Say good-bye to stale breath and try these simple modifications to your dental routine and diet.
Bad breath normally sources from a buildup of bacteria in your mouth. By combining forces with dental hygiene and diet, you can conquer the imbalance of bacteria and defeat halitosis. Here’s how.
Brushing two times a day is essential. Try to time your morning and nightly brush after you eat breakfast and dinner. If you can, add in an extra midday brush after you eat lunch. Brushing your teeth after eating will help remove any food particles stuck in your teeth and reduce odorous bacteria from forming. Take your toothbrush with you to work for your midday brush. While you may feel slightly uncomfortable about it at first, you will in turn feel much more confident about your upcoming meetings and any close-quarters conversations after a brushing. You will be minty fresh and ready!
Strive to floss on a daily basis. Flossing removes lodged food particles that your toothbrush cannot retrieve and plaque that builds up in between your teeth. Make sure to floss in between each tooth and, as you do so, try rubbing the inside sides of your teeth with the floss to scrape off the excess plaque. Rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash afterwards in order to fully disperse the loosened bacteria from your mouth.
Brush your tongue after you finish brushing your teeth. Your tongue can host bacteria that will continue to build up if you never scrub it clean. Just three swipes with your toothbrush should do the trick and rinse your mouth afterwards.
You want to try and keep your mouth moist. Your mouth needs saliva to wash out plaque-producing acids and dead cells, which prevent the cells from decomposing in your mouth and causing bad breath. Drink lots of water. Avoid drinking too much dehydrating drinks — such as coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks — as these will increase your chances of dry mouth. Chewing gum will also help stimulate saliva production and keep your mouth from drying out.
Fruits and vegetables contain a host of nutrients that destabilize bacteria in your mouth, preventing it from settling in. Crunch on raw fruits and veggies, such as apples, pears, carrots, and celery. They will help produce more saliva in your mouth and contain lots of fiber, which loosens lodged food as you chew.
Foods that contain high amounts of vitamin C, like bell peppers and broccoli, also create an environment in your mouth that bacteria cannot survive in. Bring on the veggies and say good-bye to stinky or stale breath!
Yogurt contains high amounts of probiotics. Poor digestion can be another factor for bad breath as the acids can flow backwards and up towards your esophagus. You will be able to catch whiffs of the acids, which is not pleasant. Probiotics aid your stomach acids as they strive to digest your food freely, reducing halitosis. Also, probiotics will comb your mouth for odor-causing sulfide components in your mouth and take them down as you swallow.
Skipping meals or waiting too long in between eating can cause bad breath as well. Eating infrequently will reduce the amount of saliva your mouth, which produces and lead to dry mouth. Eat small meals or snacks every three hours and you will notice an immediate reduction in your halitosis.