What dietary precautions should be taken for bad breath?

Most people do not realize that they have bad breath. Because of the bad breath, their colleagues keep away from them and it is very difficult for them to make friends with the opposite sex. The reason why they can't detect it is that our unique anatomical structure prevents us from smelling this odor. Originally, the soft palate part at the back of our mouth is connected to the nasal cavity. The problem is that the nose cannot smell the odor produced in the back of the mouth, even stronger odors are undetectable, so we are completely unaware... What to do? The simplest way is to use a small spoon to scrape the tongue coating deep in the tongue and smell it yourself, because the people around you smell this odor. So what should be done if you have bad breath?

The 454 Hospital of the PLA is a public tertiary hospital. After nearly 60 years of development, its dental department has accumulated rich experience in oral diagnosis and treatment. Shi Xiaoli, the attending physician of the department, is an expert in dental aesthetics and restoration. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of oral internal medicine and maxillofacial surgery. In more than ten years of oral clinical work, she has attended domestic and international oral technology seminars many times, striving to master the forefront medical technology of the dental department to provide high-quality services for patients.

According to relevant introductions, in the past, people thought that the cause of bad breath was problems with the digestive organs. But today it has been proven that the foul smell in the mouth is emitted by microorganisms living on the tongue, teeth, and gums. Like humans, bacteria eat the leftover food we leave behind and then excrete waste, including volatile gases.

Especially when sleeping, due to the stagnation of saliva and air in the mouth, bacteria that produce foul odors multiply faster. In addition, these bacteria like dry environments, so those who have to talk a lot, such as teachers, actors, and lawyers, will often encounter this situation. In addition, some medications also reduce the amount of saliva secretion.

The bacteria that produce foul odors prefer proteins as food, mainly animal-based foods, namely meat, eggs, fish, seafood, and dairy products. Among plant-based foods, peas, green beans, soybeans, walnuts, peanuts, and hazelnuts all leave residues in the mouth during consumption that easily produce foul odors.

Therefore, people with bad breath should consume less protein in their diet; vegetarians rarely have bad breath.

Japanese researchers conducted experiments with some volunteers and found that after drinking 90 grams of yogurt daily, 80% of the participants saw significant improvement in their bad breath. This is because the bacteria in yogurt inhibit the activity of decay-causing bacteria in the mouth, reducing the amount of tongue coating, thereby naturally reducing the odor. However, the yogurt must be natural, without added sugar.

As for using gum or oral fresheners, their effects are minimal, lasting no more than 15 minutes.

In addition, any methods throughout the day that can rinse away bacteria and promote saliva secretion are effective in treating bad breath. For example, rinsing your mouth with water, drinking mineral water every half hour, or occasionally sucking on a lemon wedge. Drinking a sip of unsweetened cool tea mixed with lemon juice is a good way to eliminate bad breath. Scientists in Illinois, USA, have discovered that the polyphenols contained in tea inhibit the proliferation of decay-causing bacteria, and drinking just a few cups of light tea daily works well, but it must be freshly brewed.