Bad Breath Getting You Down?
Is your breath fresh? More than 80 million people suffer from chronic halitosis, or bad breath. In most cases, it originates from the gums or tongue.
Bad breath can be very embarrassing, but it’s a common condition that you can prevent. Follow these 9 tips to fight bad breath and keep your mouth healthy.
Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day
Brush your teeth for two to three minutes at least twice a day to remove plaque and food debris. The most important times are in the morning around breakfast, and always brush your teeth before going to bed.
Floss Daily
Flossing will remove food debris from between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach. If the food debris isn’t removed, bacteria will begin to feed on it, causing bad breath.
Brush or Scrape Your Tongue
Bacteria can build up on your tongue and contribute to bad breath, so don’t neglect cleaning it. You need to clean the whole surface, not just the tip, to remove any buildup between the taste buds and folds in the tongue. A great tool for this is an inexpensive plastic tongue scraper, which is available in drugstores. You can also use your toothbrush to brush your tongue.
Use a Mouth Rinse
If you have a dental problem causing chronic bad breath, using a mouth rinse will only mask the odor. In some cases, this may actually worsen the problem by irritating oral tissue.
Instead, try a quick rinse with a mix of water and a few drops of peppermint oil. Or rinse your mouth with black or green tea. Two research studies showed that rinsing with tea can suppress the growth of bacteria that cause mouth odor.
Visit Your Dentist
If you’re not sure if you have chronic bad breath, you can visit your dentist to evaluate the problem and see how severe it is. They can also refer you to your physician or a specialist if the problem may be caused by an internal infection.
Quit Smoking and Avoid Tobacco Products
If you ever needed another reason to quit, here’s an easy one: smoking contributes to bad breath. Tobacco tends to dry out your mouth and can leave an unpleasant smell that lingers even after brushing your teeth.
Wet Your Whistle
Dry mouth contributes to bad breath, so be sure to drink a sufficient amount of water (six to eight 8-ounce glasses) daily. Drinking water will help keep odor under control because it helps wash away food particles and bacteria, the primary cause of bad breath.
If you have chronic dry mouth or take medications that cause you to have dry mouth, talk to your dentist about recommending an over-the-counter saliva substitute.
Eat a Piece of Sugarless Candy or Chew Sugarless Gum
You can suck on a piece of sugarless candy or chew sugarless gum to help stimulate saliva flow. Your saliva will help to wash away food debris and bacteria that cause bad breath.
Munch on Crispy Fruits and Veggies
Between meals, you can snack on carrots, celery sticks and apples to increase saliva flow and wash away bacteria. These snacks can also help alleviate bad breath caused by hunger or fasting. An empty stomach from skipping meals can cause foul breath as acids in your stomach build up.
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