Bad breath: Five EASY tips to get rid of bad breath aside from brushing your teeth
BAD BREATH can still happen even if you brush your teeth every day and avoid pungent food. If you are a victim of halitosis, doing these five easy and quick things every day can help get rid of bad breath and keep your mouth feeling minty fresh.
Doctor shares seven tips to prevent bad breath
Bad breath, also called halitosis, is a common problem many people experience at some point in their lives. For some people, it may just happen once every so often if it’s been a while since brushing their teeth, or after eating pungent food. But for others, bad breath can be a constant nightmare that affects them every day. Having bad breath can be extremely embarrassing and awkward in social situations. Maintaining fresh breath goes beyond simply brushing your teeth, but could be easier to manage than you think.
An electric toothbrush is mandatory now, the toothpaste really doesn’t matter, but fluoride is vital to help strengthen teeth
Matthew Rose, specialist prosthodontist at The Implant Centre Hove and Haywards Heath, recommends doing these five simple things every day to keep bad breath at bay:
Use a spoon
Brushing your teeth is essential to keeping breath fresh, but oral hygiene extends beyond the teeth.
Scraping the upper surface of your tongue with a spoon will remove the old dead skin cells that coat it, and will help to freshen your breath.
Clean between teeth
Clean between your teeth at least once per day using interdental brushes and floss.
For even better results, dip interdental brushes in toothpaste to allow greater cleaning of the small gaps between the teeth at gum levels.
Keep hydrated
Most bacteria that cause bad breath thrive in a dry mouth, so drink plenty of water to help rid the mouth of any food and bacteria stuck in it.
Water also helps produce saliva which balances the PH in your mouth helping to reduce acid and plaque build-up.
Tea could also help as it contains antioxidants called polyphenols that help destroy the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath and helps stop plaque from sticking to the teeth.
Chew on sugar-free gum
Chewing on sugar-free gum produces more saliva in the mouth, which helps to reduce acid and plaque build-up.
Clean teeth regularly
Brush your teeth twice a day, or three times a day if you have gum disease, for two minutes at a time.
Regular cleaning means that if you miss some areas one time, you will hit them the next time.
“An electric toothbrush is mandatory now, the toothpaste really doesn’t matter, but fluoride is vital to help strengthen teeth,” said Rose.