There is nothing worse than that nagging worry that you are breathing hot dragon breath on innocent by-standers. I am kind of obsessive about keeping my breath in check–mostly because I’ve been on the receiving end of buffalo breath, and my friends, I do not like it. Also, with all of the dental work I’ve had done over the years, I have a lot of people near my mouth or close-up and personal with my face, so I like to do what I can to keep things on the fresh side.
Chronic bad breath does not necessarily have anything to do with poor oral hygiene. Sometimes it starts from bacteria in the mouth, but a lot of times, it starts in your gut and works it’s way up. Whatever the cause, here are some ways to keep it at bay:
- Brush and floss religiously. Duh, I know. But, who hasn’t slacked off on at least flossing from time to time? The problem is that brushing doesn’t always get all of the food that can contribute to odor causing bacteria. Flossing ensures none of the stink gets stuck.
- You know that piece of parsley restaurants put on the plate? Well, it turns out it’s not just a garnish. Chewing on fresh parsley after a meal can clean your teeth naturally {and it encourages saliva, which helps fight odor causing bacteria}.
- Your diet might be to blame. Studies have shown people who eat diets low in carbs have higher incidence of halitosis {bad breath}. Apparently low carb diets release ketones {chemicals that can which can contribute to bad breath}.
- Increase your water intake. Water helps to rinse the mouth.
- Make sure you are cleaning your tongue too. It can harbor bacteria just like the teeth.
- Acid reflux can contribute significantly to bad breath. If acid reflux is an issue, make sure to manage it with medicine and/or diet.
- Eat “natural toothbrushes,” like apples, raw carrots and celery. Their structures helps them to clean your mouth as you chew.
- Drink tea. Tea has antioxidants that make it more difficult for plaque to build up. Plaque can get a bit stinky, so less plaque is a good thing.
- Eat regularly. An empty stomach can cause acid to build up in your gut, and bam, next thing you know that acid is making your breath smell bad. Plus, eating promotes saliva, which again, helps clean the mouth.
- Try a probiotic. If you keep your mouth immaculate, your diet is fairly clean, and you know you drink plenty of water, it may be that your system is off-balance. Try a good bacteria promoting probiotic, or snack on probiotic rich foods like yogurt.
Do you have any tricks you use to keep your breath fresh?
~Mavis
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Irene says
point three is contradictory in itself. People that are on low carb diets have high incidences of bad breath and have higher ketones.
Mavis says
Thanks Irene. A confusing typo on my part! Glad you brought it to my attention!
Deborah from FL says
I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about that thing people do when you check your own breath by breathing into your cupped hand. Is the result reliable? I mean, I know this works if the breath is strongly nasty, but what if you check and it seems ok to you. Would others concur?
And on a related subject, is “Hey, would you check my breath for me?” socially acceptable (with people you are close with, obviously)? I don’t think I have the courage to ask. 😉
Mavis says
I’m no expert, but I’d suspect it isn’t all that reliable!
Connie says
Yeah – don’t count on the breathing into cupped hand method. I keep Altoids on hand – in my purse, the car glovebox and/or console, in my desk – for those “just in case” moments. I’m so blessed to have family and friends who would TOTALLY tell me if my breath is gross. We’re all huggers so, that kind of proximity can be helpful. And I am happy to oblige should I need to slip someone a curiously-strong mint. 🙂
PollyS says
My husband is a camel. He can go almost all day without eating. Makes me crazy! He drinks a lot of water, but it’s not enough to keep his bad breath at bay.
So when I read this http://www.designmom.com/2014/01/oil-pulling/ last year, I thought “what the heck? maybe this will work!” And by golly it has helped a lot! His bad breath is gone most days. It really does work.
Apparently bacteria loves oils and fats. So the bacteria attaches itself to the oil, you spit out the oil, you spit out the bacteria. And his teeth are a little more white than usual.
I know it sounds crazy, but it works.
I would love to do it, but I gag on the oil, no matter how little I use.
Wendy says
An often over looked cause of chronic bad breath is sinus infection. I had horrible breath as a child and nothing seemed to help. I was finally diagnosed with chronic sinusitus in my 30s. It’s the same bacteria that cause strep throat.
Renee says
Wow…all three of my children went through a long period of horrible bad breath….guess I should’ve taken them to the dr…interesting! Glad you shared that info now I’m curious if they had/have that problem!