Bacteria in the mouth are the real problem and they are not affected to any great extent by the use of gums, mints, and mouthwashes - even the "antibacterial" brands, according to recent research studies. The use of these appears to only mask the bad breath and leaves the bacteria alive and well.
Americans spent over 1 billion dollars last year on mouthwashes, sprays, gum, and mints. Even though they are so popular they are still shown to be very ineffective.
Antibacterial or not, the mouthwashes that you can buy over the counter today will only add to the "compost-pile" on the tongue. They won't reduce it, and the bacteria will remain safe under the coating on the tongue.
Of interest also is the fact that the antibacterial pastes and washes used today alter the chemical and/or biochemical situation in the mouth, for example by changing the PH there.
Alcohol is probably the worst rinse ingredient because of its drying effect on the oral tissues (actually, this promotes the growth of anaerobic bacteria) and the possibility that long-term use may cause oral cancers.
So many people spend their hard earned money on ineffective cover-ups like mouthwash, gum, sprays, and mints without ever getting to the root of the problem. It will cost more than 180.00 a year to have just a single pack of mints every day, for example, and many spend more than that.
You see, the way we have been dealing with bad breath and oral hygiene has not kept pace with the times. In an age of instant global communication and deep space exploration, you would expect that we would have made much more progress in cleaning our mouths.
Think about it for a moment. Why do you use a toothbrush? If the same results could be achieved with a mouthwash as a toothbrush, then no one would bother with a brush, they would just "rinse and go". We all know that it would not work, so why would we expect the tongue to be clean after a "quick rinse" of chemical-laden mouthwash.
Recent studies have shown up to 90% of all cases of halitosis (bad breath) can be attributed to the decomposing of the coating on the tongue, and harmful bacteria that are not removed by brushing, flossing, or gargling alone.
Research shows that our "normal" hygiene routine doesn't work against the bacteria on the tongue because we simply are not properly cleaning our tongues.
Not only that, but some dentists even teach their patients to brush their tongues with their toothbrushes. One drawback of this is that a moist toothbrush will continue to hold the bacteria. Unless you are willing to throw out your toothbrush on a continuous basis, this is not a recommended process.
Brushing the tongue does little more than mash the bacteria and plaque deeper into the "filliform", without addressing the real problem at the posterior part of the tongue.
As "plaque" is to the teeth and gums, the "coating" is to the tongue. Brushing alone does not solve the problem. Although it is a step in the right direction, it merely loosens the coating. It does not remove it.
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