Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Published : June 25, 2014 7:21 PM IST
Whether it's a case of morning breath or a persistent bout of halitosis (commonly called bad breath), every one of us might have experienced it at some point of time. Bad oral hygiene is the common cause of this condition but sometimes bacteria present in tongue and gums is found to cause bad odor. Here are few effective tips that may help you to fight the embarrassing condition of bad breath
Brush your teeth and tongue twice a day
Brush your teeth with fluoride based toothpaste at least twice a day (mainly before going to bed) to remove plaque and food debris. Use a soft rubber wiper or tongue scraper to remove bacteria present at the back of the tongue. (Read: Are you brushing your teeth right?)
Floss at least once a day
Brushing cleans about 60% of your teeth surface and the remaining 40% can be achieved with the help of floss. Flossing at least once a day is recommended as it removes the food trapped between teeth, which would otherwise turn stale and smelly giving you bad breath.
Drink lots of water
Lack of fluids or reduced saliva can lead to dry mouth (medically termed as xerostomia) causing bad breath. Hence it is recommended that one should drink plenty of water as it prevents your mouth from becoming dry and thus from bad breath. (Read: Why you shouldn't neglect a dry mouth)
Use mouth wash
The perfect time to rinse your mouth with mouthwash is just before going to bed so as to remove any trapped food particles between your teeth. If you experience any problem with alcohol-based mouthwash you can switch to an alcohol-free one or use fluoride mouthwash for sweeter breath. (Read: How mouthwash can help fight germs in your mouth)
Quit smoking and avoid tobacco products
Quit smoking to prevent bad breath since your breath is likely to smell of stale smoke, in case you smoke. Also smoking is found to increase your risk of gum diseases which are also causes of bad breath.
Chew sugar-free gum
Chewing stimulates the release of saliva which washes away the bacteria in your mouth thereby preventing dry mouth as well as bad breath. Chew sugar-free gum after eating to stimulate saliva and clean away the food particles present in the mouth.
Foods you should avoid
Eat a healthy, balanced diet and cut down on sugary foods and alcohol, as they increase the amount of bacteria in your mouth. Avoid eating foods that are strongly flavoured, spicy in nature and produce strong odors (like garlic, onion and coffee) as these can give you bad breath.
References:
Change Your Breath from Bad to Good WebMD
Treating and preventing bad breath NHS
Caring for Teeth - Bad breath Dental Health
You may also like to read:
For more articles on oral health, visit our oral health section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.
