Did you know? More than 80 million people suffer from chronic halitosis or bad breath. Bad breath can be extremely embarrassing and difficult to navigate on your own. However, it is a very common condition with multiple treatment options. Here are some tips to help you fight bad breath and increase the overall health of your mouth.
- Floss daily
Flossing helps breakdown the buildup of plaque in-between your teeth that your toothbrush just simply cannot reach. If you do not floss daily, the stuck, leftover food debris will be a host for bacteria, causing halitosis.
- Brush twice daily
This one seems like a no brainer for curing halitosis but it’s still worth mentioning! While brushing in the morning is a great start, brushing at night is key to curing bad breath. Your nighttime brushing allows you to remove any food debris from your day. If you don’t, that food debris and plaque sits on the tooth, eventually causing decay and more bad breath.
- Quit smoking
On top of the countless other reasons to put down the pack of cigarettes, here’s one more: cigarettes and other tobacco products can cause bad breath. If you’re already brushing twice daily, flossing, and follow all other dental care tips and not finding any relieve for your bad breath, the answer might be to quit smoking.
- Chew sugarless gum
Remember what we said earlier about food debris? If you’re unable to brush your teeth after every meal, an easy solution could be to chew on sugar-free American Dental Association-approved gum. Chewing on gum causes your mouth to salivate which will wash away any food debris on your teeth. Not to mention the minty smell can help cover up any bad breath.
- Drink lots of water
Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day is key to curing your bad breath. Not only does it help with dry mouth so bacteria does not form, but it also helps wash away leftover food particles and existing bacteria, two of the leading causes of bad breath.