When someone has bad breath, it’s the elephant in the room: do you offer them a piece of gum? Do you back up to give them more space? The fact of the matter is that nobody is a fan of stinky breath,
The most obvious choice would be to brush and floss frequently, since keeping up with your oral hygiene flushes out all the built-up bacteria which has accumulated on your teeth throughout the day. Just twice a day, is a perfect amount, since overly brushing your teeth can be detrimental to your oral health.
Just like exercise, spot treatment doesn’t really work; you need to keep all parts of your mouth clean in order to have fresh breath. Make sure to also scrape your tongue with your toothbrush or a tongue scraper which removes all the junk which your brush may have missed. Also, clean your gums everyday as well! Periodontal disease can often cause bad breath by trapping bacteria in pockets at the base of your teeth, plus causing a laundry list of other problems.
Post-brushing and flossing, you may also want to consider using a mouthwash; not only does it freshen your breath, it also makes your teeth even cleaner. Even just swishing your mouth with plain old water after a meal can freshen your breath and fight off some all that yucky bacteria.
If you’re looking for a mid-day or after dinner breath fix, choose gum or breath strips—not mints. The sugar in mints can be detrimental to your teeth. If you chew gum, think about switching to a healthier choice which contains xylitol, which is a naturally occurring carbohydrate that is actually good for your teeth.
When you’re keeping track of certain smelly foods you’re eating, taking care of your teeth, and making an effort to mask bad breath but you’re still self-conscious, it may be best to see your dentist. There could be something that requires medical attention growing inside your mouth, or perhaps you’re just due for a good old fashioned teeth cleaning to wipe out tartar build-up. A healthy mouth requires a healthy body, so take care of yourself, and make sure you’re seeing your dentist and doctor regularly.
