedies ready to recommend at a moment’s notice. Sadly, the chances of a specially formulated bad breath product being effective in the fight against halitosis may actually be worse than Aunt Betty’s special concoction of apple cider vinegar. So, how is it possible that a simple home remedy for bad breath may actually prove to be a better tool in the fight against halitosis than some product that has been created by teams of scientists using the latest medical research and tools?

 

Bad breath products created by pharmaceutical companies have no problem addressing the underlying cause of halitosis, namely oral bacteria. These odor-producing microbes constantly dwell within the oral cavity and they fight for real estate with other beneficial forms of bacteria. When there is a balance between these two varieties of bacteria, bad breath is not a problem. However, when the gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (the microbes that cause bad breath or halitosis) population becomes larger due to special circumstances, then the balance is broken and the mouth becomes a cesspool and halitosis results.

 

Critical to maintaining the balance between the two basic forms of bacteria is saliva. The reason why some of the bad breath products available in the pharmacy fail to be as effective in the fight against halitosis is because they are created from chemicals and other synthesized ingredients that cause dehydration.

 

When the body is deprived of the water it needs, one of the first functions that falls victim to “budget cuts” is the salivation rate in your mouth. If saliva levels plummet, it is inevitable that the gram-negative anaerobic bacteria will grow faster and produce more of the Volatile Sulfur Compounds that form the gaseous emissions that literally cause the foul odors inherent to a case of chronic halitosis.

 

The reason why saliva is so critical in the fight against bad breath is because it helps limit the gram-negative anaerobic bacteria in a number of manners, including:

• When we swallow, saliva helps wash away the VSC’s
• Saliva also helps remove the leftover particles of food from meals and missed during oral hygiene. By limiting the food source, the saliva effectively performs a “birth control” function with the bacteria.
• Being a rich source of oxygen, saliva lowers reproductive rates of gram-negative anaerobic bacteria because these microbes breed fastest in climates with low oxygen levels.
• Added oxygen also helps increase beneficial bacteria levels which thus limits the amount of space in the oral cavity available to the bacteria responsible for bad breath problems.

 

So, while bad breath remedies created in labs use the latest medical research and techniques to help control the gram-negative anaerobic bacteria, they often lower salivation rates by inducing dehydration and xerostomia (dry mouth). To date, the most effective bad breath remedy remains something that has been around as long as humans-our own saliva!