CANTON, Ohio -- Bad breath does happen, but an Ohio dentist is trying to put an end to it.

Dr. Bob Ripich, a dentist from Canton, said he invented something that will make people's mouths a lot fresher.

Although many people don't know it, tongue cleaners have been around for years. Ripich said he believed in the concept, but didn't really like the design.

"I thought, 'I'll just make one,'" he said. "I didn't really know what I was getting into."

After months of planning, getting patents, testing and designing, Ripich designed the Tongue Sweeper.

SURVEY How often do you suffer from bad breath? A lot; I'm always battling it. Now and then. I don't really think about it. Results  |  Disclaimer

The tongue sweeper works by removing the bacteria on your tongue. Ripich said that bacteria contributes to tooth decay, heart disease, diabetes and, of course, bad breath.

"So by (using) this, you're (going to) help give yourself better general health."

According to Ripich's Web site, his product is superior to regular tongue scrapers because of the surgical-quality stainless steel and the advanced medical coatings that can be sterilized to be used over and over.

The Web site also said that the product is designed with a "non-gagging" shape to gently, and safely, lift harmful bacteria and debris from the surface of your tongue. Thus, the Tongue Sweeper does not scrape the tongue; instead, it acts like a squeegee.

Ripich encouraged other dentists he knew to introduce it to their patients to see if they liked the idea.

People who try it seem to like it. Richard Hayden, a plumber at the dentist's office, got a free one a few months ago and loves it.

"I'm a smoker and I noticed a big difference in my breath, for one thing, and I felt better," he said.

At first, Ripich had to give the Tongue Sweepers away, but now dentists are carrying them and some Ohio drug stores are carrying them, too.

Ripich said that in the five years the Tongue Sweepers have been on the market, he's sold about 100,000 of them. He said he's never really advertised, but as word of mouth spreads, he's selling even more.

Tongue Sweepers cost between $8 and $20. You can buy them online at TongueSweeper.com.

Other Tongue-Cleaning Products:

• Oralgiene
• Dr. Tung's
• The Tongue Cleaner
• Health and Yoga tongue cleaner