Does it seem plausible that...

mike987 · Post by **mike987** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:49 am

.. the more we floss, brush, clean, scrape, irrigate, swish, gargle, supplement, etc.. the worse our breath is?

Yes I know it sounds silly, and I'm not proposing this be true... but I do wonder about it.

Think of it this way.. With some of the products we use, the bad bacteria are defeated.. When we stop using the product, the bad bacteria has either overcome the defeat on it's own, or comes back with a stronger presence.. The good bacteria had been defeated along with the bad bacteria, but only the bad can come back so quickly.

Assuming the bad bacteria is more adaptive, couldn't the same principle be applied to our typical oral grooming habits? By flossing, brushing, scraping etc, constantly, we don't give bacteria a chance to thrive.. Only the bad bacteria can make it back in time before we clean out our mouths again...

What if.. Just what if we drop our habits down to simple twice a day brushing. No tongue brushing, no mouth wash, minimal flossing.. Perhaps the good bacteria can make a return? Maybe this is the secret to those without halitosis. They barely do a damned thing and the only thing they need to worry about is the possible cavity..

Think of how long you've been going through your daily routine.. Years maybe? What if this whole time all of our oral habits have been our undoing?? What if we created our own halitosis through our persistence to defeat it?

Heh, please don't take this too seriously, but I do wonder if the constant mouth care (even just brushing 3 or more times a day with a mouthwash 2 or 3 times) makes it easier for bad breath to take control.

It may be mental, but I often feel like the more I do for my mouth, the more reactions I get. Yeh, it's probably just me.. .. I wish this wasn't so complicated! >.<

whyme · Post by **whyme** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:22 am

don't know what to say, it can be true or not but i never did excessive routines. in my life time i probably brush hard like 2 or 6 days? the rest i just took it easy, brushing twice daily and i still have BB.

i got tongue scrapper but i don't use it, i hardly floss because i hardly need it and i always forget 90% of the time to use my mouthwash. in my life time i used a mouth wash for like 1 month counting each use as a day or even less.

my tongue is kinda hairy and has a bit of white coating but its pink.

and i still have BB. if anything i believe BB just comes from something thats physically wrong with us inside the throat, or like a part in the mouth. no matter how hard you brush it wont go away but if you brush deep inside the mouth, you will feel a bit fresh.

Larc400 · Post by **Larc400** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:12 am

mike987, yeah I think it makes sense in the long run. I've often thought of ditching all the routines to see what the body itself can do about it, as I also get the feeling that the more we do, the more we upset the 'system' in the long run. But in order to ditch it all I'd have to isolate myself for a couple of months I guess

as the routine is still giving temporary relief.

elliott · Post by **elliott** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:25 am

interesting viewpoint, but I don't think brushing and flossing is realted. That is what all people must do to maintain normal hygiene.

Eliminating those 2 things will not affect what is going on in your throat.

noptical · Post by **noptical** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:17 pm

I had worse bad breath when my mouth hygiene was simple like everyone elses. Then I started brushing after every meal and flossing + mouthwash + tongue cleaning and it got better. Sometimes after brushing after 1-2 hours I feel like my breath is worse.

Note that you better not brush your teeth right after a meal. Wait for like half an hour until saliva does its job then brush etc.