She told you your breath smelled sweet and kissed you on the forehead.

What? You don’t remember?

Don’t feel bad. It was your mother and you were about one month old. After that, when it comes to how our breath smells?

It’s all downhill.

Unless you take steps.

As a session wrestler, you plan for almost everything from getting to your meeting on time, reminding yourself of your customers wants and needs along with displaying your customer service persona. There is one thing you may have overlooked.

How is your breath smelling?

There are temporary solutions of course from mints to breath spray but are there more long term solutions? What are the major causes of bad breath and how can we reduce or negate them? Well there is good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?

I like happy endings so why don’t we start with the bad news.

What causes major bad breath in the first place?

Here is an article that speaks to that from Articlecity.com.

There is nothing worse than being near someone that has bad breath. For a majority of people ( 85 to 90%) bad breath, or halitosis as it is also called, is produced from oral bacteria. That waft of the offensive smell is very off-putting. In most instances, the person with the offensive smell has no idea that they are suffering from this problem. But what are bad breath causes? This article outlines the five common causes of this annoying problem.

Here are the top five causes:

#1 – Food – What you eat will directly effect on your breath. Some foods can be worse than others and they all affect people in different ways. However the most common offending foods include garlic, onions and some spicy foods. Also a diet with a lot of protein.

There are many foods with high protein – meat, fish seafood, eggs and dairy foods are obvious examples. The bad breath is the waste products ( volatile sulfur compounds) that are produced by bacteria as they consume protein. Therefore the bacteria in our mouth are feeding on the protein we consume.

#2 – Dry Mouth – Also known as xerostomia is one of the main bad breath causes. This is caused in a few ways including the altering of the pH balance in the mouth and produces an environment that is much more conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Because there is less saliva the flushing and cleansing benefits of saliva is reduced – bacteria is more concentrated in the saliva especially in the accumulation of bacteria and cellular debris in the oral cavity. Also, when we sleep we don’t produce as much saliva. That is why you will often notice that you breath smell is worse in the morning. Common causes of xerostomia include ageing, insufficient fluid intake, using alcohol based mouth rinses, and numerous medications.

#3 – Smoking – The tar and nicotine gets stuck in your mouth if you are a smoker, especially on the tongue and teeth. It also relates to number 2 of this article – dry mouth that is also produced by smoking. Smoking also increases the temperature in the mouth, causing damage to the oral tissues in the mouth.

#4 – Teeth Diseases – Many teeth diseases including decay in the mouth can produce that bad smell, including periodontal disease (gum disease). This is a bacterial infraction that is located in the tissue that surrounds the teeth. Often the bacteria resides so deep in the tissue that a person cannot effectively cleanse them. These pockets are an idea place for the bacteria to live. However, you can make sure that you floss regularly and also brush your teeth, and if the problem continues then it is best to visit your dentist.

#5 – Sinus – This can also affect the quality of a person’s breath because the postnasal drip that is created by sinus conditions and allergies can deposit onto the bad portion of a person’s tongue. This discharge can have a bad smell and taste. As well, bacteria can feed on this discharge, thus adding to the bad breath problem.

The transition brushes in from davisanddingle.com.

Having established that there is a problem, do the following to get fresh breath;

1. Don’t slack off about brushing and flossing your teeth. Do so after every meal.
2. Clean your tongue as you clean your teeth. The top of the tongue is a place that bacteria love to lodge, especially at the back of the mouth.
3. What you eat also matters in you are trying to get rid of bad breath. Crisp, fresh foods naturally clean the teeth. This includes fruits and vegetables like apples, lettuce, carrots, pears and raw cucumber. Such foods also add antioxidants that boost health, including dental health.
4. Another way to use what Mother Nature provides to get rid of bad breath is to use herbs. Chewing raw parsley naturally cleans the palates and gets rid of odors. Cardamom is also effective in fighting bad breath when used to cook meals. Sipping on black and green tea as well as herbal tea like peppermint tea also works.
5. Eating a diet low in carbohydrates to lose or maintain weight can also result in bad breath. Such a diet makes the body release ketones. These are foul-smelling chemicals that are released from the body through the breath.
6. Chewing gum increases the flow of saliva in the mouth so bacteria are washed away. The key is to ensure that the gum is sugarless. Gum with sugar should be avoided because sugar ferments bacteria which will worsen the problem. Apart from sugarless gum, try and drastically cut down or completely avoid sugary foods and drinks and minimize the amount you add to your tea and coffee.
7. Dehydration also causes bad breath. Increase your intake of water. Keep sipping water all day rather than lug it down only after meals.
8. Using mouth washes also helps to get rid of bad breath. Just avoid the type with alcohol as they make the mouth dry and worsen the problem.
9. If all fails, get a complete physical check-up. Sometimes, there is an underlying cause like a sinus infection, diabetes, and reflux or liver problems.

Finally let’s look at some possible solutions.

Here is what cosmopolitan.com recommends.

