Hi D!
I need your help big time man! I am a young, neat looking guy with this amazing girlfriend. The problem is – whenever we are within a breath’s distance from each other, I wish I were a mile away! The odor from her mouth simply puts me off. I have to turn away, though I’d rather be locking lips in those quiet, intimate moments. Minty gums and mouthwashes (the strongest ones) are not working. Is bad breath a real problem? If so, is there a real non-invasive, drug-free cure? Holding my breath with a breathtaking beauty, Nitin Ahuja (Entrepreneur).
D says: Bad breath is a real problem, with even a scientific name – halitosis. It is caused by many factors, the leading one being bacterial action on food particles fermenting and putrefying in hidden sockets in the oral cavity – your mouth. Other causes could be constipation and indigestion – the smelly gases forming inside can find a vent through the mouth. Bacterial action on dental fillings can release that nose-pinching odor as well. Note these suggestions all ye sufferers of halitosis, and get closer to your sweeter half next time you are within a breath’s distance!
Make sure you floss your teeth after every meal, to remove stuck tidbits in between molars and canines.
Make sure to clean the tongue well when you brush your teeth.
Consume and gargle with water stored overnight in a copper vessel. This copper-charged water has antibacterial action to some extent.
Rub salt on your gums after brushing in the morning and at bedtime. Salt has the unique essence to absorb odor, and it also cleanses and strengthens the gums. Natural sea salt or rock salt is preferred over table salt.
Common herbs like neem (bai sadao in Thai), laung (cloves), amala (makham pom in Thai), dalchini (cinnamon), elaichi (cardamom), saunf (fennel), holy basil (bai kraphao), parsley, fenugreek and mint leaves have excellent antibacterial and antiodor action. You could either get the powders of the herbs available, and mix them in equal proportion to make your own dental powder (add 1/4thquantity salt to it). Rub this powder on the teeth and gums twice a day after brushing and flossing. Or, chew any of these herbs after your meals. (Neem is too bitter. I would suggest fennel, cardamom or mint leaves).
Alternatively, you could steep in hot water a few basil and mint leaves, along with ½ teaspoon fennel, 3-4 fenugreek (methi) seeds, 1 cardamom and 1 clove. Consume this herbal tea after every meal. It will work wonders!
Unripe guavas, as well as raw fruits and vegetable juices on a daily basis are also effective antidotes to bad breath.
Consume a whole healthy diet high in fibre to prevent constipation. Avoid refined sugars, flour and excess of milk and meat products.
Use unsweetened herbal toothgel, rather than flour-based sweetened commercial toothpastes. Herbal toothgels carry the essence of herbs more effectively to the gums, rather than their flour-based counterparts.
Dimple Duangthip Arora is a Diet and Nutrition Adviser (SAC Dip., London), and an Advanced Ayurveda Practitioner (IAA, Pune). She has authored the book “A New Age Manual for the New Mother, Postnatal and Beyond” selling at Asia Books/Bookazine in Bangkok, and in over 50 outlets in Singapore. She has contributed to various local and international publications and has been featured on television. She is a visiting lecturer and consultant at Assumption University and TRIA Integrative Medical Institute respectively.
Dimple runs a private clinic, and has helped many reclaim their health naturally in the past few years. To see testimonials or to book an appointment, you are welcome to contact her at www.goldenawareness.com ; EMAIL : arora@goldenawareness.com