Are you frustrated with that garlic breath that you can’t just get rid of after eating a variety of spicy food? Almost everybody loves to eat food with a lot of spices. Even if spicy food contributes to that foul smell coming from the mouth, surprisingly people still gets indulged with it, and continuously fill up their bellies with all of those spicy stuff. However, there are ways on how you can manage to prevent garlic breath without having to stop eating food with garlic, and that is good news, isn’t it?

Bad breath or commonly referred to as halitosis, is a very embarrassing condition and those who suffer from it would usually have a very difficult social life. Forget about getting a date, talking to people or trying to be close to them is already hard enough no thanks to your smelly breath which would either make them crinkle in disgust or turn them away completely. Basically you would feel as if you’ve been slapped right in the face whenever you try to speak to someone. It’s extremely depressing and I can very much relate to this, so I’ve decided to share a few simple bad breath remedies which can hopefully produce positive results for fellow sufferers.

1. Brush your teeth regularly – Bacteria feed on food particles stuck or hidden between the teeth and as a result of this, sulfur compounds are created which cause unpleasant odor in your breath. Regular brushing especially after every meal can help remove food particles from your teeth thus preventing bacteria from creating sulfur compounds. It is highly recommended that you brush your teeth with toothpaste that contains chlorine dioxide which is a highly effective chemical compound for treating bad breath.

2. Gum stimulator – This is a definitely one of the best way to remove food particles from your mouth which can cause bad breath. Regular string-like floss can be a dud because you would inevitably miss a few teeth when flossing with them but not likely so with gum stimulator. If you have no idea what a gum stimulator is or how it looks like, no worries. Simply drive or walk to the nearest store and head over to the ‘Health and Beauty sections’. Now that’s where you would normally find some. They are basically these little sticks with small teardrops on each end. Using them to floss your teeth is so much more effective compared to the typical string floss.

3. Consume sugarless yogurt – According to a study by Dr. Kenichi Hojo of Tsurumi University which was detailed at 83rd of General Session of the International Association for Dental Research, sugarless yogurt has the ability to considerably reduce odor producing compound like hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is a major culprit of many bad breath cases. So what are you waiting for? Go and have some yogurt! What better way to cure bad breath than with something as tasty as a cup of sugarless yogurt?

4. Drink plenty of water – It is a well know fact that dry mouth can lead to unpleasant breath. You should always keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water. You want to avoid bacteria from thriving in your mouth otherwise; you’ll get bad breath very quickly. When you are properly hydrated, you produce more saliva which helps prevent bacteria from flourishing.

5. Tea – What can I do to stop to bad breath? By drinking a cup of warm tea? You bet! Believe it or not tea can actually help you in your quest to combat bad breath. Certain compounds in tea such as polyphenols, theaflavins, and catechins are highly effective against bacteria growth which can cause bad breath.

By Isabella Snow

You’re probably wondering why this is categorized as etiquette, as opposed to general health advice. Well, I’ll tell you – keeping your breath fresh is just common courtesy. It’s completely unacceptable to subject others to anything less, especially if you share a cubicle with them. And, hey, if your halitosis is caused by an underlying health issue, I sympathize - but that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to suffer, does it??

No matter the cause, there are plenty of resources available to freshen that skunk breath up! And before you accuse me of being un-PC or insensitive, I used to have some seriously kicking breath when I was a kid. Fortunately, someone told me, and I have been conscious of it ever since. Don’t put yourself in a position where someone has to offer you a tic-tac!

1. Gum

There are 50 million flavors out there. Sugar-filled, sugar-free, etc – something for everyone. And it’s cheap. Which is a good thing, cos the effects don’t last long. So, if you work in an office, pop a stick in as you arrive. Pop a stick in after lunch. Pop a stick in before each meeting. Pop a stick in before chatting someone up at the water cooler. You get the idea.

2. Tic-Tacs

The old stand-by. Personally, they don’t impress me. Sure, they’re low in calories – but they neglect to mention you’ll need a whole bottle of them if you want to cover up that garlic soup you ate at lunch time. Nevertheless, they do work and they taste good, so you might not mind consuming the entire container.

3. Listerine Breath Strips

Have you seen these? They come in a little tiny package, and resemble mini strips of clear paper. You stick one on your tongue and it dissolves. By the time it’s gone, you have fresh breath.

4. Altoids

These are seriously strong mints. I can still remember the first time I had one – bit straight into the sucker. My eyes started watering. But, boy, was my breath fresh for the next few hours.

More tips

Beyond that there are a number of things you can try on your own that have proved to work for thousands of bad breath sufferers.

Dry mouth

Also known as xerostomia, this is one of the most common causes of halitosis. Often this results in a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth. Common causes of xerostomia are insufficient fluid intake, using alcohol based mouth rinses, aging, and numerous medications. Some common medications that can cause drying of the mouth are allergy medications, anti-depressives, blood pressure medications, and diuretics to name a few. Coffee is considered a diuretic.

Solution:

The simplest solution on how to fight bad breath caused by dry mouth is to make sure you are drinking enough water each day. At this writing, eight glasses of water per day is still recommended. Chewing sugarless gum can also help as it will increase salivary flow.

Excessive brushing and flossing

The obvious method for getting rid of bad breath is to make sure you are brushing properly and flossing regularly. But some people take this to excess and it can actually worsen your bad breath.

