The Top 6 Ways to Keep Your Breath Fresh
Do you have an odor emanating from your mouth and do not know from where it is coming? Do you have coffee breath or morning breath? Bad breath can be a hindrance to relationships as well as a cause of anxiety and stress in the individual with the bad breath. They are afraid to get too close to people when talking with them for fear the other person will smell their bad breath. The odor can become so distracting and foul that it isolates people and causes them to ache for human interaction.
Why does breath stink? It depends on the cause. If you have large tonsils, you could have what is called “tonsil stones” which is debris such as food, saliva, and mucus that become trapped in the deep crypts of your tonsils. The debris can cause a foul odor which can give you the stigma of having bad breath. Another reason people can have bad breath is due to poor oral hygiene. If you do not brush your teeth, floss, and use mouthwash daily, you could have decay and deterioration started within your teeth. The smell could be from the lack of brushing, or it could be from the onset of an infection, both due to poor hygiene.
Whether you're out with friends, on a first date, or heading to a job interview, it's important to make sure your breath smells great. There are several ways to get fresh breath, and some are more effective than others. Take a look at these long- and short-term ways to make your breath smell better every day.
Brush and Floss
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One of the best ways to get good breath is to brush and floss your teeth. Brushing your teeth promotes good oral hygiene, helps get rid of bacteria, makes your breath smell better, and protects your mouth from problems such as gingivitis. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, for at least two minutes at a time. This practice eliminates harmful bacteria in your mouth. When you're brushing, make sure you also brush your tongue to get rid of bacteria there, as well.
Along with brushing, you should also floss regularly. Flossing helps get rid of the plaque and bacteria that live between your teeth. Brushing alone leaves these spaces for bacteria to grow, causing cavities and bad breath. Floss at least once a day for good oral hygiene.
Halimeter
If you're interested in checking the chemical makeup of your breath each day, you can invest in a Halimeter. This device measures the volatile sulfur compounds in your mouth that lead to chronic bad breath. With a Halimeter, you're able to find out the specific cause of your bad breath, which is beneficial if you have a hard time keeping your mouth smelling fresh.
Dental professionals typically use this device to help patients find the best course of action to keep their dental health at its peak. They use it alongside a variety of other diagnostic tools to find out what is causing halitosis, or chronic bad breath.
Avoid Certain Foods
Most people have heard that the best way to keep your breath smelling great is to avoid stinky foods. However, do you know the foods that you should avoid? There are several different types of foods that react with the bacteria in your mouth to create bad breath. These foods affect people and their breath differently; however, if you're serious about keeping your breath smelling top-notch, consider staying away from:
- Garlic
- Onions
- Coffee
- Alcohol
- Dairy
Foods that promote bacteria growth, can easily get stuck on your teeth, or those that already have a strong odor can be detrimental to the scent in your mouth.
Drink Water
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Water is well-known in the medical community to have tons of benefits. When you drink enough water, you're less likely to have several health problems. Water does far more than just keep you from getting dehydrated. It also promotes healthy cell growth. If you're interested in keeping your mouth smelling great, drink plenty of water.
When you drink water, you're flushing out the bacteria, food particles, and scents already in your mouth. On top of this, when you fight dehydration with water, you're saving your breath. Dehydration itself causes bad breath, because your body isn't able to fight off the bad bacteria properly when it's dehydrated. Drink water throughout the day to help stave off bad breath.
Gargle Salt Water
Salt water is hugely beneficial for your dental health and oral hygiene. If you gargle salt water regularly, you can help prevent stinky problems in the mouth, such as tonsil stones. Tonsil stones form when bacteria and mucus inside the mouth and throat collect and harden in the pockets of the tonsils. Tonsil stones not only smell bad, but they also taste terrible. If you gargle with warm salt water, you can clear the mucus and bacteria before they form into a stone.
Chew a Mint
If you're going for a quick fix, pick up some mints or gum to help your bad breath. Mints fight bad breath and do a great job as a short-term cover. The best option is to get sugar-free mints or gum. Sugared gum and mints can actually cause more problems in the long run, by breaking down the good bacteria in your mouth and harming your teeth. Gum and mints help increase the saliva in your mouth, helping to wash away the bacteria.
So if you are an individual that is plagued with bad breath, don’t fret. Find the cause, whether it is from tonsil stones, poor oral hygiene, or stinky foods and correct the cause. If you still have no luck, know that help is just a rinse away. Select mouthwash with a powerful antiseptic such as Scope Outlast and use it throughout the day to battle the bad breath you are experiencing.
Keeping your breath smelling great isn't very difficult. However, if you find that you're having trouble even after all these options, consider calling your dentist to go over possible problems and solutions to your bad breath.
