How to cure bad breath: Remedies for bad breath

How to cure bad breath? Remedies for bad breath lie in eliminating the causes of bad breath. Organic ways to permanently eliminate bad breath stem from good oral hygiene practices. Temporary yet instant cures for bad breath lie in using mints, mint strips, breath sprays and other fixes. Here is a comprehensive look at the things you can do to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of your friends, colleagues, boyfriend, girlfriend or partners.

1) Brush your teeth twice a day to avoid bad breath

Parents and teachers have forever nagged their children to brush their teeth at least twice a day. Dentists are also known to recommend brushing teeth twice a day as one of the many cures of bad breath and other problems.

Food particles tend to accumulate in between teeth and on the gums when they aren't rinsed or cleaned by brushing. An odor develops in the mouth over time because of the bacteria build up caused by these leftovers.

2) Use a tongue cleaner

When it comes to eliminating bad breath, cleaning your tongue is possibly as important as brushing your teeth and flossing regularly. Scrape your tongue with a dedicated tongue scraper or the back side of your manual toothbrush.

Cleaning your tongue will get rid of the excess saliva build up and any other unwanted elements that may be giving rise to foul smelling breath.

3) Floss before brushing

Floss before brushing so that the toothpaste can reach all the corners of your mouth including the tiny gaps between your teeth which may have otherwise been blocked by food particles or dental plaque.

Dentists are known to recommend flossing once a day so that any debris stuck between two teeth can be removed before you start brushing.

4) Use a water flosser

A water flosser is typically a water jet that uses pressured water to remove bacteria, plaque and other particles between teeth and in the mouth. Such products are known to be recommended to people who have braces or gum diseases.

Using these devices on a regular basis will help you tackle a bad breath problem and promote good oral hygiene for the entire family at the same time. The water jet also gently massages and stimulates your gums.

5) Quit smoking or heavy drinking

Vices like smoking, drinking heavily or chewing tobacco products are commonly known to affect oral health and cause bad breath. Quit smoking, heavy drinking or consuming tobacco products if you want to bring about a permanent and organic cure to foul smelling breath.

6) Cut back on frequent coffee

You may be relying on frequent cups of coffee to keep you going through the day but your caffeine fixes may be the root cause of your bad breath. Try to switch from coffee to herbal teas if you must have your cuppa to keep up your energy levels.

7) Drink water through the day

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is known to be good for overall heath and also for keeping bad breath at bay. A glass of water will flush your mouth and will also bring back the moisture. Keep a handy bottle of water on your study or office desk so you can keep taking small sips time to time.

8) Gargle and rinse your mouth thoroughly after meals and snacks

Gargling and rinsing is one of the simplest cures to bad breath. Accumulated food particles are known to be a common cause of bad breath and rinsing your mouth after meals is a natural remedy.

Make a deliberate effort to rinse your mouth every time you have a meal or snack whether you are at school, home or work. This will instantly rid your mouth of many leftover food particles stop the bad odor from its roots. Make this a habit.

9) Visit your dentist at regular intervals

Visiting your dentist regularly is something that will help you maintain good oral health and fight bad breath from a long term perspective. Your dentist can check for any emerging cavities and give your mouth a good cleanup from time to time. This will help to detect any abnormal plaque buildup and also prevent oral diseases.

1) Use breath fresheners: Carry a box of mints or mint strips in your pocket

Mints, mint strips and sprays are an immediate remedy for bad breath. They may come to your rescue if you are on a date, in a meeting with your boss or are candidly about to kiss a girl for the first time.

Breath fresheners come in a variety of different products that suit different taste buds. You can choose from mints, mint strips or even breath sprays. Pick your favorite and keep it in the pocket of your jacket, denim or backpack.

2) Chew gum to eliminate bad breath temporarily

Chewing gum is known to temporarily eliminate bad breath. Buy sugar free gum or products that are specifically made to target bad breath. You can pick up strong flavored gums like cinnamon or mint from the supermarket shelves if you are in a hurry.

Don't start depending on chewing gum as a cure for bad breath because it is only a temporary fix. Work on getting to the root causes of bad breath so that you rely on chewing gum only once in a while.

3) Tips for professionals: Use mouthwash after having strong foods

Strong foods like garlic can leave a bad aftertaste which may be damaging in the classic workplace scenario of going into a meeting after lunch. An easy solution to this common problem is to carry a small bottle of mouthwash in your handbag or leave it in your office desk.

Mouthwashes are known to serve as instant cures to bad breath. Listerine mouthwash is a popular choice and is generally available in various sizes including 3.2oz travel size bottles to big 1.5 liter bottles.

4) Avoid particularly pungent foods at crucial moments

Certain pungent foods like garlic, particular spices and milk products like cheese and butter can leave you with a bad odor for the day. If you have to attend an important meeting, go out on a date or hang out with your buddies, avoid these foods.

If you must have these foods when you are in a situation where your bad breath can harm your image, follow it up with a strong mouthwash and a breath freshener.

5) Try natural bad breath remedies

Cloves, peppermint tea, basil leaves, fennel, cinnamon sticks and fresh lime are widely known to be seemingly harmless natural remedies to bad breath. Bite on to a clove for a wave of spicy freshness or chew on a couple of strong basil leaves for a minty taste.

These natural remedies may not be as effective as the mints, strips and sprays, but they can be used as alternative methods to eliminate your bad breath problem.