The importance of fresh breath
Author: Sarah Pearce The importance of fresh breath
First impressions can be everything. Don't we hear these very words from the day we're born? This is why many of us struggle on a daily basis with the tedious self-care routines that keep us looking up to par. While our skin, hair and teeth are important when interacting with others, a major factor is our breath. Have you taken a gander at the plethora of breath aids these days? Check out the candy isle at the local grocery or drug store. You'd think that everyone had halitosis. Well, with so many breath fresheners at our disposal, we should have no problem keeping that fresh mouth. One of the newer and more popular breath control products on the market is the breath strip. Many companies are thriving on these babies because of their convenience.
Gum is a breath aid that's been around forever. Now days, sugar free is all the rage. We want to preserve our pearly whites while keeping the breath clean. Mints are another common breath deodorizer that offer less hassle if you need something that's not going to stick around. I never thought I'd say it, but the world actually needed something more convenient, hence the breath strip.
We now have a variety of breath strips that quickly dissolve in our mouths for instant fresh breath. Companies such as Listerine, Altoids, and others, offer these powerful little innovations. If you've never seen them, they basically resemble a small piece of blue or green tape. You set them on your tongue and they melt, releasing some powerful flavor. The first time I tried one, I winced at the extreme mint. There are also little beads you can buy. They are basically the same thing as the breath strip, but in a smaller form.
In the tight-knit world we live in, it's good to have some reassurance when interacting so close to one another. No one likes to step up to someone who suffers from a bad case of "death breath." This is an utter gut-wrenching turn off. Imagine you meet a girl in a bar or restaurant, and she flinches at your foul breath. Wow, that's embarrassing. Instead of risking it, why not try a Listerine breath strip, or maybe an Altoid to ensure success. As much as we chug lattes and eat garlic pasta these days, we should always be prepared. With the deluge of breath fresheners on the market today, we have no excuse not to be. If you're feeling unsure about that lunch you just ate, grab a breath strip and toss it in just to be safe.
There are so many products available to help us maintain good oral hygiene but these products do not necessarily insure that we will have good breath as well. Brushing, flossing and using a good mouthwash all help to keep our mouths clean, but sometimes we need a little more to keep our mouths fresh. Currently, my favorite breath freshener is the breath strip.
I discovered that brushing, flossing and rinsing are not enough to have fresh breath all day long when I was in college. I came home after two consecutive semesters at college. My mother had not seen me for months and the very first thing she said was, "Your breath is atrocious! Are you dieting again?" She did say this in a way that only a mother who desperately missed her daughter would.
This comment made me very distraught mostly because I had just seen my romantic interest at the time before leaving. Although I had brushed, flossed and rinsed, I could have used a good breath strip to freshen up before saying goodbye. I still think that my coffee, cigarette and dieting habits contributed to my breath problem and to the ultimate demise of my college love life. Perhaps a good breath strip could have saved the relationship.
After discovering that I had what is technically known as bad breath, I went on a breath-freshening rampage. I constantly chewed gum. I kept mints on hand at all times and I went through gallons of breath spray each year. However, I find the breath strip to be superior to the other products for a few reasons.
Gum loses its flavor relatively quickly and gum is not appropriate during all occasions. You can't gnaw on gum during a dinner date but you can quickly freshen up your mouth with a breath strip in almost no time at all. Gum is also a potential enemy for dieters. Gum can actually cause bloating because you swallow air as you chew. I learned this the hard way, too. Air in the stomach is not an issue with breath strips.
Mints are not much better than gum and they have calories, too. Mints take awhile to dissolve and sometimes the aftertaste is worse than the initial bad breath. I had a hard time with breath sprays as well. First of all, there is a stigma about using a breath spray in public that is downright cheesy. You also have to have good aim. A breath strip is discreet and socially acceptable and will be my mouth freshening choice from now on.
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