5 Tips to Eliminate Bad Breath

If you suffer from bad breath, you are probably desperate for a remedy that works. Dealing with bad breath in social situations can sap your confidence and make you paranoid. Before you start avoiding your friends out of fear that your breath is bothering them, try these tips.

1. Step Up Your Brushing Routine

Of course you brush your teeth — but how much attention do you pay while brushing them? When you brush inattentively, it is easy to skip over certain sections of the mouth or spend too little time brushing in general. If you do not already have one, invest in an electric toothbrush with a timer to let you know when you have spent long enough brushing each section of your mouth. Make sure that you aren't distracted and focus on using correct brushing techniques. This includes holding the brush at an angle to the gum line and gently moving it from tooth to tooth until they are all clean.

2. Never Forget to Floss

Many people skip flossing, but a good flossing routine is essential to avoiding bad breath. If you don't like string floss, you can use a water flosser or interdental brush instead. Whatever option you choose, it's important that you clean between your teeth as well as their surfaces if you want fresh breath. Take your time and make sure you floss between every pair of teeth every day.

3. Rinse Away Bad Smells

Eliminating bad breath doesn't have to mean giving up all your favourite foods. Simply rinsing with water or mouthwash after you eat a meal or snack can remove a lot of leftover food particles and therefore reduce the smell. To give your teeth extra resilience to cavities, use a fluoride mouthwash for rinsing.

4. Quit Smoking

Cigarette smoke not only has a strong smell, but it can amplify the effects of other smells too. The chemicals in the smoke reduce saliva production, limiting your body's natural ability to neutralise odour-causing bacteria. By quitting, or at least cutting down on smoking, you could help your breath to smell noticeably fresher.

5. Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Sometimes, bad breath can be a sign of gum disease. Visit your dentist to find out if you suffer from this common condition and get the treatment you need to resolve it. Gum disease, if left untreated, causes far more serious problems than bad breath, such as tooth loss, so it is very important not to ignore it.

To learn more, contact a dentist.