Dental visits are a low priority, surveys find

Ignoring your dental health can easily lead to halitosis, if not worse tooth-related trouble. A recent survey found that one third of British women have not visited the dentist in year or more, according to the UK Daily Mirror. While you might be tempted to use this information to make generalizations about women or British oral care, Americans are not much better when it comes to seeing the dentist and fighting bad breath.

A survey conducted by ShopRunner determined that American women would rather endure a host of unpleasant activities - including dental appointments - than wait in line while shopping for the holidays. Clearly, women do not always view visiting the dentist in a favorable light. Do they actually go, though, in place of holiday shopping or anything else?

Like Britons, almost a third of women in the U.S. avoid a teeth cleaning. For a survey conducted by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, nearly 30 percent of American women reported that they had not visited a dentist in the previous year. Men were even worse - approximately 35 percent had not gone to the dentist in that time.

What does this mean for your breath? As plaque, tartar and tooth decay build up in your mouth, your oral odor tends to increase. Much of this buildup cannot simply be brushed away but must be periodically scraped away by a dental professional.

Between dental appointments, one way to neutralize the odors associated with tooth decay is to rinse your mouth with a specialty breath freshening product. Those that moisten the palate and neutralize sulfuric compounds may eliminate halitosis caused by negligent oral hygiene.