5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath

It’s easy to improve your breath and keep your teeth and gums healthy at the same time. Try these simple steps to make your mouth feel fresh and clean.

Brush twice daily-

• Brush after every meal and floss, preferably twice a week.
• Plaque, the sticky buildup on your teeth, collects bacteria that cause bad breath. Trapped food also adds to the problem.
• Brush your teeth at least two times each day, and floss at least once chew. If you’re concerned about your breath, do both a little more often.
• Don’t overdo things, though. If you brush too hard you can wear down your teeth, making them vulnerable to decay.

Rinse your mouth out.

You should opt for a 30-second mouth washing session. The mouthwash that you choose should be alcohol-free. You can also make a mouthwash at home by mixing a cup of water with a teaspoon of baking soda and adding a few drops of antimicrobial peppermint essential oil. The baking soda has the unique property of changing the PH level of the mouth and fighting bad breath. Please note that you should not swallow the solution and should spit the same out.

Gargle a Minty Mouthwash

If you need 20 minutes of freedom from bad breath, gargling with a mouthwash is a great idea. But like Cinderella’s coach-turned-pumpkin, when your time is up, the magic will be gone, and you’ll be talking from behind your hand again. Want extra protection? Dip your toothbrush in a mouth rinse with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (such as Peridex, an over-the-counter mouth rinse made by Procter & Gamble) and brush your tongue, too.

Chew a Mint or Some Gum

Avoid gum containing sugar. Biotene has a complete line of products, including rinse, gum, and spray. We recommend all three. Just keep gums chewing to a minimum, because it wears down teeth.

Kick the tobacco habit

Besides causing cancer, smoking can damage your gums, stain your teeth, and give you bad breath.

Over-the-counter nicotine patches can help tame the urge. If you need a little help, make an appointment with your doctor to talk about quit-smoking programs/ Anti-tobacco counseling or prescription medications that can help you give up tobacco for good.