Bad breath can ruin a date or a business meeting. You can avoid this by paying attention to the condition of your oral cavity and following a few simple rules.
Here are some recommendations that will help you keep your breath fresh even after a long sleep.
Drink more water.
Saliva helps moisten and cleanse the mouth, and a lack of saliva means you’re not creating enough to keep your mouth clean and healthy. That’s why a dry mouth can also cause bad breath or even cracked lips and sores at the corners of your mouth.
You can try at-home solutions, like sipping water often, sucking on ice cubes, chewing sugarless gum, or sucking on sugarless hard candy. However, if none of these work, you should go to a doctor because a dry mouth could also be caused by a salivary gland condition or other diseases.
Go for chewing gum instead of mints.
Bad breath can be caused by the acid that’s naturally produced in your mouth. This can be the result of sugar consumption since that’s what the mouth uses up to produce said acid. Besides this, sugar can also lead to your teeth becoming worn down.
One way to cut out one form of sugar is to replace mints or sugary candy with sugar-free gum and sugar-free candy. Chewing gum will help your mouth to produce more saliva, which is the natural way the body fights plaque acids.
Visit the dentist more often.
If you have poor dental hygiene, chances are you’ve developed plaque, which is a film of bacteria that covers your teeth. With time, plaque hardens and becomes tartar, which could lead to the formation of pockets or small openings in the area between the teeth and gums where food, bacteria, and dental plaque can collect. This process is called periodontitis and it can lead to bad breath.
Tartar cannot be removed by brushing, so you have to go to the dentist. If you suspect you suffer from periodontitis, you have to treat it as soon as possible or it can become a severe condition that affects your teeth.
Up your hygiene game.
While it might seem obvious to many of us, poor dental hygiene remains the main cause of bad breath. Your mouth is full of bacteria that break down food particles, and the combination of the bacteria and decaying food produces a bad smell, which is why brushing and flossing are important.
Experts recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day, after meals, and with fluoride toothpaste, but that will only get rid of 60% of the bacteria in your mouth. That’s why flossing and cleaning your tongue is very important too.
Rinsing and gargling with an alcohol-free mouthwash before going to bed could also help you control the growth of bacteria more efficiently.
Change your diet
Strong foods and beverages, like onions, garlic, or coffee, cause your stomach to absorb oils during digestion. These oils can get into your lungs through your bloodstream and be present even 72 hours after you ate, causing a bad odor. On the other hand, if you practice fasting or are on a low-carbohydrate diet, you might develop bad breath too because of the production of ketones, which have a strong aroma.
Consider eating less garlic, onions, spicy food, and sugary food, as well as reducing your coffee intake. If you’re on a special fast or follow a low-carb diet, talk to your medical practitioner to see if there’s something that can be done to include more carbs or regulate the production of ketones. You can also eat more avocados, nuts, and olive oil.
Eliminate the tonsil stones
If you’ve noticed yourself coughing up small, yellowish chunks from your throat, those might be tonsil stones. While these stones aren’t harmful, they can cause bad breath. They are bacteria and debris that form in the crevices of your tonsils, ranging from small, soft bits to larger, hardened stones. While they’re usually harmless, in some cases, they can lead to infections. To prevent them, try using mouthwash regularly to reduce bacteria in your mouth and floss regularly.
Caring for your teeth is not just about brushing them and using dental floss, or visiting the dentist. Follow these rules to maintain a healthy smile for as long as possible.