Taking care of your oral health
Brush your teeth properly. Proper tooth brushing is one of the best things you can do to combat bad breath. Brush your teeth at least twice a day for at least two minutes and make sure you don't miss any part of your mouth. Focus especially on the area where your teeth meet the gum .
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and replace it every three to four months.
- Brush your teeth just before eating or an hour after (otherwise you could damage or erode your tooth enamel).
- Make sure to brush your tongue as well, as a lot of bacteria builds up on the tongue and can cause bad breath. Brush your tongue from back to front and don't forget to brush the edges as well. You shouldn't make more than four strokes over your tongue, but be careful not to push the toothbrush too far into your mouth.
Floss between your teeth. Flossing is an important part of maintaining oral health. Flossing helps remove plaque and bacteria from between teeth that toothbrushes can't remove .
- Flossing also helps remove food particles and leftovers from your mouth. If these remain between your teeth, they would rot, causing a bad odor.
- When flossing, you should focus on the point where the teeth touch the gum, so be careful to rub the tooth on one side, then the other as you move on to the next tooth.
- If food gets stuck between your teeth while eating, remove it with a scented toothpick, which will freshen your breath at the same time.
Try using baking soda. Brush your teeth with baking soda once a week to help neutralize the bacteria that causes bad breath. Pour a little baking soda onto the bristles of your regular toothbrush, then brush your teeth as usual .
- You can also use baking soda to make a mouthwash. Dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda in a small glass of water. Fill your mouth with the liquid, without swallowing, and rinse your gums and teeth with it.
- Baking soda helps neutralize acids that build up on the back of your teeth and under your tongue.
Get your teeth checked regularly. It's important to visit the dentist to keep your mouth healthy, or you could develop bad breath. A dentist can thoroughly clean your teeth, gums, and mouth.
- Your dentist will know if bad breath is caused by a more serious problem than just food debris or poor brushing habits.
- If you have a serious bad breath problem and you take good care of your mouth (i.e., brushing your teeth and eating properly), you should make an appointment with your dentist.
Use sugar-free gum or mints. Just like water, sugar-free gum or mints increase saliva production in the mouth and help flush out bad bacteria. They also help mask bad breath for a short time
- Use sugar-free gum and candy. Sugar helps feed bad bacteria, which can make your bad breath worse once the gum or candy aroma wears off.
- It would be better if you use chewing gum instead of candy and you can feel the effects of chewing gum after five minutes.
- Chewing gum containing xylitol, a sugar-free sweetener made from birch bark, is particularly effective at preventing bad breath. It can reduce cavities and reverse enamel loss by replacing minerals on teeth .
Try using mouthwash . Mouthwash is also a popular way to quickly get rid of bad breath. This will allow you to temporarily mask bad breath and avoid embarrassing other
- However, an antiseptic mouthwash will also kill bad bacteria, and it will be more helpful than regular mouthwash. Look for mouthwashes with chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorine dioxide, zinc chloride, or triclosan to kill these bacteria.
- Avoid using mouthwashes that contain chlorhexidine long-term, as they may stain your teeth (although this effect is reversible).
- Try not to use mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Alcohol-based mouthwashes are a risk factor for the development of certain oral cancers.
- Make sure to rinse your mouth and gargle with the mouthwash.
Make diet and lifestyle changes
Drink plenty of water . One of the problems that can cause bad breath or make it worse is dry mouth. Water has no odor and helps wash away food that bacteria thrive on. It also helps produce saliva, which cleans the mouth and removes substances in food that cause bad odors.
- Don't use coffee, soda, or alcohol to clean your mouth. These won't help prevent bad breath , and in some cases, they could even cause it.
- Dehydration often causes bad breath. You can prevent bad breath by drinking more water and staying well hydrated .
Eat foods that are high in fiber. These foods are fresh and crunchy and help clean your teeth while preventing bad breath. They improve digestion and help your body get rid of toxins .
- Avoid sugary foods or drinks. If you need a snack, eat an apple or some protein instead of a chocolate bar.
- Avoid acidic drinks. They are bad for your breath and the health of your teeth, as acidic drinks attack your tooth enamel. Avoid soda as much as possible, and if you must drink it, make sure to drink it through a straw or quickly, avoiding leaving it in your mouth for too long. You should try swish water around your mouth to remove any remaining beverage from your teeth.
