Also known as halitosis, bad breath is a dental concern for a lot of people. Understandably, those who suffer from it would like to prevent it. If you're currently suffering from bad breath, there are steps you can take to stop it from happening.
Choose Food Wisely
When you eat certain foods, they absorb into your bloodstream and continue to emit an odour long after you finish eating them. A classic example of this is garlic, which is particularly hard to shake off.
In addition to avoiding certain foods, you can try eating rough foods at breakfast time. Their rough texture means they work on the back of the tongue and free up particles that could make your breath worse. If you're not a big fan of breakfast, try using a toothbrush that features a tongue scraper instead.
Brush and Floss
It's hard to beat the minty freshness that comes with brushing your teeth twice a day. But it isn't the minty sensation alone that makes your breath smell fresh. Each time you brush your teeth, you're removing food particles that are slowly decaying and causing bad smells. Additionally, you're removing the fuel that odour-causing bacteria need to live.
In addition to brushing, make sure you floss and use mouthwash. In doing so, you give yourself a better chance of removing the food particles that are causing your breath to smell.
Drink Some Water
Don't let yourself reach the stage where you feel thirsty. Instead, make sure you stay on top of your water intake to prevent yourself from having a dry mouth. By drinking water, you assist your salivary glands in producing saliva. As saliva helps to clean your mouth, it reduces bad breath.
If dry mouth is a common concern for you, it's worth visiting your dentist to find out what the cause is. If the cause isn't dental, they'll encourage you to see a medical practitioner for tests instead.
Maintain Dental Appointments
Bad breath is usually one of the first signs of gum disease. As the bacteria that cause gum disease continue to develop in your mouth, their waste products let off a foul odour.
Maintaining your regular dental appointments gives your dentist a stronger chance of identifying gum disease at an early stage. They'll then treat it and they may provide you with a prescription mouthwash so that you can work towards tackling it at home too.
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