1. Eat a low-carb diet balanced with fats and proteins.Fatty foods break down and create ketones, a byproduct of fat that sits in your stomach and ferments; the odor of ketones then come back up through your esophagus and can stick to your tongue. That’s why it’s important to add healthy carbs like broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, and fresh fruits into your diet, which balance out the fats and promote better breath.
2. Don’t forget your veggies.Not only will your mom be proud, greens promote a more alkaline environment, so the bad-breath-causing acid in your body balances out.
3. Snack on more apples or any other crunchy, healthy foods.The hard texture of apples, celery, carrots, etc., can remove food caught between your teeth and rub away bacteria that sit on them, creating that “sweater” feeling when you run your tongue over your teeth. Hard, crunchy foods act like a natural toothbrush.
4. Drink 48 ounces of water a day.H2O lubricates your mouth, keeping bacteria at bay, and also keeps your body functioning normally. Bottled sports drinks, sodas, and some bottled iced teas are preserved with citric acid, which not only contributes to bad breath but wears away the enamel on your teeth. Soda is even more acidic and can literally take paint off wall, so lower your intake of drinks of the sort and replace them will good, old water.
5. Drink more green juice and less coffee.Green juice contains low levels of acid, while coffee contains high amounts, which can lead to bad breath. And keeping your body at an alkaline level rather than an acidic level will make it function better overall.
6. Chew on fresh mint leaves or parsley.If you want to naturally freshen your breath, stash one of these herbs in a sandwich bag and take them to go. The mint will help freshen your breath and up your greens intake, and the parsley contains chlorophyll, Dr. Jablow says, which works against the creation of volatile sulphur compounds, aka the rotten egg smell (caused by hydrogen sulfide) and the barnyard smell (caused by methyl mercaptan).
7. Take probiotics.Probiotics give you the proper enzymes you need to break down foods sufficiently and decrease the chance of food fermenting in your stomach. They help you get all the nutrients out of your food as well. Dr. Glassman recommends taking one daily and suggests Advanced Naturals to her patients.
8. Brush and floss every single day. Sure, flossing is an extra step, but it’s an important one. Brushing your teeth helps eradicate the plaque and bacteria on your teeth, but flossing helps dislodge anything that your toothbrush couldn’t get to. If you don’t floss regularly, the food in between your teeth will feed the bacteria in your mouth, and the more nutrients you give the bacteria, the more the bacteria will give off stinky acids that cause bad breath.
9. Clean your tongue.Bacteria stick to your taste buds, and then release a waste byproduct that causes a gross stench. When you use a tongue scraper or brush your tongue, you remove any bacteria, byproducts from the bacteria, or plaque that form.
10. Rinse with alcohol-free mouthwash that contains a zinc compound.The goal is to always keep your mouth moist, because your saliva helps wash away odor- and cavity-causing bacteria. Alcohol dries your mouth out and leads to more bacteria and eventually bad breath. Dr. Glassman suggests opting for a mouthwash without alcohol or even creating your own at home using 1 tablespoon baking soda poured into 1 cup warm water with a few drops of essential peppermint oil. “The baking soda is antibacterial, there isn’t any alcohol it in, and it can help freshen your breath in a pinch if you run out of mouthwash,” she says.

“It’s also important to pick up an alcohol-free mouthwash with a zinc compound in it, since zinc kills the volatile sulphur compounds,” Dr. Jablow says. She recommends from her oral care product line Intelliwhite IntelliFresh Oral Rinse Fusion, which also contains peroxide that kills the bacteria that sits under the gum line.

11. Chew sugarless gum that contains xylitol. Chewing gum increases salivary flow and helps remove some bacteria and staining, but you want to make its sugar-free so you’re not feeding the bacteria in your mouth and contributing to bad breath. Opt for a brand that contains the sweetener xylitol, which is antibacterial. It helps fight cavities and bacteria while improving the health of your teeth and gums. Try SuperSmile Whitening Gum With Xylitol.
12. Pop a breath gel in your purse.If you have temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ) and can’t chew gum, use an on-the-go breath gel with xylitol to freshen you breath in a snap. Try IntelliWhite IntelliFresh Breath Gel — it contains xylitol, zinc chloride, eucalyptol, and vitamin C, which all promote healthy gum tissue on top of keeping your breath fresh. You can also opt for mints that contain the same ingredients for fresher breath. Try Spry Xylitol Mints.
13. Steer clear of cigarettes. Smoking not only dries out your mouth and body tissues, the nicotine actually squeezes the blood vessels so you’re not getting healthy saliva flow. This combo is what disrupts your mouth’s normal functioning process and leads to bad breath. To avoid this from happening, stop smoking or never start. Ever.
14. Apply flavored lipgloss. This isn’t going to turn your garlic breath into the most amazing-smelling breath ever, but it will help mask the odor until you get the chance to brush and floss your teeth.
15. Visit your dentist regularly. Especially if your bad breath isn’t going away and you’ve tried all of the above, since you could be dealing with something more serious.

Thank you all.

Those were some great suggestions. Let me cup my hand over your mouth, you breath and then I’ll smell it for you.

Ah (breathing in)….yes that’s much better.

While none of us will ever be one month old again perhaps we can try some time tested suggestions from experts (yes one of the above claimed to be an expert on bad breath, so I left his name out) on how to reduce or eliminate bad breath.

Your session will go better and your customers will breathe easier.

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Sources: brainyquote.com, Wikipedia, fciwomenswrestling.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com, FCI Elite Competitor, https://femcompetitor.com, WB270.com, photos thank you Wikimedia Commons.

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/advice/a34387/ways-to-make-your-breath-smell-good/

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_9325.shtml

http://www.davisanddingle.com/blog/bid/183365/How-to-Get-Rid-of-Bad-Breath-Permanently

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Russian_gas_mask_%D0%9F%D0%9C%D0%9A-2.jpg#/media/File:Russian_gas_mask_%D0%9F%D0%9C%D0%9A-2.jpg