PROBLEM: Bad breath

Try THIS:    Figuring out the cause of bad breath is the first step, obviously, in doing something about it, but here are some home remedies to keep your breath as fresh as possible. Keep your mouth clean.  Brush thoroughly at least twice a day, and floss daily. Food and bacteria trapped between teeth and […]

Try THIS: 

 

Figuring out the cause of bad breath is the first step, obviously, in doing something about it, but here are some home remedies to keep your breath as fresh as possible.

Keep your mouth clean. 

Brush thoroughly at least twice a day, and floss daily. Food and bacteria trapped between teeth and at the gum line can be removed only with floss; if it’s left to linger, it’s not going to smell nice. Periodontal disease can result in chronically bad breath.

Clean your tongue, too. 

Bacteria left on your tongue can contribute to less-than-fresh breath, so be sure to brush your tongue after you’ve polished your pearly whites.

Ditch your dentures. 

If you wear dentures, never wear them to sleep. Give them a thorough cleaning and leave them out until morning.

Wet your whistle. 

A dry mouth can equal smelly breath. Saliva helps clean your mouth; it has a natural antibacterial action and it washes away food particles. (Reduced saliva flow at night explains why your breath smells sour when you wake up in the morning.) Try sucking on sugarless mints to stimulate saliva production.

Don’t stress out. 

Stress can dry out your mouth, causing bad breath.

Avoid potent foods. 

Garlic and onions, among other foods, contain sulfur compounds that move on to the lungs after they are absorbed in the bloodstream. Certain fish, such as anchovies, and seaweed are high in “fishy” amine odours. Unfortunately, during the move the chemicals that make these foods so tasty and pungent stick around. And they don’t smell so great as you whisper sweet nothings into your sweetheart’s ear.