Bad breath? Here’s how probiotics benefit you!

Culprits behind bad breath

Battling with bad breath can be an embarrassing topic to discuss. Around 25% of people worldwide have chronic bad breath. Bad breath or halitosis is usually caused due to odour producing bacteria found on the tongue and below the gums. However, health conditions and poor hygiene habits can also cause bad breath. Bad breath usually smells like rotten eggs. Brushing and flossing can be helpful, though only for short period of time, since these bacteria quickly reappear.

Did you know that probiotics could ever come to your rescue?

Oral probiotics comes to your rescue

Your mouth is the place that is filled with (around 1000 species or types) bacteria, both good and bad, albeit different than your gut. The overall idea of using oral probiotics for bad breath is to encourage the growth of good bacteria in mouth. Now comes the astonishing part; colonizing mouth with good bacteria is an effective way to get rid of offensive breath.

Oral probiotic supplements (containing Streptococcus salivarius strain K12 and M18) can reduce bacterial growth and thereby your bad breath. Probiotics fight the problem of bad breath by competing with the bad bacteria for nutrients (without harming the gums or tongue or the other oral cavity organs) and creating a healthy environment in the mouth.

When we talk about probiotics, we only think of yogurt. But it must be understood that dental probiotics are completely different from probiotics for digestive health. Streptococcus salivarius strains K12 and M18 (hyperlink to the study – Ref 3) have been specifically found to be beneficial when it comes to health of the oral cavity.

Other probiotic benefits:

You might be surprised to know that probiotics for oral health have multiple benefits beyond simply treating offensive breath. They are found to be effective in improving oral hygiene conditions and may be helpful as alternatives to antibiotics in conditions like:

• Swelling of gums (gingivitis)
• Sore throat (Pharyngitis)
• Oral thrush
• Dental decay

 Bottom line

If bad breath is bothering you for long, visiting your dentist and finding out the cause will definitely help you resolve the problem for good!

“Treat bad breath with the help of good bacteria in your mouth”