You know that moment when you’re talking to someone and, while you can hear him/her speaking, all you can focus on is the unpleasant stench wafting through the air?
Bad breath – aka halitosis – is a common oral hygiene condition in which one’s mouth emits an unpleasant odor. An estimated 80 million people suffer from chronic halitosis, which while not harmful, can cause embarrassment and self-consciousness.
Avoiding the stigma associated with chronic bad breath is a must in today’s society. That’s why it’s not surprising that U.S. sales of gum, mints and breath fresheners totaled $3.7 billion in 2012—making manufacturing breath-freshening products a very lucrative business.
With so many different types of breath fresheners on the market, how is the occasional halitosis sufferer supposed to choose the best product to ensure a minty clean mouth?
Delta Dental of Arizona conducted a high-level (not so high level), scientific (not very scientific), multi-person (okay, just me) experiment to help you find the best way to battle a foul-smelling mouth!
Products Tested
- Sugar-free spearmint gum
- Original mint mouthwash
- Spearmint mints
- Mint-flavored toothpaste
Results
- Mints – Strongly flavored mints freshened my breath in an instant but dissolved in my mouth after 20 minutes. Mints are best used as a short-term cover up in anticipation of a conversation after your morning coffee or mid-day snack.
- Sugar-free gum – Feel free to chew gum for as long as you like, but freshness only lasts about an hour and the flavoring wanes after 45 minutes. Sugar-free gum is best used to get rid of a bad taste or large food particles after eating.
- Mouthwash – I swished mint mouthwash for 30 seconds and had fresh breath for close to 2 hours. Mouthwash is a good choice for cleaning any particles of food left in the mouth after eating or if you want extended freshness in the afternoon.
- Mint-flavored toothpaste – I brushed my teeth with mint-flavored, fluoridated toothpaste for the recommended 2 minutes and the fresh taste lasted almost 4 hours. The toothpaste not only freshened my breath and cleaned my teeth, but also protected my teeth from the bacteria and decay that cause bad breath.
Conclusion
After conducting my not-so-scientific research, it is my recommendation that only a toothbrush and toothpaste will give you the absolute freshest breath. The other products give a brief period of freshness, but fade too quickly! While mouthwash, mints and gum each have their benefits, keep a twice-daily regimen of brushing and flossing if you want to nip the cause of your halitosis in the bud.
