5 Ways to Combat Bad Breath
While brushing and flossing at least twice a day is the first and most important step to preventing and curing bad breath, there are other tricks that help keep your mouth clean and odor-free, even when you don’t have a toothbrush handy. Follow these often-overlooked tips to keeping your breath fresh:
1. Brush your tongue.
When going through our daily brushing and flossing ritual, we may overlook the tongue—perhaps because our parents probably never said “brush your tongue!” It’s just as important, however, because our taste buds attract and hold on to plaque and bits of the foods we eat, each of which can emit odors.
2. Keep your mouth hydrated.
Ever wonder why breath is especially rancid in the morning or after coffee? Probably because your mouth is unusually dry and odor-causing bacteria flourish in a dry, warm spaces. A hydrated mouth means the water you drink and your own saliva wash away bacteria and prevent new odors from emerging. So, now you’ve got yet another reason to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Spritz a bit of lemon, which is a natural antibacterial, into your water to give each glass even more cleansing power.
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3. Help your mouth produce saliva.
Your saliva not only washes away odor-causing food particles and hydrates your mouth; it also contains powerful natural antibacterial properties and neutralizes acids, according to WebMD. Because the main contributor to bad breath is the buildup of plaque that contains live and dead bacteria on the gums, teeth, and tongue, producing saliva is essential to keeping your mouth clean and fresh. Certain foods, like a tart Granny Smith apple for instance, gets your natural juices working as you chew so that saliva washes away plaque, leaving you with a clean-feeling mouth and fresher breath. In addition, chewing on herbs such as spearmint and parsley will mask odor and get your mouth producing saliva, according to Discovery Health.
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4. Choose sugarless gum.
While gum should never replace brushing and flossing after meals, chewing it can help mask odors and a hydrate your mouth in a pinch. Be sure to always opt for sugarless gum, however, as sugar increases plaque—which is probably what is causing your bad breath in the first place.
5. Eat bad-breath-busting foods.
Just as some foods, such as garlic and onion, can cause bad breath, others can help eliminate it. According to Mayo Clinic, foods that are high in fiber help break down plaque in the mouth and thus help freshen the breath. Reach for celery, carrots, and other crunchy vegetables when your mouth needs a little cleaning and you need a healthy snack. A diet rich in vitamin C is also essential to preventing gum disease, which side effects include putrid breath. Citrus fruits and berries are good for your health and freshen your breath simultaneously, according to WebMD.
1. Brush your tongue.
When going through our daily brushing and flossing ritual, we may overlook the tongue—perhaps because our parents probably never said “brush your tongue!” It’s just as important, however, because our taste buds attract and hold on to plaque and bits of the foods we eat, each of which can emit odors.
2. Keep your mouth hydrated.
Ever wonder why breath is especially rancid in the morning or after coffee? Probably because your mouth is unusually dry and odor-causing bacteria flourish in a dry, warm spaces. A hydrated mouth means the water you drink and your own saliva wash away bacteria and prevent new odors from emerging. So, now you’ve got yet another reason to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Spritz a bit of lemon, which is a natural antibacterial, into your water to give each glass even more cleansing power.
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3. Help your mouth produce saliva.
Your saliva not only washes away odor-causing food particles and hydrates your mouth; it also contains powerful natural antibacterial properties and neutralizes acids, according to WebMD. Because the main contributor to bad breath is the buildup of plaque that contains live and dead bacteria on the gums, teeth, and tongue, producing saliva is essential to keeping your mouth clean and fresh. Certain foods, like a tart Granny Smith apple for instance, gets your natural juices working as you chew so that saliva washes away plaque, leaving you with a clean-feeling mouth and fresher breath. In addition, chewing on herbs such as spearmint and parsley will mask odor and get your mouth producing saliva, according to Discovery Health.
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4. Choose sugarless gum.
While gum should never replace brushing and flossing after meals, chewing it can help mask odors and a hydrate your mouth in a pinch. Be sure to always opt for sugarless gum, however, as sugar increases plaque—which is probably what is causing your bad breath in the first place.
5. Eat bad-breath-busting foods.
Just as some foods, such as garlic and onion, can cause bad breath, others can help eliminate it. According to Mayo Clinic, foods that are high in fiber help break down plaque in the mouth and thus help freshen the breath. Reach for celery, carrots, and other crunchy vegetables when your mouth needs a little cleaning and you need a healthy snack. A diet rich in vitamin C is also essential to preventing gum disease, which side effects include putrid breath. Citrus fruits and berries are good for your health and freshen your breath simultaneously, according to WebMD.
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