DDHK. ORG - Bad breath is often experienced when running fasting worship. Certain conditions and habits can trigger bad breath when fasting.
Reporting from Republika, dentist Ary Agustanti said, not drinking enough mineral water is one of the triggers so that the mouth becomes dry and tends to be more acidic.
"That's why the fasting month is very important to maintain hydration. We drink enough at the time of sahur and breaking the fast," said the doctor who graduated from the University of Indonesia (UI) in Jakarta, Tuesday (21/3/2023).
Cleaning teeth that are not optimal can also trigger bad breath. This happens because plaque or coral, which comes from food scraps, accumulates and eventually develops into bacteria that cause bad breath.
Bad breath can be exacerbated if an infection is left unchecked, including cavities with leftover food left stuck in the gaps for a long time. Dry mouth conditions and the presence of tartar can facilitate the occurrence of gingivitis.
Teeth that have cavities can become increasingly cavities due to dry and acidic mouth conditions.
Dentist specialist in prosthodontics Drg Inge Paramitha said, smoking habits can also lead to bad breath conditions which are not caused by cigarette smoke which can cause the mouth to be dry and more acidic. In addition, cigarettes also contain nicotine and tar which can facilitate the formation of tartar.
"Actually, smoking is not only bad for health, but also bad for the mouth. Because the smoke that is inhaled, right, first, it's hot so the mouth cavity is dry. Second, because the content in cigarettes contains nicotine and tar which will make them stay on your teeth," said Inge.
All types of food, especially strong-smelling foods, have the potential to cause bad breath. However, said Inge, this can be prevented as long as a person keeps their teeth and mouth clean during fasting.
"The most important thing is actually not avoiding food but maintaining oral hygiene and consuming enough water," he said.
Therefore, a toothbrush that is done properly needs to be done so that food residue in the gaps of the teeth can be completely removed. The recommended time to brush your teeth during Ramadan is before going to bed and after eating sahur.
Inge reminded that the amount of toothpaste that is applied on the surface of the brush is only needed as much as "a grain of corn" so that the resulting foam is not too much.
After brushing your teeth, the remaining foam from the toothpaste can simply be removed or spit out. Then you should wait for 30 minutes and then allowed to rinse your mouth. This is done so that the active ingredients in the toothpaste can absorb into the teeth.
"The good thing is actually after we brush our teeth, we don't rinse our mouths too often. So the toothpaste doesn't disappear once," said Inge.
"Because toothpaste contains fluoride, xylitol, active ingredients which are actually good if they stay in the mouth on the teeth (first before rinsing)," said Inge. [DDHK News]
