Bad breath or halitosis can be an unpleasant and embarrassing social situation. Bad breath signifies poor oral hygiene or sometimes any medical health condition. Some simple steps can help to improve oral care and keep our breath fresh. 

Reasons and Remedies for bad breath

Poor Oral Hygiene – Oral hygiene is very important. If we do not brush our teeth properly, food particles will remain in our mouths and will form a layer over the teeth. Poor oral hygiene also causes cavities and gum diseases associated with bad breath. 

The use of mouthwashes helps in eliminating bad breath but only on a temporary basis. A proper oral care routine is the best solution against this. One can use tongue cleaner frequently to get rid of the coating that usually forms on the tongue after eating anything.  

Gastric Issues – Constipation, improper digestion, or bowel disorder can also affect the odor of the breath. Odors coming out as a result of acid reflux also causes bad breath.

Fasting is one of the best solutions for this problem. Brush your teeth twice a day and do floss at least once. 

Consuming Flavorful Food – Certain foods like onion and garlic are odor causing food particles. Whenever these are taken, they affect the odor of your breath. 

Brushing after eating these foods helps to a certain extent but not eradicate fully. So, it is better to avoid these foods when we are socializing.

Dry Mouth – Saliva helps to keep the mouth clean by removing food particles. When there is a lack of saliva in our mouth bad breath automatically arises. This is the reason why our mouth stinks upon waking up.

Brush and floss more frequently to avoid bad breath. You can chew sugarless gum or can chew sugar free hard candy. 

Cigarettes and Alcohol – Whether it is cigarette or alcohol both cause bad breath and can cause severe health issues. They damage the gum tissue and can also cause gum disease. 

Nicotine pills which are available over the counter can help to get rid of tobacco. There are some prescription medicines that will help you to give up cigarettes. For any gum disease, you can also visit dentist. 

High Sugar Food – Sugar attracts bacteria present in our mouth. Thus, it causes halitosis. 

One can chew sugar less gum. Gum promotes the production of saliva, which further helps against plaque, decaying, and bad breath. 

Medicines and other conditions – Some medicines when broken down in the body, releases chemicals that can produce odor to your breath. Some medicines also cause dry mouth as their side effect. There is no remedy for this because taking medication is also important. 

Bad breath can be due to a number of health conditions like respiratory infection, postnasal drip, sinus problems, kidney, and liver issues. Some of the cancer conditions also give rise to bad breath. 

Continuous bad breath despite our consistent efforts can be an alarming sign of serious health issues. It is better to take an appointment and visit the doctor.