Bad breath is something that everyone has. For most people, bad breath is a temporary condition that has no health dangers attached, just a slight embarrassment.
For some patients, their bad breath battle is a constant, on-going struggle. The long-term, constant bad breath is a condition called halitosis.
Patients who have or think they have halitosis should regularly see their dentist as the bad breath can be a symptom of a potentially dangerous underlying health issue.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Enough can't be said about the important health benefits of proper oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth twice a day, and daily flossing and use of mouthwash will get rid of the decaying food particles between teeth, germs in the mouth and plaque film covering teeth that all contribute to bad breath.
Proper dental care consists of brushing for two minutes, fluoride toothpaste and using an alcohol-free mouthwash. You need to be picky about your mouthwash as alcohol will dry the mouth out. Germs and bacteria grow faster in a dry mouth.
Watch Your Diet
Some foods such as garlic and onions are especially potent-smelling. Foods high in fat and those that are processed can also increase the stench of your breath.
A healthy diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and proteins are most effective at minimizing bad breath.
Certain herbs, such as fennel, have been used in multiple cultures for centuries as a cure for bad breath. Chewing on herbs, nuts, and seeds between large meals can lower the smell of your breath.
Drink Water
You've likely heard of the importance of staying adequately hydrated. Drinking plenty of water makes you feel better, think more clearly, help your body function properly and cleanse and detoxifies the body.
Drinking water also helps reduce bad breath.
Water doesn't have the calories, caffeine and cavity-causing sugars other beverages have, so it is encouraged that you drink as much as possible.
A dry mouth will smell significantly worse than one that is moist. Moisture is your mouth's main plaque and cavity-fighting defense mechanism.
Drinking water adds to the moisture of your mouth, which helps your mouth clean itself of odor-causing plaque, bacteria, and decaying food particles.
To limit the smell of your mouth, take a swig or two of water in between meals.
Clean Your Tongue
When one thinks of oral hygiene and cleanliness, the teeth and gums often come to mind. The cleaning of the tongue is often not stressed or practiced.
Surprisingly (or not) your tongue is covered with germs and decaying food particles. Your tongue is a part of the chewing process and is in constant contact with whatever enters the mouth.
Shockingly, many patients don't clean their tongues like they do their teeth and gums. Your tongue has just as much gunk on it then the teeth have.
If you notice bad breath even after you brush, floss and use mouthwash, consider cleaning your tongue.
Chew Gum
Besides water, chewing sugar-free gum can help keep your mouth moist by jump-starting saliva production. Saliva is your body's natural mouth cleaner. It rinses gunk out from on your teeth.
The chewing motion needed for gum also breaks up food particles stuck between teeth and loosens plaque on the tooth's surface.
Drink Tea
While tea has a negative stigma of staining teeth, it does wonder in freshening your breath. Green and black teas contain bacteria-fighting polyphenols.
Take Probiotics
Probiotics are good at regulating your digestive system by cutting down candida yeast. This same type of bacterial yeast grows and lives on the tongue. Consuming probiotics will cut down on the growth of candida yeast on your tongue, giving you fresher breath.
Eliminating and preventing bad breath doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Many of the remedies for bad breath are cheap and easy to implement into your daily life.