- Avoid coffee and alcohol. These two drinks provide a favorable environment for bacteria to grow in your mouth, which causes bad breath. They also dry out your mouth, allowing bacteria to grow.
Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco. While there are countless reasons to quit smoking or chewing tobacco (e.g., cancer risks), bad breath is certainly one of them. Smoking causes the smoker to retain the smell of tobacco, often referred to as "ashtray breath." The best way to avoid this bad breath is to quit smoking..
- Regular tobacco use can also cause gum disease, which among more serious problems can also cause bad breath.
- Smoking also stains your teeth and irritates your gums. Quit smoking to maintain better oral health.
Eat foods rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D helps inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Vitamin D can be ingested as a dietary supplement in certain foods, but it is best (and most effectively) obtained through sun exposure
- Try to eat one sugar-free yogurt a day. Yogurts that contain good bacteria (probiotics) can prevent bad breath by reducing the levels of sulfur compounds that cause bad breath.
- Eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin D, such as oily fish ( salmon , tuna , or mackerel ). Some mushrooms also contain vitamin D.
- Vitamin D can also be obtained by taking dietary supplements. The recommended dose of vitamin D is 600 IU for people between 1 and 70 years old and 800 IU for people over 70 years old
Use herbs and spices. Chewing raw parsley can clean your teeth and mouth, which can also prevent bad breath. Cardamom, either podded or ground, also helps keep breath fresh. Chew fennel seeds after a spicy meal or grind them into a powder and put them on the bristles of your toothbrush .
- You can also mask bad breath by chewing mint leaves. You can also drink an infusion of mint leaves in boiling water.
- Pour salt over a lemon wedge and consume the pulp. This helps eliminate the unpleasant odor of onions, garlic, or other strong-smelling foods.
Drink green or black tea. Tea contains polyphenols that help eliminate sulfur compounds and reduce bacteria in the mouth. They also help moisturize the mouth. Drink hot, unsweetened teas several times a day for best results .
- Green tea is rich in antioxidants that help fight bacteria in your mouth. You can also neutralize the smell of garlic by drinking green tea.
- Both green and black tea are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis (or tea plant). Black tea is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide after water.
Take a test to see if you have bad breath. It's not always easy to know if your own breath might smell bad to others. If you have bad breath, these tests will allow you to transfer the sulfide salts to an object that you can sniff yourself.
- Lick the inside of your clean wrist, then wait 5 minutes. Smell your wrist. If you have bad breath, you should be able to smell it on your skin.
- Touch a clean gauze pad to your tongue and sniff it. If the gauze smells bad, you probably have bad breath.
Know when a bad taste is in your mouth. If your mouth tastes bad, it's probably because you have bad breath. Sometimes after eating, you may notice that the taste of food continues to linger in your mouth. Some strong tastes are also known for the strong odors that accompany them, such as garlic, onion, or very spicy foods.
- Preventing bad breath after meals is one of the easiest forms of bad breath to treat.
- If you notice a strange taste in your mouth that doesn't seem to be coming from any of the foods you've eaten, you may need additional treatment. Be aware that bad breath can also be a sign of a throat infection such as strep throat.
Use a halimeter. For persistent bad breath problems, your dentist may use a halimeter. A halimeter is a special device designed to analyze your breath. It works on the same principle as a breathalyzer used by the police to determine if you've been drinking.
- The halimeter won't affect the conditions that caused your bad breath, but it can help you gather more accurate data about the source of your bad breath. Knowing the causes will make it easier to treat bad breath.
- Bad breath is generally caused by three chemicals: dimethyl sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, and methyl mercaptan. When you find out which one is present in your breath, you can find a treatment that will improve your breath.
Advice
- You can chew parsley, or crunch on a clove or coffee bean.
Warnings
- Bad breath can be an early sign of oral cancer. Other signs include white, red, or dark lumps or spots in the mouth, difficulty chewing, swallowing, or moving the jaw, a feeling of something being stuck in the throat, numbness in the mouth, thickening of the cheeks, or a change in voice. If you notice any of these signs, see your doctor.
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Dentistry