Bad Breath

It is important to conduct thorough oral hygiene at home twice a day. This should involve brushing teeth with a fluoride antibacterial toothpaste, brushing the tongue to remove odor-causing bacteria, and flossing to remove food debris and plaque on teeth, bridgework and implants. A published study reported that tongue and tooth brushing, in combination with dental flossing, significantly decreased bleeding of the gum tissue over a two week period of time as well as reduced bad breath (1). Another clinical study conducted by the University of Buffalo dental researchers confirmed that brushing twice a day with an antibacterial toothpaste and using a tooth brush with a tongue cleaner can eliminate bad breath(2).

Cleaning your tongue is very important. You can purchase a Colgate 360 toothbrush with the tongue cleaner on the back of the toothbrush for cleaning both your teeth and tongue. After brushing your upper and lower teeth with an antibacterial toothpaste, flip the toothbrush over to the tongue cleaner. Place the tongue cleaner in the posterior region of the tongue and move it forward to the anterior section. After you have scraped that portion, rinse the tongue brush off with warm water to remove any odor-causing bacteria. Then replace the tongue brush in the next posterior section again and repeat as described above.