Bad Breath, Morning Breath 12 Step Plan..

I recently read a news miscellany that a young researcher into a cure for bad breath offered only one solution: brush the back of the tongue when brushing your teeth. How foolish! That advice can't hurt, but there's much more to the story. Here is better advice , based on years.... of sweet breath . 1. Don't smoke. Non smokers can smell your stench for hours afterwards, from many feet away. It's so bad that a non smoker can usually tell if there are smokers in the automo- bile in front, or if someone has smoked in a given room or car even days earlier.

2. Limit alcohol intake to no more than one or two drinks on most days. A little bit can extend life, but a lot can shorten it, as well as irritating the digestive system enough to taint your breath.

3. Eat a low fat and high fibre diet, with whole-grains, fruits, vegetables. That is also good advice for reducing your chances of heart attack and cancer.

4. Limit sugary snacks and beverages, and fatty-salty snacks.

5. Don't be fat. Overweight can damage your whole system in a lot of ways, including foul breath.

6. Have regular bowel movements, best if soon after or before your first meal of the day. If you need help getting into this habit, take high fibre dietary supplements after supper, in moderation. "Psellism husk" works. Non-fibre laxatives, used frequently, are not a good idea. See #11.

7. Brush your teeth after your last meal of the day, and don't snack afterwards. Brush from the gums to the teeth ends. Include a good job of flossing, as a dentist can teach you, reaching below the gum line. It is a waste of time to brush before breakfast, but after breakfast is fine. (I floss and brush both a.m. and p.m., and my few fillings are all from my early years. My parents did not know any better.)

8. Get regular dental cleanings and treat any cavities. If you are good with floss and brush, you can go longer than six months. If you always have visible crusty deposits along your gum line, you have not been cleaning properly, and you will probably be wearing dentures before middle age. Teeth DON'T have to be rotting in order to fall out.

9. Don't bother with mouth wash or special tooth pastes, unless your dentist says there is a good medical reason