Persistent bad breath (medically known as halitosis) can be an embarrassing condition, lowering one’s confidence and affecting their social life. If you’ve experienced halitosis, you may have tried using chewing gum or breath mints, but they only offer temporary relief. It is best to find the underlying reason for the bad breath and get a permanent solution.
This article outlines the common causes and treatments for bad breath.
Causes of Bad Breath
You may experience bad breath due to the following reasons:
Poor Dental Hygiene: This is the major reason for halitosis. If you don’t clean and floss your teeth daily, food particles are left stuck in your teeth. When bacteria in your mouth decomposes food, a sticky layer called plaque accumulates, and a smelly gas is produced. The same thing happens to any food particles left on the tongue.
Certain Foods: Foods such as garlic, onions, dairy, spices, and tuna can cause bad breath. For most of them, the odour only lasts for a short while.
Smoking: Smoking cigarettes and chewing other tobacco products causes halitosis.
Oral Infections: You may experience bad breath due to mouth sores, yeast infections, and gum disease.
Other Health Problems: One may have bad breath due to other diseases not directly related to their teeth. These diseases include sinus infections, common colds, tonsillitis, acid reflux, and sore throats.
Dry Mouth: Saliva keeps the mouth moist, clean, and bacteria-free, keeping your breath fresh. If your mouth is dry, then you may experience bad breath. This is what causes what many people call ‘morning breath’.
If your salivary glands have a problem, you will have a dry mouth and thus consistent bad breath. A dry mouth can also come about after taking some medications or alcohol.
How to Get Rid of Bad Breath: Home Remedies
To keep your breath fresh, it is advisable to brush your teeth at least twice a day. While brushing, ensure all the food particles in your mouth are cleared and don’t forget to brush your tongue. After three months, you should buy a new toothbrush due to bacteria accumulation and the wearing of the bristles.
Even while brushing your teeth daily, flossing is also essential. Flossing helps remove food particles stuck between the teeth. Brushing doesn’t always get rid of the stuck particles.
If your bad breath is caused by eating certain foods, you can rinse your mouth with salty water or apple cider vinegar. This gets rid of the odour. When eating tuna, you can splash some lemon or vinegar on it before eating to reduce its effect on your breath.
If you’re suffering from a dry mouth, you can chew celery, apples, or carrots. They stimulate your salivary glands to produce saliva, taking away the bad breath. In addition, chewing on these foods helps eliminate food particles from your teeth.
Conclusion
Even after trying several home remedies to deal with bad breath, you may still have halitosis. If it doesn’t stop, it is advisable to see a dentist as persistent bad breath could be a sign of other health complications such as periodontal disease, pneumonia, postnasal drip or diabetes.
Seeing a dentist will help alleviate your fears by finding the cause of your bad breath and dealing with it as needed.