Skip to content 
Bad breath is, well, bad. It can ruin conversations and make you feel self-conscious. It can be a sign of a serious condition, which your dentist will have to diagnose, but more often than not, bad breath is easy to manage.
Causes of Bad Breath
The most common cause of bad breath is food. Particles can get trapped in your teeth and increase the number of bacteria, which produce an odor. Certain foods, such as onions, spices, or garlic, enter your bloodstream after they are digested and are carried into your lungs, which causes bad breath.
Dry mouth is another cause of bad breath. This ailment can be caused by any number of factors, including breathing through your mouth or dysfunctional salivary glands. Certain medications can contribute to dry mouth, or they can break down in your body and the chemicals can be carried on your breath.
The use of tobacco products can also lead to bad breath. This can be caused by the products themselves or by the products causing gum disease. Other diseases and illnesses can also contribute to having bad breath.
Ways to Treat Bad Breath
Brush your teeth and your tongue more often
Since most bad breath is caused by bacteria, removing it from your mouth will help with bad breath. Bacteria like to collect on and around your teeth, but it also thrives on the soft tissue of your tongue. Brushing all these areas will help rid your mouth of unpleasant odors.
Rinse your mouth
Don’t have time to brush? No worries! Rinsing your mouth with mouthwash will help rid it of food particles and bacteria–as long as the mouthwash has the capability to kill germs. Using plain water after you eat can also help rid your mouth of food particles that could get trapped.
Chew Gum
Chewing a piece of sugar-free gum after eating stimulates the salivary glands, and saliva is your natural defense against bacteria and plaque.
Avoid Certain Foods and Tobacco
As mentioned above, certain foods like onions and garlic will give you bad breath even if you brush your teeth. Avoiding these and tobacco should help you fight bad breath.
This list is just a few ideas to help you combat bad breath. The most important thing you can do is keep your teeth and gums healthy, and this can be accomplished by regular visits to your dentist.
