4 Ways to Get Rid of Bad Breath

Officially called halitosis, bad breath is a common problem people suffer from. While in many cases the solution is down to improving dental hygiene, there are many other factors that could cause bad breath. 5-Minute Crafts offers some solutions you can do at home to get rid of it.

⚠️ Always keep in mind that you should consult a specialist before undertaking any lifestyle change. Also, remember that bad breath could be caused by underlying medical conditions that aren’t covered in this article. If home remedies don’t work, go to your dentist. He or she may refer you to a physician if they suspect something’s wrong.

1. Improve your dental hygiene

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, 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.

2. Go to the dentist more often

This point goes hand in hand with the previous one. If you have poor dental hygiene, chances are that 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 having 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.

3. Drink more water

Saliva helps moisten and cleanse the mouth. That’s why a dry mouth can also cause bad breath because it means you’re not creating enough saliva to keep your mouth clean.

• You can try at-home solutions like sipping water often, sucking on ice cubes, and chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless hard candy. However, if none of those work, you should go to a doctor because a dry mouth could also be caused by a salivary gland condition and other diseases.

4. 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, sugary food, and reducing your coffee intake. If you’re on a special fasting or low-carb diet, talk to your 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.