Mexican food chains spread, bad breath comes along for the ride

A paper released by RNCOS Industry Research Solutions indicates that the Mexican food industry has grown - and, presumably, that thousands of satisfied Americans leave such restaurants with bad breath.

Mexican food is popular all over the U.S. The industry report, which is titled U.S. Fast Food Market Outlook 2010, indicates that even with the sluggish economy, sales of Mexican cuisine increased by 11 percent.

Many dishes served in establishments of that type contain cheese, beans, onions, peppers and various types of meat. Each of these ingredients can cause oral odor all by itself, but together they make a potent halitosis-causing combination.

After consuming Mexican food, it can help to brush, floss and rinse with a specialty breath freshening mouthwash. That way, the food particles that give off odors are cleansed away, and the microbes that feast on such food are neutralized, along with their odors.

If someone you know eats Mexican food without cleaning their teeth and palate shortly after, it may be in your and everyone else's best interest to slyly bring up the advantages of after-dinner mints, probiotic rinses or specialty gums.