What kills bacteria in the mouth

The Helpful and the Harmful

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Do you know what’s in your mouth? It’s home to about 700 species of microbesMicroscopic germs like bacteria, fungus, and viruses.. These include germs like bacteria, fungus, and more.

“Everybody has these microbes in their mouth,” says Dr. Robert Palmer, an NIH expert on oral microbes.

Some microbes are helpful. Others can cause problems like tooth decay and gum disease. Troubles begin when microbes form a sticky, colorless film called plaque on your teeth.

Brushing and flossing help to keep your mouth clean. But after you brush and floss, germs grow again and more plaque forms. That’s why you need to clean your mouth regularly.

Community Growth

Different microbes grow in different places. Some stick to your teeth. Others prefer your tongue. Some lurk in the tiny pockets between tooth and gum. Once they’ve found their homes, they form diverse communities with the other germs.

Mouth microbes work together to protect themselves with a slimy, sticky material called a matrix. The matrix in plaque makes it harder to remove it.

The communities within the matrix include both helpful and disease-causing microbes. The good microbes help keep the growth of bad microbes in check. Good microbes also help you digest food and can protect against harmful microbes in food.

Certain things you may be doing can help bad microbes grow better than the good ones. Sugary foods and drinks feed some microbes and help them increase in number and spread out.

Some of these sugar-loving microbes can turn sugar into matrix and acid. The acid destroys the surface of your teeth. The more sugar in your diet, the more fuel is available for these microbes to build up plaque and damage teeth.

“It’s more productive to think about the community than it is to think about the single microbe that causes disease,” Palmer explains.

You can’t stop tooth decay by getting rid of just one type of acid-making microbe. There are several different types of microbes in the plaque that make acid.

The good news is that limiting sweets and brushing and flossing regularly can help prevent bad microbes from growing out of control.

Helpful Neighbors

“Many bacteria in our mouths depend on help from other members of their community to survive and prosper,” says Dr. Floyd Dewhirst, a dental expert who studies microbes at the Forsyth Institute.

Because microbes grow in communities, it’s important to understand how both helpful and harmful microbes work. Dewhirst’s team is trying to identify all the different germs living in the mouth and what they do.

Before the team can study a microbe, they have to figure out how to grow it. The challenge is that some microbes don’t like to grow anywhere but in your mouth. About 30% of the 700 species haven’t been grown in the lab yet.

Dewhirst’s team is working on growing those microbes in the lab that no one has grown before. They’re using geneticHaving to do with genes, the stretches of DNA that instruct cells how to make proteins and perform other tasks. and other information to identify each one and learn more about them.

“The question is,” he says, “once you know who is there and have a quick way of identifying them, what are all of these bacteria doing?”

Dewhirst’s studies have shown that some microbes make certain substances that help their neighbors grow. His team is trying to identify what those substances are.

They also want to find out how these microbes may affect people’s health. Being able to grow microbes in the lab lets scientists run tests to figure out how they’re involved in health and disease. This information could one day help scientists come up with better ways of preventing and treating oral diseases.

Partners in Decay

An important health problem caused by mouth microbes is early childhood tooth decay. “In the U.S., about 23% of our children between the ages of 1 and 5 are affected by this disease,” says Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo, a dental researcher and oral health expert at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tooth decay can get worse very fast. The microbe matrix and acid from bacteria are thought to be the main cause of tooth decay in young kids.

Koo’s team has found that there’s also fungus in the plaque of kids with rampant tooth decay. The fungus partners with the matrix- and acid-making bacteria to worsen tooth decay.

“Bacteria by itself can cause tooth decay,” Koo explains. “But when fungus is there, it boosts up the entire machinery.”

Koo’s team has shown that some fungus can get energy from sugar that bacteria release while making acid. The fungus then releases substances that feed the bacteria’s growth. This helps the bacteria form an even tougher matrix and make more acid.

Busting Plaque

Koo’s team is looking for new ways to fight plaque buildup and tooth decay. They’ve developed tiny substances, called nanoparticles, that are small enough to get inside and destroy the matrix that protects microbes. The nanoparticles can also kill the acid-making bacteria without harming good bacteria in the mouth.

Koo’s team has shown that these tiny substances can reduce acid damage to the tooth surface. The researchers hope to test the approach in people in the future.

Nanoparticles are just one approach now being studied to prevent or treat mouth diseases.

Future technologies may help keep our mouths healthier. But there are many things you can do to keep bad mouth microbes in check now. See the Wise Choices box for some tips. You can’t have a healthy body without a healthy mouth.

Overview

Some people are convinced they have bad breath when their breath is completely neutral. Others have terrible breath and don’t know it. It can be hard to smell your own breath, let alone judge its odor.

Ask someone you trust to give you an honest opinion — sometime in the middle of the day, and not right after polishing off a tuna sandwich with extra onions.

If your suspicions are confirmed and your breath is problematic, don’t worry. There are many home remedies that can eliminate bad breath. Let’s take a closer look at some of them.

Bad breath typically originates in the mouth, where bacteria are ever present. When you eat, bits of food get caught in your teeth. Bacteria grow on these bits of food, releasing foul-smelling sulfur compounds.

The most common cause of bad breath is poor dental hygiene. If you don’t brush and floss often, the bacteria in your mouth continue to grow, and a thin film of bacteria known as plaque builds up on your teeth. When plaque isn’t brushed away at least twice per day, it produces a foul odor and leads to another smelly process, tooth decay.

