Give Your Sweetie a Sweet Kiss

Fresh breath for that Midnight Kiss

You’ve tried mouthwashes, every toothpaste on the shelves, breath mints, breath strips, breath sprays and all the old wive’s tales, and still, your breath just smells bad. For millions of people, halitosis, or bad breath, is a terrible burden.

Bad breath can be caused by many things – post-nasal drip, sinus problems, acid reflux, diabetes and even organ failure. For most, however, bad breath is simply indicative of having eaten foods with a high sulfur content, such as onions, garlic, alcoholic beverages, dairy, meats, sugars  and many other foods you wouldn’t suspect.

Another prime culprit for bad breath is rotting bits of food lodged between teeth. Yuck, right? That’s one of the many reasons dentists recommend daily flossing. Flossing may seem like a hassle, but it is well worth the benefits.

The most common cause of bad breath is Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs) released by harmful bacteria that inhabit the mouth. Once again – Yuck. The entire human body is a breeding ground for bacteria, which is not as gross as it sounds. Bacteria can be totally inert (meaning it’s just hanging out in a place it can thrive, causing no harm and no good), harmful, or beneficial.

In the mouth, there are a few bacteria that can cause real harm, like one called S. mutans. Fortunately, scientists have isolated a few really beneficial bacteria.

One Florida researcher, Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, has blended those beneficial bacteria (or probiotics) into an easy-to-use probiotic mint. Simply allow the mint to dissolve in your mouth twice daily after brushing, and you could combat those bad-breath-causing bacteria around the clock!