Only those who are plagued with bad breath truly understand how life-affecting it can be. Once you’re aware that you have the problem, it influences just about everything you do. Where you go, who you see, what you do, what you eat etc. – it really can be an absolute nightmare. Particularly where the most stubborn cases are concerned, which simply do not want to shift.
On the plus side, the overwhelming majority of cases of bad breath are completely manageable. If not curable outright. This is because in most instances, the causes of bad breath are 100% superficial. That being, they’re not the result of some more serious condition or complaint and therefore can be managed at home with relative ease.
That said, the single most important thing to do when plagued with bad breath is to speak to a doctor or dentist. The reason being that there could be some other underlying issue that is causing the problem, which could turn out to be serious. For example, a variety of gastrointestinal problems can cause bad breath, as can issues with the sinuses, rotten teeth and so on. Where bad breath is severe or constant, it’s worth speaking to the professionals.
If there’s no specific medical cause for the problem however, chances are you simply need a little routine TLC. Which for the most part revolves around very basic everyday oral hygiene.
So if you’d like to know how to hold onto fresh breath and the confidence it brings for longer, the following tips represent a great place to start:
- Brush Better
First and foremost, can you honestly say you are brushing properly twice a day? That being, for the full 120 seconds each time, making sure you give every bit of your mouth the attention it deserves? Bad breath is often caused by nothing more complicated than areas of the mouth being missed while brushing. Or perhaps, not brushed adequately with each brushing. This is the most important place to start as it’s crucial to ensure you’re giving your teeth and gums a proper clean, twice daily. If not, this is most likely the cause of the problem. - Upgrade Your Hardware
You may also benefit by upgrading the to the very best electric toothbrush recommended by dentists. The reason being that such devices are designed to not only clean your teeth and gums better, but also get to the parts of your mouth a standard brush might not be able to reach. Both for bad breath and for the sake of your oral health in general, dentists comprehensively recommend making the switch to an electric toothbrush at the earliest possible stage. - Floss
If you aren’t currently in the habit of flossing, you really only need to do it once to find out what kind of nasties you’ve been missing in your mouth. The problem being that there isn’t a toothbrush on the market that can get to the deep-down and hidden spots between your teeth, which floss is designed to tackle. Food debris and bacteria collect, things quickly go rotten and in the absence of anything to remove them, they stay there and fester. If you haven’t flossed in some time, take a small piece, floss between a couple of your teeth and then smell the stuff that comes out on the floss. It’s a pretty disgusting test, but one that will probably motivate you to floss better for the rest of your life! And of course, there’s much to be said for upgrading to the best water flosser dentists recommend as well. - Quality Products
Contrary to popular belief, there is an important difference between the kinds of products you can buy to keep your teeth and gums clean. Roughly translated, the best toothpaste or mouthwash for bad breath might not be the one you’re currently using. Experts typically recommend those with breath problems to choose the kinds of toothpastes that have long-term anti-bacterial properties. For example, there are some pastes on the market right now, which when used twice daily are able to offer at least some degree of 24-hour protection. As in, protection from the kind of bacteria that can cause bad breath. The same also going for high-quality mouthwash, which can double-up the effect – especially when used more regularly throughout the day. If the breath problem is being caused or made worse by a dry mouth, avoid mouthwash products with a high alcohol content – they may make things worse than they already are. - Chew Gum
It sounds obvious, but chewing minty sugar-free gum throughout the day isn’t only about masking bad smells with a fresh fragrance. When you chew, the mouth produces far more saliva, which is the best thing you have at your disposal for neutralising odour-causing bacteria. The minty taste is of course a bonus too, but chewing throughout the day can help deal with bad breath at the source, rather than just covering it up temporarily. - Eat and Drink Well
Last but not least, there’s also much to be said for the value of taking care of your diet in general. For one thing, there are obvious foods and ingredients that are naturally more likely to result in prolonged bad breath than others – garlic, onions etc. In addition, smoking tobacco can be one of the worst things for causing bad breath – a habit to kick ASAP, therefore. Alcohol can also contribute to bad breath as its dehydrating properties mean reduced production of saliva…which as we’ve covered is important. And of course, a healthy body in general is far more capable of keeping your mouth healthy and as fresh as possible at all times.
So as you can see, there are always avenues to explore when it comes to bad breath. But if the problem seems to be severe or cannot be controlled manually, it’s worth speaking to a doctor or dentist – just in case there’s something that needs to be addressed.
