Bad Breath Bad Taste

Bad breath is common, extremely unpleasant, and sometimes a real social handicap. It has various causes that can be dealt with immediately:

• Lack of hygiene in the mouth, especially the teeth, with multiple caries and tartar deposits
• Gums in poor condition, trapped food particles
• Chronic nose or sinus infection
• Airway problems mainly associated with smoking tobacco
• Digestion: the breath is tainted by food - garlic, onion, alcohol; dyspepsia (poor digestion); constipation; some slimming diets
• Occasionally, organic disease such as chronic gastritis, intestinal disorders, diabetes, pulmonary or renal infection

A bad taste in the mouth may have the same causes, but there may also be some psychological reason, or simply an occasional or habitual hangover.

Some plain advice

The following are necessary, but not always enough:

• Be meticulous about oral hygiene: use mouthwash regularly, but be careful because excessive use can lead to fungal infection.
• Use toothpicks after meals to dislodge food particles stuck between the teeth
• Be careful about what you eat, drink, and smoke
• Ask your dentist or your doctor to look for any infection

Homeopathy

Mercurius solubilis, Nux vomica

- Four granules of each of these remedies at 5c to be sucked like sweets, three to four times a day between meals

Mercurius solubilis

- Mineral origin: mercury, quicksilver
- Homeopathic remedy for bad breath

Nux vomica

- Vegetable origin the fruit of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree
- Homeopathic remedy for a coated tongue due to excess

• You can use Nux vomica-Homac­cord@ (Heel), which contains Nux vomica, Lycopodium, Bryonia and Colocynthis in various potencies...
  - Available in drop bottles of 30 and 100ml
  - In general, ten drops three times daily

Oligotherapy

Zinc

Trace elements are normally supplied by the diet, which should be varied and of good quality. When there is a deficiency, zinc can be given as a supplement.

Dietary sources of zinc

Zinc is widespread in seafood, oysters++ other shellfish, and fish. However it is also found in meat, egg yolk, cereals, wholemeal bread, brewer's yeast, nuts, some vegetables (broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and haricot beans).

• Zinc preparations: there are various forms and brands, such as Organic Minerals (Colloidals) which contains 70+ trace minerals:
  - Available in 946ml bottles
  - Take 1-3 caps just before breakfast and/or evening meal
  - Children 1 teaspoon daily for each 20lbs of body weight

Or Maximol (Ionized colloidals):

- Available in 500ml bottles
- Take 1/2 capful once or twice daily on an empty stomach

Or Lamberts@ Zinc plus Lozenges containing zinc (as citrate) 2 mg, vitamin C 100mg and bee propolis 5mg:
- Available in packs of 100 lozenges
- Adults can take up to 7 lozenges per day, children 3 lozenges per day

Herbal treatment

Echinacea, myrrh, marigold

Possible Prescription: Ask your herbalist to prepare a 30ml bottle of a mother tincture of one of these plants. Use a few drops diluted in water as a mouth­wash three or four times a day.

Echinacea

The coneflower is a plant native to North America. It has antiviral and stimulant properties well known to the Native Indian tribes. It can be used at the start of an infection to make it less serious and shorten its course, but is equally effective in preventing recurrent winter ailments.

Myrrh

Myrrh is a thick yellow resin obtained from the balsam tree, a spiny plant that grows in hot countries. It is used throughout the Orient to treat infections of the mouth, throat and digestive tract.

Marigold

Thought of as 'a great plant for little skin problems', marigold is actually antiseptic, and heals and cleans.

• Chewing fresh mint leaves, or using infusions based on thyme, mint, or fennel seed can be helpful

Fennel

Fennel is an aromatic plant native to the Mediterranean basin. Its seeds help with digestion, alleviate some pains, reduce gas... and clear the breath. These properties explain its inclusion in various commercial infusions.

• Chew a coffee bean to sweeten the breath. or chew liquorice sticks (not the sweets) which cleans the teeth at the same time.