Bad breath, also known as halitosis, can be a source of embarrassment and cause individuals to feel self-conscious about their oral health. It can lead to social withdrawal and negatively impact interactions, dates, interviews, and first impressions. Despite regular brushing and chewing gum, the persistent odor of bad breath may still linger. Identifying the root cause of this issue is crucial for effective treatment and maintaining good dental hygiene.
As we all know, everybody’s breath is not fresh in the morning after waking up. While sleeping the mouth produces low amounts of saliva, bacteria utilizes the opportunity to multiply in the mouth at night and give rise to acids and foul-smelling gasses. Early morning breath is nothing to worry about because it can be easily sorted out by brushing the teeth. But if the bad breath persists or increases throughout the day even after brushing or flossing, then it will be necessary for you to take actions in order to eliminate bad breath.
Luckily, I have compiled a simple guide on how to permanently cure bad breath and maintain good oral health. But before we delve into that, let’s take a look at the common causes of bad breath, such as poor dental hygiene, gum disease, and the consumption of certain foods. Remember, bad breath can be quite persistent, so it’s important to identify the underlying cause for effective treatment.
What Causes Bad Breath (Halitosis)?
Here are some of the common causes of bad breath, including gum disease, which can affect the health of your teeth and gums. Gum disease is caused by bacteria that can build up and cause odor.
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Poor oral hygiene – when you don’t brush and floss daily, bacteria and plaque can easily accumulate and cause bad breath. Bad breath due to poor oral hygiene can be easily avoided by regular brushing and flossing. Taking care of your teeth and gums is essential for maintaining fresh breath. Incorporating foods like parsley into your diet can also help combat bad breath caused by poor oral hygiene.
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Smoking and tobacco – smoking and chewing of tobacco can cause bad breath and also increase your chances of developing more serious oral problems. They can lead to dry mouth, gum disease and tooth decay.
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Dry mouth – saliva, also known as gum, has a strong natural antibacterial, cleaning, and pH balancing properties. It reduces and eliminates the harmful effects of bacteria in the mouth. The saliva, or lemon, helps to maintain a healthy oral pH level by neutralizing acids produced by oral bacteria. Little or less production of saliva can lead to bacteria overgrowth in the mouth, which will eventually lead to bad breath. So, it’s important to maintain a healthy oral environment by ensuring sufficient gum production.
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Food – regular eating of foods with strong smell such as raw onions and garlic can leave you with bad breath. But, such bad breath can be easily taken care of by brushing. Depriving your body of essential carbohydrates can cause lemon bad breath (halitosis). Unhealthy breaking of fats-producing chemicals know as ketones can lead to strong fruity mouth odor.
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Disease – certain health problems can lead to bad breath. Digestive system infections or diseases can easily result to chronic bad breath. Diseases and infections such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), kidney disease, lung cancer, sinusitis and tonsillitis can all lead to bad breath.
How do I know that I have bad breath?
The problem is worse if you don’t know that you have bad breath. It’s safe to say that most people have bad breath without knowing about it. People’s weird reactions when you speak in front of them can be a clue that your breath really stinks. Presence of high levels of sulfides in your breath is the chief cause of bad breath. There are techniques and scientific ways that a dentist can use to determine the amount of sulfides in your breath. (1)
However, you can carry out a personal test at home yourself. Lick the back of your hand and allow it to dry, smell that particular spot after 10 minutes. If you notice a yellow color or strong smell, then it shows that there’s high levels of sulfides in your body. (2) Alternatively, you can ask your close friend or relative to smell your breath and check if it’s bad.
How To Cure Bad Breath Permanently
1. Brush and floss regularly for at least two times every day to combat stinky breath caused by bad bacteria. Eliminate the chance of food sticking to your teeth after a meal and causing garlic breath. Brush and floss after every meal to keep bad bacteria at bay. Regular professional dental cleaning is also very important for maintaining fresh breath. You should also try to replace your toothbrush after every three months or after suffering from an oral infection to minimize the growth of bad bacteria.
2. Ensure to clean your tongue thoroughly each time that you brush to prevent stinky breath. Scraping your tongue regularly reduces the chances of accumulation of odor-causing bacteria and dead cells, which can lead to garlic breath. Bacteria love to accumulate at the back of the mouth and tongue where it will be hard to reach during brushing, so using a tongue scraper is recommended for proper cleaning.
3. Always stay hydrated, since dry mouth contributes to bad breath. Sipping water all day will help to keep your mouth clean and odor-free. Increase your intake of water and drink about six to eight glasses of fresh water daily. Remember, not drinking enough water isn’t the only cause of dry mouth. If it seems that your dry mouth is not improving after increasing your water intake, you should see your doctor for proper health examination, since certain medications and health problems can lead to dry mouth. You can check out my post on – effective ways to treat dry mouth.
4. Try as much as possible to eat proper breakfast every day. Dentists have warned against skipping your breakfast because it increases the production of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). VSCs are usually produced in large quantities when we are asleep, it can also be produced when the body is not properly fueled. Unfortunately, according to a report from a study, it was shown that only 44% of Americans eat breakfast before carrying out their daily activities. Taking enough breakfast each day can help to reduce the amount of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) and bad breath throughout the day.
5. Chew on fresh sprig of parsley each day. Parsley has effective properties that neutralizes breath odor. The fresh leaves contains the right amount of chlorophyll that gets rid of odor-causing bacteria in the mouth. The leaves freshens the breath as well as kill the bacteria responsible for bad breath.
6. Chew fennel seeds each day until your mouth odor goes away. Fennel seeds have powerful antibacterial and cleaning properties that freshens the breath as well as eliminates odor-causing bacteria. It does not just mask the odor, but it kills the underlying cause. Chewing on cloves at least twice each day can also help to cure bad breath permanently. Fennel seeds and cloves have excellent antiseptic properties which makes them very effective for treating bad breath.
7. Try to chew on lemon and orange rind every day. Although, this might not seem to be fun, but chewing on lemon or orange rind for a few moments will give your mouth a freshening burst of flavor. (3) Citrus juices are acidic in nature, the critric acids they contain can be used to enhance saliva production in the mouth. You should try as much as possible to maintain a steady flow of saliva in your mouth. Natural occurring citric acids from lemon or orange rind can freshen your breath as well as promote healthy production and flow of saliva in the mouth.
8. Try using alcohol-free mouthwash, such as homemade baking soda mouthwash. Baking soda is a great acid neutralizer. It maintains a balanced pH level in the mouth as well as eliminates odor-causing bacteria. Baking soda is very effective for fighting bad breath, proper use of baking soda can cure bad breath permanently. Also, you can easily prepare your baking soda mouthwash at home.
In order to enhance the effectiveness, you can add some few drops of perpemint oil, salt, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide or apple cider vinegar to the mouthwash. You can make your mouthwash by mixing a half cup of water and two teaspoons of baking soda plus any other additive. Ensure to rinse your mouth thoroughly with the mouthwash for at least three times per week. You can check out my previous post on – 4 Ways To Cure Bad Breath Using Baking Soda.
Finally, all the steps that I mentioned in this article may help to to eliminate bad breath forever. If after practicing the things that you learn from these guide and your bad breath didn’t go away, you should not hesitate to talk to your dentist or doctor. Bad breath from stomach requires more complex remedies and treatment plans.
Richard Smith is a Registered Nutritionist and also a Health Speaker. Richard Smith graduated from The City University of New York. You can learn more about him by Visiting His LinkedIn Page or Follow him on Twitter.
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