Solution:

Good hygiene only goes so far. If you are not brushing and flossing least twice per day–then start. But if you are doing this more than you should thinking it will solve your bad breath problems, you can be actually be making your bad breath worse. Excessive tooth brushing can actually worsen breath conditions because it causes a temporary drying of the mouth. This then results in an increased evaporation of the volatile sulfur compounds into the air. It also can also result in damage to the teeth and gums.

Chronic Bad Breath that just won’t to go away

Chronic bad breath can be caused by a number of factors: excess mucus and post nasal drip at the back of the throat, decaying teeth or gum disease, infections, hormonal changes, stress, eating too much protein rich foods like meat or fish, an number of internal disorders like digestive problems…..

Solution:

Here are a number of simple natural remedies for bad breath control you may want to consider:

Yogurt

Very recent studies have found that a daily dose of yogurt may help in getting rid of those foul smelling odors in your mouth. Researchers have found that eating 6 ounces of yogurt a day reduces the levels of odor-causing compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, in the mouth. They say the active bacteria in yogurt, specifically Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, may have a beneficial effect on odor-causing bacteria in the mouth.

Fenugreek Tea

The use of fenugreek as a tea is proven to be a very effective remedy for halitosis. Prepare this tea in half liter cold water, put one teaspoon of seeds and let it simmer in low flame for fifteen minutes. Strain and sip.

Guava

Unripe guavas have been effective as a treatment because of their malic, phosphoric, tannic and oxalic acids. Guavas are also a good source of source of manganese, oxalate and calcium. These acids and elements make the guava fruit an ideal tonic for gums and teeth. Many believe that bleeding of gums and teeth can also be stopped by chewing tender leaves of guava.

Avocados

The avocado fruit is another effective treatment for mouth odor problems. It can help eliminate intestinal decomposition which can be a common cause of foul-smelling breath.

Parsley

Chopped parsley and boil in 2 cups of water with two to three whole cloves. Cool, strain and use as a daily gargle.

Myrrh

Myrrh is a very popular herbal remedy for halitosis. It is a natural antiseptic so it can kill oral bacteria. It can be used both in a gargle and as a tea.

Mint or rosemary tea

These are two more teas that are used for fighting bad breath. Some will even make the tea stronger, cool and use as a gargle.

Tea tree oil

This tea tree extract comes from the Melaleuca Alternifolia tree and is said to have very effective bacteria killing properties. It can be used in small amounts when brushing and added to water so that you can dip your floss into before sliding between your teeth. The tea tree oil left behind is said to prevent bacteria from accumulating between your teeth.

So in conclusion, don;t let bad breath keep ruining your day. Give these simple bad breath solutions a try. Let them work for you as them have worked thjousands of other sufferers of bad breath.

Bad breath is not a simple condition that you can easily shrug off and pretend it is not there. Although it does not always cause serious dental and medical conditions, it can bring you more trouble than you expected. Bad breath is a perfect source of embarrassment and a condition that can lose your confidence. All it ever does is come out of your mouth and the whiff causes the people you talk with in proximate distance to cover their noses or back off a bit. Admit it. It is not only embarrassing but disturbing as well. This shameful circumstance can bring you psychologically and emotionally down.

Cause of Bad Breadth

The most common cause why bad breath, or medically termed as halitosis, develop is when food particles linger in the mouth. These are trapped in between teeth, debris in the lining of the mouth and on the tongue. There are bacteria that keep themselves busy so as to prevent bad bacteria from forming. However, when you don’t clean your mouth and teeth to get rid of these particles, bad bacteria are immediately attracted causing them to form a community inside. Bad bacteria carry compounds which now cause your breath to smell foul.

The lack of water intake is another cause for bad breath. Dry mouth is where bad bacteria love inhabiting themselves about because of the less moisture for them to keep working on.

Smoking also causes your breath to smell bad. Not only that. It can cause tartar and plaque, another reason why breath smells bad, to build up.

Another reason for bad breath is infections such as tonsillitis, sinusitis, and other similar conditions. Infections carry themselves compounds which are absorbed down the mouth and cause the breath to smell bad. Aside from this, there are certain medical conditions that trigger halitosis such as kidney problems, diabetes, periodontitis, and others.

In addition, a person taking prescription drugs can be candidate as well for suffering from halitosis. There is a wide variety of prescription drugs, which when taken orally, cause breath to smell bad.

How Get Rid of Bad Breath

Bad breath can be avoided. One of the things that you can do is to practice regular oral dental hygiene. Brushing and flossing twice a day is a simple but effective way to avoid bad bacteria causing halitosis to form a community inside your mouth.

To clean completely your mouth and breath, mouth wash is also recommended. Since brushing and flossing alone do not completely vacuum your mouth with dirt, the rinse scrapes off any debris left around the lining of the mouth and tongue.

Tongue scraping is also a great way to prevent bacteria from reproducing and breeding grounds for bad bacteria.

Keeping your mouth hydrated by drinking water all throughout the day helps these bacteria busy working; thus, avoiding the breed of bad compounds.

Checking with your physician and dentist is a must once you are plagued with the condition. If bad breath continues even if you practice proper oral dental care, there is something wrong with your medical condition. If this is the case, the right person to diagnose and provide treatment is your physician or medical doctor.

Proper oral hygiene care, lots of water intake, proper treatment of certain medical conditions, plus regular medical checkups, are simple ways which you can practice to avoid getting yourself into the embarrassment usually provided by suffering from bad breath.