A breath mint is another coffee breath killer, but it will only work in the short-term. Consider it a hold-over until you can round up your toothbrush and paste. Can't get to a mint or the bathroom sink? In a pinch, you can fill your mouth with water and give it a good swish.

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Jenny Craig spokeswoman Valerie Bertinelli has been in the news a lot lately, announcing her 40-pound weight loss and high-fiving talk show hosts about her new lease on life. Bertinelli's ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen, is making news too. His story is not as bright and cheery as hers.

The band Van Halen has reportedly postponed four concerts while guitarist Eddie Van Halen undergoes medical treatment.

"The Van Halen concerts in Dallas, Cincinnati, Raleigh, and Baltimore have been postponed," reads a new message on the band's Web site. "According to Eddie Van Halen's physician, he is undergoing a battery of comprehensive medical tests to determine a defined diagnosis and recommended medical procedures."

In 2002, Eddie Van Halen announced he was cancer-free after a two-year battle with tongue cancer.

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I once had a friend whose worst nightmare was the thought that she'd have terrible breath and everyone would know but her. It's an understandable fear because nothing halts a conversation faster than foul breath. Have you ever chatted with (or worse, kissed) someone and caught an overwhelming whiff of garlic or tuna that never really went away? How long did that conversation (or kiss) last? Not long, I'm guessing.

If you're worried about your occasional bad breath -- and keep in mind that chronic halitosis can be a sign of a serious condition and should be addressed with a doctor or dentist -- then check out this article that rates common odor-fighters on their ability to tame bad breath.

Testers tried out five tools for controlling breath odor including mist, mouthwash, toothpastes and even a tongue scraper and rated how fresh the products made them feel. It seems that they all worked but some better and for longer than others. Do you have any tried and true methods for dealing with bad breath?

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As far as minor inflictions of the body go, I find few things more annoying that canker sores (itchy mosquito bites are probably the only thing that I find as irritating). The painful sores make eating less enjoyable -- it's hard to get excited about a tasty meal when every mouthful brushes against the spot and sends a minor jolt through your face, and make brushing teeth a chore.

According to this, the good news is that cankers are not caused by a virus or bacterial infection but result from an injury to a part of the mouth (in my case, too much sour candies or a bite to the tongue tend to be the culprits). While painful, most cankers go away on their own within a few days. Cold sores are a slightly different story.

I've been lucky enough so far to not catch the herpes simplex virus 1 that causes the nasty lesions (according to the piece cold sores can also be contracted via oral sex from the herpes simples virus 2. Yikes!) but I've heard others complain about what a pain they are. Like cankers, these sores, which consist of a group of small blisters that eventually burst, will go away on their own after approximately 2 weeks.

They certainly don't sound like fun, so to learn more about prevention and treatment read more about cold sores here. And keep in mind, that any unidentifiable sore in your mouth could be the sign of something more serious so if you've got something in there that seems funny and doesn't go away on its own, make sure to see your doctor about it.

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Is your breath reaching people before your words? Has a dear friend or family member politely leaned into you to tell you that you have bad breath? The first thing you do is cup your hand to your mouth and blow in it to check your breath. Instead keep a pack of gum in your pocket or purse and pop it into your mouth. Chewing gum after a meal, when you can't brush your teeth, will freshen your breath and the chewing action of the gum mixed with your saliva will clean your teeth.

Two other helpful hints to keep bad breath at large is to lightly brush your tongue after you are finished cleaning your teeth. Your tongue holds a ton of bacteria that can get rather smelly. Drink your daily requirement of water. Water is a cure for practically everything including bad breath. By keeping yourself well hydrated, your bad breath will surely reduce.

In some cases bad breath may be the sign of a local infection in the respiratory tract, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailment. If your dentist determines that your mouth is healthy, you may be referred to your family doctor or a specialist to determine the cause of bad breath.

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