Bad Breath

`Grossology' If you find the gross to be simply engrossing, there's no question you'll be delightfully grossed-out by the new exhibit Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body, running Saturday through April 29 at the Maryland Science Center. With 18 interactive displays and games on runny noses, bad breath, body odors, renal functions, pimples, warts, scabs, the digestive system and other "gross" functions and parts, the exhibit is educational and fun for visitors of all ages.

I read that cinnamon is good against plaque. Can you tell me how to take it? Research funded by the Wrigley Company has found that chewing cinnamon gum can kill bacteria in the mouth that cause bad breath. There is no indication, however, that these bacteria are also involved in the tooth plaque that causes tooth decay. Gum that contains the natural sugar substitute xylitol (Aquafresh Dental Gum, Carefree Koolerz, Spry, Stimorol, etc.) can reduce mouth bacteria that cause plaque and cavities.

Do you ever feel you are running uphill with lead overshoes? pTC No matter how hard you try, it's difficult to make much progress.Some people find themselves locked in a vicious cycle like hamsters in a treadmill. They get put on a medicine that causes side effects. Other drugs are added to combat the complications from the first medication. Eventually they find themselves taking a handful of pills that may all have negative consequences.We recently received a poignant letter from a mother whose daughter is trapped in an ongoing battle with depression:"My daughter is 39 years old, with a history of ovarian cysts.

Question: My dog's teeth are looking a bit yellow. Should I brush them myself or get them cleaned? Answer: Good dental health is important to animals just like it is for people. Dogs build up tartar and plaque as they age, which can lead to chronic dental disease. A diet of soft food can contribute to this process. Dental disease can have long-lasting effects such as bad breath, chronic infection, and tooth decay, and can even contribute to more serious health issues, including heart disease.

Have you ever been embarrassed in a pharmacy? The local neighborhood drugstore may seem accessible and friendly, but it can be a minefield for sensitive souls.Once, young men wishing to buy condoms had to pluck up their courage and ask the pharmacist because such products were kept behind the counter. Nowadays a wide variety of condoms is displayed on racks where anyone can reach them without embarrassment.People are still easily mortified when they must purchase personal products or encounter insensitive clerks.

Recently I started talking to my wife while covering my mouth with my old Rawlings glove, a practice she finds disturbing. "The neighbors might be lip-reading," I said. "Who knows what they'll pick up?" "You're watching too much baseball," she said. "Dial it back a little." She might have a point. Watch a major league game now and every pitcher-catcher conference on the mound involves both players talking with their gloves in front of their faces. The first time I saw this, I thought: What, someone had onions for lunch?

Good news for smokers, ear poppers and those worried about blowing bad breath on fellow airline passengers: Baltimore-Washington International Airport is easing its restrictions on chewing gum sales.For 15 years, you couldn't buy the stuff there. Officials don't like the way it -- well, gums up the carpet."Sometimes you can't get it out," said janitor Donald Pressley, who does the best he can with a freeze-type spray and a spatula.Complaints from smokers faced with smoking restrictions have prompted BWI to relent.

If you have an e-mail account, you may have chuckled over one of these ditties.Call them Web witticisms if you will, because there's really no name for them. They're amusing little electronic tidbits that ricochet all over the Internet as recipients guffaw and e-mail them on to their pals.Where do they come from? Who knows? Where did the first "knock-knock" joke come from?So in case you've missed them, or if you're not yet part of the computer revolution, here are some especially strange ones:You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

American children, already the fattest generation ever, should undergo "lifestyle training" to help them avoid heart disease later in life, the American Heart Association says. In recently published guidelines for doctors and parents, the association recommended specific ways to improve kids' nutrition, activity levels and overall health. Obesity rates among U.S. children have doubled during the last two decades, putting the current generation of kids at risk for developing heart disease at an earlier age than their parents' generation.

Turning a new page in teen magazinesCosmogirl, a new teen magazine from the people who bring you Cosmopolitan, has just launched its introductory issue. To see how it compared to its teen-targeting counterparts, we turned to the expertise of two Baltimore-area teens.Jenny Bowman, 13, of Towson, says Cosmogirl beats out many of its compet-itors. "It has stuff a lot of other teen magazines don't have," she says, "like the page where you can find out your own personal style." This Internet-savvy teen also discovered the magazine's Web site (www.