All foods get stuck in your teeth, but certain foods like onions and garlic more commonly lead to bad breath. Digestion of these foods releases sulfur compounds into your bloodstream. When the blood reaches your lungs, it affects your breath.

Although more than 90 percent of bad breath cases originate in the mouth, occasionally the source of the problem comes from elsewhere in the body. It may be a result of acid reflux, which leads to the partial regurgitation of foul-tasting liquid. Other possible causes include infections, diabetes complications, and renal failure. Starting a new diet, such as the keto diet, may also bring about a certain breath odor.

According to research studies, poor dental hygiene is the most common cause of bad breath. Preventing plaque buildup is the key to maintaining a healthy mouth. You should brush your teeth using a fluoride toothpaste for two minutes at least twice per day (morning and night).

Some people find that brushing after every meal is necessary to prevent decay and bad breath. To prevent bacteria from growing on bits of food stuck in your teeth, floss at least once per day.

Bacteria can also accumulate on the tongue, causing a foul smell. A practice known as tongue scraping can help you remove this thin layer of film. Using your toothbrush or a specialized tongue scraper, brush or scrape your tongue at least once per day. Learn more about why you should be brushing your tongue.

Parsley

Parsley is a popular folk remedy for bad breath. Its fresh scent and high chlorophyll content suggest that it can have a deodorizing effect. Studies (not done on human breath, however) have shown that parsley can effectively combat foul sulfur compounds.

To use parsley for bad breath, chew on fresh leaves after each meal or buy a parsley dietary supplement here.

Pineapple juice

Many people believe that pineapple juice is the quickest and most effective treatment for bad breath. While there is no scientific evidence to back up this theory, anecdotal reports suggest that it works.

Drink a glass of organic pineapple juice after every meal, or chew on a pineapple slice for one to two minutes. It’s also important to remember to rinse your mouth of the sugars in fruit and fruit juice afterward.

Water

Research shows that mouth dryness often causes bad breath. Saliva plays a very important role in keeping your mouth clean. Without it, bacteria thrive.

Your mouth naturally dries out while you sleep, which is why breath is typically worse in the morning.

Prevent dry mouth by keeping your body hydrated. Drinking water (not caffeinated or sugary drinks) throughout the day will help encourage saliva production. Aim for at least eight glasses of water per day.

Yogurt

Yogurt contains healthy bacteria called lactobacillus. These healthy bacteria can help combat bad bacteria in various parts of your body, like your gut.

Research shows that yogurt may also help reduce bad breath. A study found after six weeks of eating yogurt, 80 percent of participants had a reduction in bad breath. Probiotics in yogurt are effective in reducing the severity of bad breath.

To use yogurt to fight bad breath, eat at least one serving per day of plain, nonfat yogurt.

Milk

Milk is a well-known cure for bad breath. Research shows that drinking milk after eating garlic can significantly improve “garlicky” breath.

To use this method, drink a glass of low- or full-fat milk during or after a meal containing strong-smelling foods like garlic and onions.

Fennel or anise seeds

Since ancient times, fennel and anise seeds have been used to freshen breath. In parts of India, roasted fennel seeds are still used as “mukhwas,” or mouth fresheners, to cleanse after-dinner breath. They taste sweet and contain aromatic essential oils that give the breath a fresh scent.

Fennel and anise seeds can be eaten plain, roasted, or coated with sugar.

Orange

Oranges not only make for a healthy dessert, but they also promote dental hygiene.

Many people have bad breath because they don’t produce enough saliva to wash away foul-smelling bacteria. Research shows that vitamin C helps increase saliva production, which can help eliminate bad breath. Oranges are rich in this vitamin.

Zinc

Zinc salts, an ingredient in certain mouthwashes and chewing gum, can counteract bad breath. Zinc works to decrease the number of sulfurous compounds in your breath. Research has shown that regular rinsing with a solution containing zinc can be effective in reducing bad breath for at least 6 months.

Try a zinc chewing gum designed for people with dry mouth. You can also find zinc dietary supplements at your local drug store or purchase them online here.

Green tea

Green tea is an effective home remedy for bad breath. Research shows that green tea has disinfectant and deodorizing properties that can temporarily freshen the breath. Mint has similar effects, so a cup of green mint tea may be an ideal breath freshener.

Brew two cups of tea before going to bed and refrigerate it overnight. Pour your cool tea into a water bottle and bring it to work. Slowly sip on it throughout the day. Purchase green mint tea here.

Apples

One study found that raw apples have a powerful effect against garlic breath. Certain natural compounds in apples neutralize the foul-smelling compounds in garlic. This is particularly useful for people whose garlic breath lingers, because it neutralizes the compounds in the bloodstream, rather than just deodorizing the mouth.

Homemade mouthwash with baking soda

Studies have shown that baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, can effectively kill bacteria in the mouth. Research indicates that toothpastes containing high concentrations of baking soda effectively reduce bad breath.

To make a baking soda mouthwash, add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to 1 cup of warm water. Swish the mouthwash around in your mouth for at least 30 seconds before spitting it out.

Homemade mouthwash with vinegar

Vinegar contains a natural acid called acetic acid. Bacteria don’t like to grow in acidic environments, so a vinegar mouthwash may reduce bacteria growth.

Add 2 tablespoons of white or apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water. Gargle for at least 30 seconds before spitting it out.

Most bad breath originates in the mouth and can be treated with improved dental hygiene.

In some cases, however, bad breath is a sign of a more serious condition such as diabetic ketoacidosis, kidney failure, or an infection.

If your bad breath isn’t improving with home treatment, consult your doctor or dentist.