PERSONAL HYGIENE

Many years ago while I was in primary school, I met a couple of friends with various characters; some were hilarious, introverts, mesoverts, and the likes. I fell into the group of the introverts – very quiet and would hardly talk; simply because I was always shy when I see girls come around.

One of our virtues then was quietness. Those of us who had it were respected by our teachers as good pupils of the class. Little did we know that in a way it was bad. One of my friends then who hardly talked, would always come to me for chatting, but I would decline because his uniform was most often dirty (sorry if you are offended)

When this friend opened his mouth, there would be an offensive odour. Hmm! For me not to create any scene, I would rather keep quiet and allow him to do the talking, until a point would reach when I could no longer bear the stench. The next I did was to leave. O my friend!

Getting to secondary school, I also met different kinds of people, one of whom is Demola – a chatterbox, who will always argue his way through any discussion. I expected him to be a Barrister (but he is not). As I grew older, I noticed that when I kept quiet over a long period of time, on opening it, I would perceive an offensive odour (laughs). Am I now like my friend? God help me!

I knew if continued with that, no descent girl would talk to me, so I became cautious of myself and would spend five to ten minutes brushing, so that when I smell or laugh, my white teeth would be conspicuous.

During my undergraduate days at school, I had several occasions to talk to some group of students, giving me an impression that I must always keep clean. I took up the challenge to always brush my teeth twice a day. Today I meet with people for mentorship, and must not look offensive before them.

Did you know that when you sleep your mouth which is shut does not allow for the replacement of warm air with cooler or fresh air? During this time, saliva is not made.

Saliva has enzymes which start the digestion process, of which it helps to pick up odours from the food we have eaten within several hours.

It may interest you to know that odours are strongest from carbohydrates and less from proteins; whereas in fatty foods, they are non-existent. The bacteria in the mouth usually react with the decaying food and drinks, which in effect can culminate in a foul odour.

Bad breath can be caused by a number of factors like diseases of the teeth, gum and mouth – basically bacteria. Garlic and onion can also cause bad breath – Halitosis.

Did you know that as senescence sets in, the tissues of the mouth produce less saliva, thus, resulting in dry mouth? Even snoring and mouth breathing while sleeping can make the mouth dry.

Personal hygiene is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and others from illness. Mouth washes and sprays will go a long way to giving us good breath. With any of these, you can talk to anybody without being afraid.