It's National Bad Breath Awareness Month!

This is one exciting February. Not only is it a Leap Year, which means we get an extra day, but it's also officially National Bad Breath Awareness Month! The time has come to acknowledge that we all have halitosis, and to do something about it.

Why does oral odor get its own month-long observance? Maybe it's because everyone suffers from it at some point. Perhaps its due to the link between bad breath and dental problems like tooth decay and gingivitis. Maybe we're just fed up with getting a whiff of noxious breath every day on the bus or at work.

Regardless of the reason why you observe it, this National Bad Breath Awareness Month is the perfect time to learn what gives you oral odor and what you can do to eliminate it.

The culprit is one that's hard to see but easy to smell: bacteria. Your mouth is the permanent home of hundreds of different species of microbes. In all, you have about 6 billion bacteria squirming around on your palate. Some of these critters are harmless. Others are essentially little factories that eat up your tooth enamel and pump out bad breath odors.

Fortunately, these microbes have a kryptonite: moisture. While alcohol-based mouthwashes and synthetic toothpastes won't do a thing (except parch and irritate your mouth), specialty breath freshening products can wet your palate, neutralize odors and rinse away microbes all at once.

So while it's still National Bad Breath Awareness Month, look around online for some all-natural, oxygenating products that'll freshen your breath every day of the year - including Leap Day!