As Friday the 14th February rapidly approaches we at Ashford Dental Care would like to offer some advice how to make you extra kissable to your partner.

Bad breath can be caused by diabetes, bronchitis and other medical conditions. However the main cause of bad breath is the micro-organisms within the mouth. Once we have eaten and have a full stomach we never really consider what remnants of dinner and lunch are left behind in between our teeth.

Regular brushing and flossing can tackle most of the problem as well as a regular scale and polish. Here is a video link for flosssing instruction.

However many of us forget to clean something very obvious within the mouth, The Tongue.

The tongue  is covered in many tiny bumps and pits, these provide the perfect habitat for all those nasty smelling micro-organisms to live in. One example is a fungus named Candida Albicans. This fungus species is also associated with Thrush so as you can imagine it is not something you want to be cultivating within your mouth.

These microorganisms produce sulphur compound gases such as  hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide . Sulphur gases often smell like rotten eggs. If you can keep these pesky bugs to a minimum then this should improve your breathe.

Now to remove these bugs it might be worth investing in a tongue scraper. They are small and feature a plastic handle and a curved loop on the end. This curve allows the device to fit to the shape of your tongue, so that when you pull the scraper down the tongue it will scrape off the germs and bacteria. Alternatively you could use a wet toothbrush with no toothpaste however the shape of the brush and bristles are not designed for the texture and shape of the tongue, and you may only have a limited amount of success. Below is an image of a tongue scraper and how to use it. If your tongue is cut or sore, it is not wise to use the scraper until it is healed. There is no set amount of time for cleaning your tongue, just simply clean until you are satisfied.

Source: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/oral-care/products/tongue-scrapers-really-help.htm

However if this makes no difference to your breathe it could be related to gum disease, cavities or a health condition. Therefore is it important to discuss this with your Dentist and Doctor and to have regular check ups.