With Valentine’s Day a few days away, who knows what romantic possibilities may arise? This means there is definitely no time for bad breath.

But have no fear, there is finally an inexpensive and effective way to minimize bad breath. OraFresh has created the first ever tongue cleaner, which will hit the shelves just in time for the holiday.

“Tongue cleaners have been used for centuries in other parts of the world to reduce bad breath, remove plaque and wake up dull taste buds, but have just become more popular in this country,” said Dr. Dasan Potti, a specialist in the dental field and creator of the tongue cleaner.

Bad breath is invisible, yet extremely powerful, and can make even your best friends turn away. But how can you tell if you have bad breath?

A study in the Journal of Dental Research found that it is difficult to judge the freshness of your own breath.

The study also shows that, in most cases, bad breath originates in the mouth, not the stomach. It states that bad breath is caused by the tongue, which the study describes as a warm, moist, uneven surface where decaying food particles and bacteria can easily become lodged and give off foul compounds.

According to the research, the most effective way to rid of bad breath is to reduce these sulfur compounds by keeping your mouth impeccably clean. Regular tooth-brushing and flossing are important, but the most effective defense against bad breath is a daily tongue scraping to remove the bacteria and decaying food debris that nest in the tongue’s tiny crevices.

A University of Toronto study found that tongue-cleaning reduces sulfur gases and offensive odor by 75 percent, while brushing alone reduces them by only 25 percent.

“Many dentists recognize the importance of tongue-cleaning and instruct patients to brush their tongues,” Potti said. “A toothbrush tends to just move debris around on the tongue, not remove it, like the OraFresh tongue cleaner does.”

Potti described the tongue cleaner as an oral hygiene tool specifically designed to fit the shape of the tongue and remove the debris in a quick and comfortable manner.

He said the tongue cleaner is constructed with a slight ridge that fits comfortably into the groove at the rear of the tongue.

Other professionals agree with Potti on the effectiveness of tongue brushing.

“If more Americans tried it, they would be surprised at how much cleaner their mouths would be,” said Alan J. Drinnan, a professor of oral medicine at the School of Dentistry at the University of New York in Buffalo.

“For a nation whose people spend untold dollars each year on mouth rinse, breath mints and other products to freshen their mouth and breath, it seems absurd that one of the simplest and easiest methods to achieve this goal has been ignored.”

Tongue cleaning is quick and simple. The steps on the package say to firmly scrape the top surface of the tongue from back to front several times, twice daily, preferably after brushing your teeth.

What about mouth rinses? Unfortunately, quick fixes like breath mints, mouth washes and breath sprays don’t last. According to a study by Consumer Reports, breath mints, mouth washes, sprays and drops do not eliminate bad breath or the underlying bacteria.

They simply “mask” or cover up bad breath for only 10 minutes to an hour, a result that falls far short from tongue cleaning.

Tongue cleaners are available in the oral care section of drug stores, by mail and through some dentists. In Ames, the OraFresh tongue cleaner can be found at the local Wal-Mart.