One common health issue you may be battling is bad breath. It can make you feel like you don't want to talk to others in close proximity, making you feel very self-conscious. While sometimes bad breath is due to the foods that you eat, it can also be something you control through how you take care of your oral hygiene. Here are some tips for fighting bad breath.
Avoid Certain Foods
You should start fighting bad breath by seeing if simply avoiding certain foods will help out. You should avoid foods that have sulfuric compounds, like garlic, which your body actually absorbs into the bloodstream before releasing through your mouth. Other foods that are known to cause your bad breath are milk, horseradish, and onions. If you avoid these foods and still have bad breath, it could be due to other factors.
Scrape Your Tongue
You might not be doing enough with your toothbrush and floss every day since all that bad breath–causing bacteria could be trapped on the surface of your tongue. You can purchase a special tool known as a tongue scraper that will allow you to remove that bacteria before it starts to smell. Incorporate this into your brushing at the beginning and end of each day for better-smelling breath.
Chew Parsley
Sometimes eating the right foods will improve your breath. Try chewing on parsley, which has chemical properties that can freshen up your mouth. You don't need to swallow the parsley if you do not want to; just chew it for a few minutes for improved breath.
Generate More Saliva
Bad breath can sometimes be caused by a lack of saliva in your mouth, which means that you need your body to produce more of it. This can be done by drinking more water during the day, as well as chewing gum after eating a meal. Some prescription drugs, like antihistamines and antidepressants, can even cause dry mouth. See if there are alternative medications that will reduce your dry mouth symptoms.
Use Baking Soda
Your toothpaste may contain baking soda to whiten your teeth, but it can fight bad breath as well. That's because baking soda is acidic and can kill off bacteria. Just brush your teeth with a little bit of baking soda each day, and it can lead to having better-smelling breath.
For more tips on dealing with bad breath, speak with your dental hygienist.
Share
