7 Ways to Banish Bad Breath for Good

Bad breath can make you self-conscious and get in the way of your relationships with friends and family. It is often caused by bad oral health habits that let bacteria and food particles stay in your mouth. If you want to get rid of bad breath, there are several ways that you can do it. Here are seven ways to banish bad breath for good.

The simplest way to get rid of bad breath is to practice good oral hygiene. Good oral hygiene habits are designed to remove food particles from your mouth. This also gets rid of the food source for bacteria, which contributes to the smell and decay. Food particles left in your mouth can also rot and contribute to the smell. Make sure that you brush for 2 minutes, twice each day. Floss regularly and use mouthwash for a deeper, more thorough clean.

Smoking is bad for your oral health since it introduces damaging chemicals to your mouth. Despite having good oral hygiene habits, you will not be able to get all of those chemicals out. A part of the bad breath is that your tongue is coated in these chemicals, which kills your taste buds. Plus, the smell comes from your lungs and nasal passages when you breathe, so no amount of oral hygiene will be able to completely eliminate the smell.

Your tongue is a home for bacteria and food particles to get stuck in. Your taste buds form tiny pockets along the surface of your tongue, so brushing may not be effective enough to get your tongue entirely clean. You can use a tongue scraper, which is designed to be hard and textured enough to remove anything on your tongue while also be soft enough to not hurt your tongue. They are easily available and affordable.

If you have had your toothbrush for a long time, it is time to replace the brush or the head of your electric toothbrush. Your toothbrush is only meant to last a few months. Beyond that, they can start to lose bristles and will retain enough bacteria and food particles to cause a problem for your dental health. You could be re-infecting your mouth with the same smell-causing bacteria that you are trying to get rid of. Replace your brush every three months or if you use it when you are sick.

No matter how healthy a drink is, it still contains things that can be left behind in your mouth and contribute to the smell. If you drink water, you eliminate all of these food particles. Your mouth can absorb whatever water is left to put it to use. Plus, you will flush bacteria and food particles out of your mouth, effectively cleaning your mouth throughout the day.

Spicy and smelly foods can also cause bad breath. If you eliminate them from your diet, that is one less thing that can make your breath smell. Plus, they can’t leave behind particles that will smell bad in your teeth or on your tongue.

If you are not sure what is causing your bad breath, make a dentist appointment. A skilled dentist can analyze your dental health and help you find new ways of improving it. A dentist can also help with cleaning and more extensive procedures to eliminate the source of bad breath.

Bad breath can be a sign of poor dental health. Scheduling a comprehensive dental exam is a smart way to determine what’s contributing to your bad breath. Kensington Natural Smiles wants to help you! Please give us a call at 301-933-3903 or email us at info@susanhodds.com today!