What Is the Role of Probiotics in Preventing Bad Breath?

Are you affected by lousy breath and relying on chewing gum or mouthwash to hide the awful smell? New research suggests probiotics, or harmless microorganisms in various fermented foods, can also help eliminate the offensive odour.

Researchers from China examined data collected from clinical trials explaining the impact of probiotics on bad breath. Two hundred seventy-eight people randomly received placebo pills of probiotics like Lactobacillus salivarius, Streptococcus salivarius, weissella cibaria, and Lactobacillus reuteri to determine whether harmless microorganisms helped reduce lousy breath.

Participants taking probiotics for two to 12 weeks had significantly lower sulfuric compounds associated with bad breath and less measurable mouth odour, indicating probiotics help improve halitosis.

Reasons for Developing Halitosis

The researchers quantifying bad breath measured volatile sulfuric compounds and other elements like a gaseous mix of sulphur bacteria produced after mingling with food and other particles in the mouth. They determined the compounds are the primary reasons for causing halitosis. The researchers also measured mouth odours from various distances looking for a white film coating the tongue, contributing to bad breath.

Participants taking probiotics had lower levels of breath odour and volatile sulfuric compound levels without significant changes in the film of tongue coating. It is estimated that the studies were small to detect subtle changes mentioned by the researchers.

In addition, the researchers used different methods to assess changes and used various probiotics, making it challenging to suggest a specific probiotic as beneficial for battling halitosis.

Probiotics Might Be a Remedy for Bad Breath

Studies published in 2020 revealed probiotics helped prevent bad breath, holes in teeth, and periodontal disease. The latest studies published earlier this year also mention probiotics are beneficial for reducing bad breath.

The research mentioned that fermented friends in foods help fight bad breath by slowing the breakup of amino acids and mouth proteins to limit smelly byproducts. However, if you are affected by halitosis, you do not have to take supplements to see similar benefits. You can find probiotics in tangy and fermented foods like yogurt, sourdough bread, miso or fermented soybean paste, besides many other beverages.

Curing Bad Breath

If you visit the dentist near you complaining of bad breath, they will recommend various steps to address your situation even after trying probiotics. If your bad breath is associated with inappropriate dental hygiene, the dentist will likely recommend trying the following:

• Trying Mouth Rinses: Mouthwashes and rinses help kill bacteria responsible for bad breath.
• Treating Periodontal Disease: Periodontal disease causes your gums to separate from your teeth, creating pockets comfortable for odour causing bacteria and food particles to accumulate. The dental clinic in Calgary recommends treating gum disease as a measure against bad breath.
• Brushing Teeth after Meals: the dental office in NW, Calgary, recommends using an antibacterial toothpaste to help eliminate lousy odour from the mouth including brushing the tongue for white-film removal.
• Flossing:flossing helps remove food particles trapped between your teeth to eliminate bad breath.
• Dietary Changes: Making nutritional changes like avoiding garlic, onion, and spicy foods leaving a lingering smell in your mouth is also helpful in addressing halitosis.

The probiotics research confirms that some fermented foods can help reduce lousy breath. Unfortunately, no single fermented food is identified as beneficial for improving mouth odour. Therefore even after trying probiotics and finding no relief, you might have to rely on time-tested methods recommended by dentists in your battle against halitosis.

If you visit drugstores and supermarkets, you will find shelves overflowing with mint, gum, and mouthwashes, claiming they can help you battle lousy breath. Unfortunately, most are temporary measures and not a permanent remedy against the condition. While you can place your trust in probiotics by having fermented foods, it helps if you seek a definitive cure for the situation by limiting the consumption of odour-causing foods and making lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and treating oral infections in the mouth also responsible for causing bad breath.

Although studies state that probiotics help prevent lousy breath, you may find determining which fermented foods are beneficial is challenging. Therefore you must rely on the nearby dentist because they are the experts in dental anatomy and can provide a suitable remedy for the condition affecting you after evaluating your dental health. In addition, bad breath can also result from several health conditions, and dentists can refer you to a medical professional or your healthcare provider to evaluate your general health.

If you are concerned with halitosis and the lousy odour from your mouth, it helps if you consider seeking treatment from SpringHill Dental to eliminate the problem. The dental practice can help you determine whether the condition emanates from dental health or other health conditions. They can also advise on the probiotics you can try to eliminate the awful odour from your mouth.