No one likes to think about having bad breath. After all, how embarrassing to be in a great conversation with someone, only to realize your breath smells like the garlic bread you had with lunch! And yet, it’s something nearly everyone deals with at one time or another. Fortunately, there is help for people who suffer from bad breath! To better understand bad breath cures, it’s important to first understand bad breath causes. Once you get to the source of your halitosis, it’s much easier to get rid of it.
Most bad breath originates from the mouth, whether it be the teeth and gums or the tongue. However, within these two sources, there are a lot of things that can contribute to bad breath.
One of the common sources, for example, is your mouth being dry. This is why many people have worse bad breath in the morning than throughout the rest of the day. At night your mouth is dry and inactive, so when you wake up, you have “morning breath.”
Poor dental hygiene is another one of those common bad breath causes. If you’re not brushing your teeth properly, plaque can build up on your teeth, and lead to bad breath.
Some other bad breath causes include eating certain foods (garlic, cheese, onion, etc.), smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, and even stress. All these things can contribute to bad breath.
Bad Breath Microbe
Image by nickstone333
Bad Breath
Your tongue is another bad breath culprit. The back of the tongue is where lots of naturally-occurring bacteria are found. Since this part of the tongue is usually dry and not cleaned as well as it should be, leading to bad breath. This is why it’s so important to clean your tongue properly every time you brush your teeth.
A mouth or respiratory tract infection can give you bad breath, too. In these situations, bad breath is a symptom of a bigger problem.
So now that you know you have bad breath, and you know what some of the causes are, how can you get rid of it?
The first step is to recognize bad breath as a problem. If you just ignore it, your bad breath won’t go away. In fact, if it’s a symptom of another problem, you could make it worse by not dealing with it. Don’t pretend you don’t have bad breath. Instead, accept it so you can move on and get rid of it. You’ll be healthier, happier, and the people around you will appreciate it, too!
The most basic of bad breath cures is proper oral hygiene. Make sure you’re brushing your teeth properly and regularly. Make sure you’re cleaning your tongue properly. Go to the dentist regularly to make sure you don’t have gum disease or any mouth infections that can contribute to bad breath. In short, take care of your mouth! This includes flossing. Brushing alone isn’t enough. Your toothbrush can miss bits of food and bacteria between the teeth that can contribute to bad breath. Now that people know how important it is to keep your tongue clean, there are tools and products available that will help you reach the back of your tongue to keep it clean.
Drinking lots of water can also go a long way to helping bad breath. Since bad breath can be caused by oral dryness, keeping your mouth hydrated will help combat that. In addition, drinking lots of water will help loosen bits of food in your teeth, making your brushing and flossing much more effective.
If you know bad breath is a problem for you, you should watch what you eat. You may need to avoid certain foods that lead to bad breath, such as garlic, onion, fish, and cheese.
Gargling with mouthwash before bedtime can help fight halitosis. Mouthwashes have ingredients that help fight the bacteria that causes bad breath, and often helps keep your mouth hydrated, which will lessen your chances of having bad breath from a dry mouth.
Chewing gum can also help. Not only can you get a great mint flavor and scent that makes your breath fresh, but chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva. This keeps your mouth from getting dry, and your saliva has antibacterial properties that will help fight bad breath. However, you may want to look for sugar free gum since sugar can counter productive.
As you can see, anyone who suffers from bad breath doesn’t have to live with it. Even though there are lots of bad breath causes, there are also lots of bad breath cures, and you can find something that works for you to keep your breath fresh all day long. No one should have to worry about having a great conversation, and no one has to!
