The last thing anyone wants to be greeted with is a stench of odor emanating from your mouth. Really Awkward! Bad breath affects the way others perceive you.
What Causes It?
Also known as Halitosis, anyone can suffer from the condition sporadically. It is characterized by incessant foul-smelling breath.
A bout of Halitosis is generally a result of conditions in your mouth, typically food you consume, and how frequently you clean your mouth. There are many other conditions that can contribute to a bad breath, such as chronic bronchitis, digestive disorders, uncontrolled diabetes, as well as kidney disease. However, more than often the problem is caused by improper dental hygiene.
Banish Bad Breathe… Start freshening It today!
There are a lot of things that can be done to keep your breath fresh round the day.
Brush, Floss, and Clean Your Tongue
Use a soft-bristled brush to clean the surface of your teeth every day. Make it a point to brush twice a day and floss at least once a day. Preferably More. Your brushing session should not last less than 2-3 minutes. While brushing, clean your tongue as well, and use a scraper if bad breath is a problem. A tongue scrapper is a handheld-device that helps remove bacteria and dead cells from the tongue. After flossing, use mouthwash, preferably the one containing zinc ions like Listerine as it kills periodontal diseases.
Tip: Change your toothbrush every three months.
Stay Hydrated
Have you ever wondered why your morning breath is so awful? Well when you sleep, you do not produce a lot of saliva. Saliva contains oxygen that dissuades the growth of bacteria. It is naturally antibacterial and hence you need more of it to avert bad breath. Lack of fluids can result in lesser saliva produced in your mouth. So, it is significant to stay hydrated and consume plenty of water and keep the saliva flowing all the time.
Home Remedies are the Way to Go!
Green tea and black tea prevents the growth of bacteria that causes offensive breath odor. If you wish to combat bad breath and keep it fresh throughout the day- choose to sip the drink throughout the day, if possible after every meal.
Up the ante by adding essential oils (Cinnamon) in your tea that fights stinky breath. Parsley, basil and dill release scented essential oils that can temporarily mask rancid breath. To enhance your dental health, consume food items containing Vitamin C such as kiwis, oranges, lemons, and other citrus foods. These food products have a lot of water content and hence more saliva will be produced in your mouth. In short, no objectionable breath odor!
Cut Down Your Nasty Habits
On top of being really harmful for your overall health, cigarettes can be really bad for your mouth. It affects the way you smell as it releases a mixture of chemicals into the mouth, thus leaving you smell like nicotine. Use of tobacco can even increase the likelihood of oral cancer. So if your breath stinks after a cigarette or tobacco session, now is the time to STOP!
See Your Dentist
You have given up smoking, you have started to brush twice a day, and you are even consuming green tea after each food session. But still fresh breath is far from reality for you. And you are wondering what is actually wrong!
Sadly, the most common reason for consistently bad odor from mouth is also one of the most neglected: not visiting your dentist regularly. Your dentist can find out the root cause of the problem and can advice you rightly to ensure fresher breath.