Bad breath - medically known as halitosis - is an extremely embarrassing problem that is actually present in most people over the world today. A person suffering from bad breath can often become a subject of ridicule. Hence it is very important to get rid of this problem. There are several products in the market ranging from toothpastes to mouth fresheners, but they can only provide temporary relief to the problem. Ayurveda has the potential to solve the problem from its roots.

The mouth is the place of the kapha dosha. Hence an imbalance in the kapha dosha of the person manifests itself in the form of bad breath. In order to treat the problem of bad odor forever, a person will need to keep his/her kapha in the proper balance. In most instances, oral hygiene is spoken along with dental hygiene. Hence most treatments that are beneficial for the teeth are also beneficial for keeping mouth odors at bay.

In an indirect way, even the pitta dosha is responsible. When the agni (digestive fire) of the pitta dosha is vitiated, then the person would have an improper digestion. This would lead to bad breath emanating from the mouth.

When a person has bad breath, what is actually happening is that bacteria are living in the mouth, which are decomposing the residues of the food and releasing sulfur. The bad breath is a result of this liberation of sulfur. The regions in which the bacteria live could be in the interspaces between the teeth, in the cavities of the teeth or on the tongue. In extreme cases, there could be pus formation in the gums (scurvy like conditions due to deficiency of vitamin C). This could cause severe offensive odor and the person could well become a social outcast.

Let us check out the various methods available in Ayurveda to treat the problem of bad odor.

(1) Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Bad Breath

® Babul (Acacia arabica)

The babul is actually useful for the treatment of teeth cavities. Strong teeth means less cavities; and this will mean no bad breath. Simply chewing on the fresh bark of the babul tree will make the teeth stronger and arrest any bad breath that is emanating from them.

® Banyan (Ficus bengalensis)

If the aerial roots of the banyan are used to rub on the teeth (much as a toothbrush does), then the bacteria on the teeth would be killed. This would reduce the bad breath to a great extent.

® Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

Again, clove is actually used for dental treatment. Clove is perhaps the most commonly used herb in dental treatments; it is one of the chief ingredients of many toothpastes. But due to its pungent taste, it can also cure the kapha vitiation which will eventually fight the bad breath.

® Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

Chewing a few leaves of the holy basil will treat all kinds of mouth infections. Thus bad breath will become a thing of the past.

® Pepper (Piper nigrum)

Pepper is considered to be a very excellent agent in treating foul breath. A poultice of pepper is made with rock salt and rubbed on the teeth. When this is done on a daily basis, almost all kinds of oral and dental problems will be brought under control.

® Sandalwood (Santalum album)

Sandalwood is a very effective herb in the vitiation of the pitta dosha that can bring about improvement of the gum health.

(2) Dietary Treatments for Bad Breath

® The first important thing with halitosis is to check is whether the digestion is going on properly or not. Reduce the consumption of all foods that are difficult to digest. Include more fruits and green leafy vegetables in the diet as they can aid digestion.

® Flavor your food with spices such as cardamom and clove. These will help to combat the bacteria developed in the oral cavity.

® Drink lots of water and citrus fruit juices during the day.

® Gargle your mouth after everything you eat. Vigorous gargling is required to remove the food particles accumulated in the interspaces of the teeth or their cavities. If gargling is not enough, brush and floss.

® Do not leave residues of chocolates and sugary foods in the mouth. Wash the mouth immediately after eating such things.

(3) Ayurvedic Treatments for Bad Breath

Tablets of Khadiradi, Eladi and Lavangadi can be chewed about three to four times a day. This refreshes the mouth repeatedly and also has an astringent effect on the bacteria in the mouth.

(4) Home Medications

® The teeth and gums must be massaged with a mixture of honey and fine charcoal powder once a day.

® Keep the peel of a single pomegranate in the shade and let it dry completely. Do not keep it in direct sunlight or it will dry out the vitamins. Grind the dried peel to a fine powder. Put three grams of the powder in a glass of water and boil it. Gargle with this water. Repeat this for about a month.

® Dried coriander when chewed reduces the foul odor from the mouth. This is a good method to reduce the bad breath due to garlic and onion.

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