Saturday, September 29, 2007

How to Get Rid of Bad Breath

Most people who suffer from bad breath are aware and very conscious about it. They will do anything to get rid of bad breath for good. As long as it is not due to a medical condition, it is not very difficult to learn how to get rid of bad breath by following a simple regimen of oral hygiene. Most of the short-term remedies like mints and mouth sprays may actually aggravate the problem in the long run. What you need to do is to watch what you eat and make sure that you maintain a healthy and regular oral hygiene routine.

Common Causes of Bad Breath

One of the commonest causes of bad breath is a dry mouth. This can be caused because of certain types of foods, carbonated beverages like colas, alcohol and smoking. People who drink coffee frequently also have a sour, metallic odor to their breath, which is caused due to the acidic nature of coffee. The other frequent cause is the breeding of bacteria in the leftover food that get stuck in between your teeth while eating. This is especially true for people whose diet is rich in protein because the bacteria in the mouth decompose them into sulfur compounds, which are by nature very malodorous. The same is true for onions and garlic as their chemical composition also consists of a number of sulfur compounds.

How to Get Rid of Bad Breath With Natural Remedies

People who eat a diet that includes a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables are less likely to need to learn how to get rid of bad breath as this type of diet is conducive to fresh and clean breath. Some of the simple, natural remedies that can help you get rid of bad breath are listed below:

  • The first thing to consider before you do anything else is to make sure that you're cleaning you mouth thoroughly, not just your teeth but also your gums and tongue. If you don’t already have one, it would be a good idea to invest in a tongue scraper so that the bacteria that coat the tongue can be fully removed. Another important thing to remember is to floss your teeth at least once a day, as toothbrushes do not remove the debris stuck in between your teeth. Finally, massaging your gums with your fingertips after brushing would prevent gum infections, which can also cause bad breath.
  • If you’ve had strong smelling food, gargling your mouth with baking soda mixed with warm water would help in neutralizing the bad breath.
  • Ginger and clove are proven East Indian remedies for bad breath and oral hygiene because of their antibacterial properties. Clove oil is also used in treating dental cavities because it also has mild anesthetic properties. To prepare a mouthwash take a small piece of ginger and a few cloves and boil them in water.
  • Tea tree oil is also antibacterial in nature and can be used as a mouth wash to treat bad breath.
  • The most neglected of all the bad breath remedies is the consumption of lots of water.