Everyone has bad breath sometimes. Depending on the cause, getting rid of bad breath can be a relatively simple matter or it can be somewhat more complicated.
Of course you want to practice good daily oral hygiene to minimize plaque build up. Plaque is a nearly invisible bacteria film that, left unchecked, will contribute to bad breath. A professional cleaning to remove tartar (hardened plaque) build-up should be done typically twice a year for most people. For some the root cause of halitosis may be cavities and/or gum disease which is, of course, more serious.
In some occasions, bad breath may be due to something in the lungs or gastrointestinal tract or some kind of systemic infection. Also, certain health problems such as sinus infections and diabetes can cause halitosis.
Obviously an Italian pasta dish loaded with garlic is going to cause temporary bad breath as well!
So what all should one do to get rid of bad breath?
Brush and Floss
As already mentioned but worth repeating, practicing good daily oral care is the first step and that means brushing and flossing. You should brush two to three times a day and floss once a day, minimum. Why is this important? Your mouth contains many, many bacteria! Millions in fact! But not only that, there is a very wide variety of bacteria types in your mouth. It might surprise you to know that over 700 types of bacteria have been identified in the mouth but less than half of these have been well studied by scientists.
The food you eat is the food supply for bacteria! So you want to keep your mouth clean to minimize the food supply to bacteria. Flossing and brushing will remove food trapped between your teeth and food that is caught in your gum line. Left unchecked, this food is a breeding ground for bacteria with bad breath soon to follow.
Clean Your Tongue
There is some bacteria, in particular bacteria that is located on the top of the tongue closest to the throat, that helps fight bad breath. Other bacteria however have a very bad odour. The type of bacteria more prevalent on your tongue could be the difference between nice breath and bad breath.
Cleaning your tongue can help! The tongue has a rough surface and that surface provides an ideal home for dead cells, food debris, bacteria and bacterial by-products, all factors that contribute to nasty breath!
Brushing your tongue after you have brushed your teeth can help. The most effective tongue cleaning is done with a tongue cleaner though. A tongue cleaner is designed to scrape the surface of the tongue.
Drink Water
You've probably heard the term 'morning breath'? Why is your breath in the morning worse than other times? When you sleep you don't produce as much saliva as when you are awake. Saliva contains oxygen which deters the growth of bacteria.
Of course your mouth can become dry during the day too and hence 'morning breath' can persist well beyond the morning! The solution is to have plenty of saliva cleaning your mouth. Saliva is naturally anti-bacterial and it washes food particles away. So the key here is to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Of course your mouth can become dry during the day too and hence 'morning breath' can persist well beyond the morning! The solution is to have plenty of saliva cleaning your mouth. Saliva is naturally anti-bacterial and it washes food particles away. So the key here is to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Smelly Food Choices
Of course what you eat can have a great impact on your breath! Most people know that onions and garlic will result in foul smelling breath. Some other foods though that you might not suspect can also be the source of bad breath. Meat is a good example of that. The problem with meat is that meat particles often collect in the mouth, between the teeth, at the gum line and sometimes even under fillings or crowns. Meat is especially appealing to bacteria!
A very high protein diet where less than 100 grams of carbohydrates are eaten in a day can result in a condition called ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body starts to burn fat instead of sugar and one of the downsides to this that ketosis is well known for causing very bad breath.
Good Smell Foods
Some foods can make your breath smell good too. Fruits high in vitamin C such as melons, berries and oranges are good for your breath (and bad for bacteria). Crunchy fruits and vegetables are also good. This would include apples, carrots and celery which are all high in fiber (which helps to remove food stuck in the teeth and stimulates saliva production).
Smelly Drinks Too
Not only can your food choices affect your breath but so can your drink choices. We've already talked about how bacteria love sugar so you've probably already guessed that pop is not a good choice for your breath. But the other reason for pop being a bad choice is that it is acidic and any acidic drink (which would include coffee and alcoholic beverages) will release compounds into the bloodstream that in turn release odour in the breath. Acidic drinks lower the pH level in the mouth and bacteria likes lower pH levels.
One thing you can do to counteract this is to rinse your mouth after drinking a high acidic drink with plain water. This will help to rebalance the pH level in your mouth. This can be done after meals too (although brushing is recommended).
One thing you can do to counteract this is to rinse your mouth after drinking a high acidic drink with plain water. This will help to rebalance the pH level in your mouth. This can be done after meals too (although brushing is recommended).
Natural Remedies
Green tea has antibacterial compounds. Cinnamon has essential oils that fight bad breath. Mint, parsley, basil, cilantro and dill can provide some temporary relief because they have essential oils that are scented. As well they contain high levels of chlorophyll that provides longer term benefits for your breath. Chlorophyll which is a green pigment found in plants (used to convert energy from light via a process known as photosynthesis) has properties which inhibits odours. Chlorophyll neutralizes internal body odours, hence ingesting concentrated chlorophyll via tablets or sublingual drops (drops that are placed under the tongue and absorbed there).
Temporary Cures
You might be tempted to use a mint to mask bad breath but this is similar to splashing on some cologne after you've been out for a long sweaty jog! It might work for a short period of time but that's about it. Another thing to realize is that bacteria loves sugar. So if your mint contains sugar, you are only adding fuel to the fire so to speak.
You should also realize that the possible cause of bad breath is medical condition. Mouth odor is often associated with gum disease and tooth decay but also respiratory and sinus infections, bronchitis and diabetes as well as other issues such as kidney and liver problems.
You should also realize that the possible cause of bad breath is medical condition. Mouth odor is often associated with gum disease and tooth decay but also respiratory and sinus infections, bronchitis and diabetes as well as other issues such as kidney and liver problems.
Smoking
In addition to all of the other well known reasons not to smoke, bad breath is yet another one. Cigarette smoking releases a wide ranging chemical cocktail into the mouth resulting in smokers having a higher incidence of oral infections and disease. Smoking tends to dry out the mouth and as already discussed this leads to 'morning breath'. Smokers tend to get quicker plaque buildup on the teeth and that often leads to bad breath.
Professional Teeth Cleaning
Having a professional cleaning twice a year will help minimize bad breath. Your professional dental hygienist will remove plaque and tartar build-up that you will not be able to do with just brushing and flossing alone. If you haven't been to your dentist or hygienist within six months, book an appointment today!